New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-09-28
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

When the great Trans Continental Railroad
was completed, there were many and inspiring
prophecies of the good it would bring forth.
| The passionate enthusiasm of our Pacific
| brethren knew no bounds, and in the first
gush of their Joy at being connected by rail
with " the rest of the world" it is possible that
they committed the venial fault of overesti-
mating their own importance to that major
part of humanity from which they had 80 long
felt themselves separated by the snowy bar
riers of tho Sierra. The sum total Of all that
was said and sung in the inspiration of the
placing of the Last Rail, from the Rev.
DR.. Todd's elaborate address to the
Almighty on that occasion to Bret Harte's
rhymes of "What the Engines Said"
would fill o considerable volume. The
Railroad was to bring to the Pacific States a
mighty food of prosperity, the trade of the
Indies and an end of that petty provincialism
which had long vexed the larger souls of many
| of their citizens. To the rest of the Republic,
there was to come not only the facile means
| of visiting the famous tabled country which
had heretofore been reached only by long voy-
ages to the outward opening Golden Gate, but
there were also promises Of silks, spiceries,
and curious gems from the Orient, choice teas
from China and Japan, and gums and lucent
sirups from far Cathay. To all the world
there was to be exhibited token of that uni
yersal brotherhood of man, the utter compile
ton of which shall be the grandest poem of
all ages, whose antistrophe was heard in the
completion of the iron road across the CO tt
nent-the noblest epic of modern times.
Well. the railroad has now been finished
these two years. A jaunt from ocean to ocean
is as commonplace as trip from New-York
to Liverpool and the poetry vanished quite
away when party of thrifty Boston traders
baptised baby in the mingled (and bottled)
waters of the Atlantic and Pacific, under the
Starry Banner of the Free, the grand old
Peaceful Sea meanwhile blinking sleepily at
the oyerdone travesty of sentiment. The gush
of song and oratory has faded away. and we
are left now to look soberly at the facts which
remain, and to examine the relentless figures
of bills of lading and statistical returns. Is
this, after all, realization of BentOn's dream
of "the way to India 7" Can we see to-day
capitalization of the wild fancy of Columbus
that Europe must this way seek her speediest
communication with AsiaY Let us examine
the facts:
LClOlO lilo lEdHb-SOuIluCubdh boh"oy wa"
| completed, the mighty steamers Of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company had commenced
weaving the thread Of commerce between the
westward shore of the United States and
China. When the iron steed from the Atlantic
| finally drew in the breath of the Pacific, there
were found ready the swift ocean coursers
which should carry further with the westering
sun the freights and passengers from the East.
The fixing of the last rail on the iron high
way across the continent completed the last
link in the chain all ready to belt the
globe. But it was prophesied by very many
wise men that no great things would, after
| all, come of this new venture into the West.
San Francisco, the ambitious Pacific port of
the continent, grew discontented while waiting
| for the golden shower to begin; and she was
soured by the sight Of q considerable trade
with the interior aiding from her grasp along
| the rails OF the railroad which not only
reached Atlanticward, but traversed the hills
and valleys Of California and Nevada. The
tide of commerce Ia not turned In day, and
the currents stu ran in the old ways. Nay,
more, it has been proven beyond any
possibility of refntation that the great
EXPENSIVE line of transportation could
not induce hther the freights of China, In
! dia. and Japan. We 40 Inoof safe ;,,,x' IN