Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-07-26
For the watchman
4 Trip 10 Calif0rnia..-N0. z.


unsaid ia my last about the Pacific Railroad. As
this great work has done 50 much already for our
country, and its possibilities, not only for our
country's but the whole worlds good are ~
grand. nothing should be left unsaid that conye-
niently can be said Of it, And so in this letter
would continue the subject commenced in my last.
think that | mentioned in the first letter that
the fare from ocean to ocean (oyerland), was
sl3s. Isn't that high outragcously high p
asks some frugal farmer, who can remember the
time before the war and high prices, when over
and above expenses his farm would scarcely give
him that amount in hard cash. But my dear
man, how long is the road? rhirty-fye hundred
miles in round numbers. How many cents per
mile give US sl3s2 About four, take IT, How
many miles from Montpelier 10 Boston, Two
hundred and the fare is 81 90 and 40 my friend
if you think that the fare from ocean to ocean /.
outngcously high, owing az you perhaps mag.
inc 10 the fact that this great Pacific Railroad has
monopoly Of the carrying business, and can
regulate It's tariff to suit ITSELF what do you think
Of the fare from Boston 10 Montpelier? Then
again the Pacific road runs through about sixteen
hundred mile, Of wilderness q slim chance there
I YOU see IN NlAht NlNtN WhA VI WY Mhfti hhA
freight, while the road from Montpelier to Boston
runs through one Of the most thriving and thickly
settled parts Of the whole country The fare is
! not high taking everything into account it is
very reasonable indeed honestly believe that
/ the men who manage the Pacific Railroad are
ding everything wise, far seeing patriotic men
can do 70 encourage travel across the continent,
make their country the great thoroughiare of the
nations, and deyelope is resources.
As we are TO follow the road stop by step, up
and down the mountain, over gulch, through
tunnel and snow shed past canyon, and over alkali
/ plain, we will not dwell here upon the number
and nature Of the apparently insurm1un table OBJ
siacles that lay in the pathwayoi this road Suf-
| flee it to say here that they were 50 many and 80
| great, and were 50 quickly and wisely surmount
ed as TO place, according to my judgment, the
men who achieved success for this grand enter
| prise, foremost among whom forever must b
mentioned Oakes Ame. Of Mas, and Governor
Stamford Of Cal, in the front rank Of this coun.
| try s heroes and bcnelactors, on the grand line
down which the eye gazcs upon such men as
| Washington, Lincoln, Garrison Morse, Fulton
| Field and Grant. Their victories are none the
less sure and magnificent because blo)dless and
made over Nature, and mpalpable foes preju dice,
dstrust, jealousy, SANDER and like the the VIC
tories Of the great soldiers in the above list they
| hasten the day when 90 the sword shall De beaten
into the plough the spear to the pruning.
hook, and nations shall learn war no more
In the track Of such great pioneers Of enlighten-
ment and christianity as the Ocean Telegraph and
the Overland Route, march the treaties Of Bur
lingame and Joint High Commission ant
along the channels they cut aiw the great cur
rents Of international travel and eommerce-those
greatest and wise.t Of diplomatsts and pacfca-
tors that God gives % his quarrels1me and boast
luI peoples.
| have something now to write that Is not :
pleasant I suppose, since man is always - grea
humbug himself, promising in form Of body
| mind and soul, 80 much more than he ever f1lfls
at least ON this earth, there must always some
humbus ging enter every enterprise however great
aud good it may be- fhe Pacific Railroad is no
exception in this respect Riding up and down
the mountains and across the plains - forbidding
in aspect, 80 sterile, and apparently 40 perfectly
impossible Of being put to any use that would
benefit the individuals OF either this generation or
The next few hundred generations to follow,
frequently had this vision As looked off upon
plain or plateau, it seemed suddenly transformed
into an immense " Tribtae, Or " IadepsnGeat "
sheet, covered all over with one Of Fisk Hatch.
advertisements and double loaded among thu
other lines were these 4" The Pacific Railroad
bonds are secured N the bond holders by lien,
/ upon each alternate section Of land lying alonl
/ the rad granted to the road by act Of Congress
etc, etc " oh, bondholder in the Pacific Rail
road if the business of the road cannot pay your
/ bond On its maturity, you might just as well hav
/ lien upon an old Trijuns or IndcpeHdcHt a
upon one Of these alternate sections II viii
take at least score of centuries with all theil
wash and waste and grea. upheayals, 10 make the
/ land for fifteen hundred miles along this road
tilable and long before that time take it, yor
will have had your title to mansion examined
your lines upon certain treasure in far dIiieren
country determined and you will hardly be in
condition to settle on this land bordering on tn
\ Pacific road in any other form than dust, to tn
abundant presence Of which there already, ever,
one jouneying over the road bears eloquent wit
ness In case the road cannot pay the bonds
an exigency that | am far from anticipating, sine,
the business OF the road must inevitably in
increase to an indefinite extent and since tn
bonds being taken in the greatest good faith b
people who were truly alive 10 the future veal 0
our country, the government would be practicin
" reputation" in another form to refuse 10 10
demnily the bondholders those who were oblige'
to take the least amount of " section" woul,
be the best fellows. They occupy the fortunat
position of the happy land owner in the stor,
that runs something after this wise Two travel
ers were riding through one of the most steril,
parts of New Hampshire. We have no such
tracts Of land in Vermont one must trayers
New Hampshire 10 appreciate the story Well as
was saying, two travellers were trayersing on,
OF these sterile tracts, aud in the meanwhile wer
, commenting upon the barrenness the forbiddinl
look Of the country. As they were passing os
to rickety stone wall one CHANGED to remark
" how poor the people must be who own th
land y new figure suddenly appeared upor
the scene that Of a man who was Just takinI
hisnoontime smoke behind the wall lifting himsel
up with his hands upon the wall his black stub o
a pipe just reaching through his grizzled beard
his whole appearance presenting perfect pictur,
of utter restitution, he drawled out, q" Wall
stranger, amt 50 plaguey poor as you think
am, only own half acre of this ere land y
This story would persist in coming into m,
thought every time looked upon the land that
goes to form these alternate sections, " and eve
ry time ! seemed to see the figures of those who
tatter themselves that whatever happens 10 the
road, their claim upon the land will hold rood
and 50 find myselfobliged to put it in here when
writing about them. No doubt if anything does
happen, they will find their claim will hold good
Are they not tillabe under irrigationY | am
asked. Perhaps so, but still must believe they
will be poorly tillable at the best, and who bu,
those who are wicked enough to defy Gods laws,
like the Mormons, or whoare so weak they canno,
control their appetite in the presence Of tempta-
ton, like the dweers in Greeley would care 70
dwell in a land, treeless, waterless, monotonous
TO the last degree, and be their own irrigators
with water brought from mountains fifty or a
hundred miles away, when they can live in a
country Of meadow and wood land. with silyerv