Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-12-21
SAN DIEGO
From "A,io. Tho Continent" tPhusJ

nlnSUlH OF lower NnllIOrnln, w ucH'
tined, before many years pnss, to
become nm important commercial
city; and tho terminus Of ono Of
tho great railroad trunk lines per.
haps tho most convenient and OK
pcditious route "Aross tho Cont.
nent." The Directors of tho Tex.
80 and Pacific Railroad Compa-
ny, have been fortunate in finding
ut this place what is most needed
for their enterprise. The harbor Of
San Diego is safe and spacious and
on another dromic line, the port is
almost as near to tho Sandwich
Islands, the Australia, as is San
Francisco. Several hundred miles
of tho distance to many oftho most
important Pacific ports will be
saved; and the route is in so low q
latitude that winter will never
impede travel upon it. In tho
annual report to the company, pre-
scented in May last, the President
of this road, Col. II. A, Scott, spoke
of its prospects, and of tho necessi-
ty for such route, in the follow
ing terms:
The experience of the past win
ter has shown clearly the necessity
for a route to and from the Pacific
coast that will be free from snow
blockade, and other obstruction,
throughout the entire year. The
growing trade of our country with
Mexico and the counties ofthe East
rs well MS the local resources of the
territory which the road will ira,
verse, give promise of ample re.
turns upon all needful investment
Tho heavy emigration that has
passed in Texas since the war will
doubtless increase with the oXten
sion of railways and with the fa
cilities afforded by them for ship
ment of grain, cotton, cattle, and
other products, all of which must
furnish, within q limited period, Q
largo remunerative traffic. When
you add to all these sources OF traf
fic the great development of miner
al wealth consisting of gold, silver
copper, iron and coal, that is known
to exist in exhaustless quantities
in the country to be traversed by
the roads of the Co., it is only
question of time as to your secur
ing liberal rewards for the invest
ment required, and while so doing
you will also provide for tho world
at large another valuable medium
for the movements of commerce"
1t would not be easy to overcs
innate the mineral resources of the
region which will be tributary tc
the projected road. From the bow
els of the earth will be brought
forth ores, which most probably
would mako q railroad profitable
if agriculture furnished nothing
ard tho great peaceful sea beyond
yielded none of its treasures.
Prof. Agassiz, returning from
his south sea expedition, landed at
San Diego, and q letter from &
member of the expedition express
ed the warmest admiration of the
place. The following is an extract
"a great deal of the land in the
vicinity is owned by men who have
worked and waited patiently fol-
years in the belief that at sometime
more or less remote the necessities
of our Asiatic commerce would de-
mand another port on the Western
coast, and that the region compris.
ing Southern California, Southern
Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico
would require commercial centre
somewhere in the 1900 miles be.
tween San Francisco and Mazatlan
The claims of San Diego to occupy
this position are undoubtedly pre-.
eminent. The harbor is one of the
finest and most secure in the world,
and will accommodate with ease a
fleet of 1000 ships. The surround.
ing country, though suffering at
the time Of our visit from the of:
fects of a protected drought, gave
ample evidences of its great fertili-
ty when once supplied by irriga-
ton or otherwise with the requi-
site moisture. The climate is soft,
mild, yetinvigorating, and certain
]y one of the best adapted in the
world for those having pulmonary
affections, as it is almost uniform
throughout the entire year and
would involve no wearisome change
of residence or dangerous travelling
from place to place. Tho site Of
the town is an excellent one, the
land sloping sufficiently for purpo
ses of drainage, but not SO much as
to necessitate grading. Altogether
it is far from improbable that Sar
Diego may become before many
years have passed
THE RIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO
on.this coast in size and commercial
importance, and whatever our ex
pectations in the matter may be
our wishes are certainly that tn,
little town and its kindly inhabi
tants may have all the success,
which they desire"
Tho harbor of San Diego hal
long been known F.; but the lack O.
population in the vicinity has
caused its commercial importance Il
be overlooked, and even Snow il
would not attract unusual atten
ton, but for tho fact that it so ad
mirably meets the want of the
Texas and Pacific Railroad Compa
ny. 1t was surveyed by the su
perintendent of the United States
coast survey, in 1872; and the
engineer appointed to survey a
route for the Southern Pacific Rail
road" on the 32d parallel in 1856
speaks thus oft: =
ITO speak of the accessibility
n ~