The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-18

4
Progress and Inauence Upon the Country.
| A few years ago, when whitney and others
proposed to make railroad to the Pacific
from Lake Superior, and applied to Congress
for charter and land grants, few believed the
scheme was either practicable or necessary.
It met with much the same incredulity and
opposition that Professor Morse's magnetic
telegraph scheme did when first brought be-
fore Congress. Hardly any one could imagine
then that a railroad would be completed
across the Continent by the year 1869. Yet
this marvel of American enterprise and
engineering skill was accomplished within
a few years after it had been
authorized and commenced. The route
selected for this first transcontinental
railroad was not the one proposed by Whit
ney. but more central one. The Union and
Central Pacific line, on which the cars have
been running several years across the CONT
nent embraced more settled territory and
larger population than any other at the time.
Both economical and political considerations
favored it. 1t connected the great port and
Aourishing city of San Francisco, the best
| agricultural and richest mineral Sec
tions of California, the Territory of Utah,
the large semi-rebellious Mormon popu-
lation of which there was a political
| necessity for controlling, and the rapidly de-
veloping States of Kansas and Nebraska, with
the railroad system of the older States, the
| Atlantic seaboard and the commercial me-
| tropolis of New York. Engineering Difficult
ties, the heavy cost of the work and the pros
pect of obstruction by deep snow in winter had
to yield to these considerations. And this,
one of the most stupendous works of the age,
has proved successful and blessing to the
whole country.
But the Union and Central Pacific is only
the pioneer transcontinental railroad to sew
eral Others. Not only are others needed,
but the success Of this shows that other rail-
roads across the Continent can be made and
will pay. While the Union and Central route
has some advantages, particularly in those
things we have named and in traversing the
central portion of the territory of the United
States, it is liable to serious Instructions from
snow in winter. This has been seen within
the last few weeks. 1t is not improbable that
communication with the Pacific States and
Territories by this route might be suspended
for some time by this cause during very
severe winters. At present there are two
other Pacific railroads projected, which are
being pushed forward rapidly to the limit Of
the settlements westward, and which, before
the expiration of many years, will span the
Continent. The Northern Pacific, starting
from the head of Lake Superior, has |
the advantage of terminating at a point |
nearly two-fifths of the distance across the |
Continent, where it meets cheap Transports
ton by shipping through all the lakes and to
Europe by the st. Lawrence. 1t traverses
the tablelaud approaching the British boun-
Diary, which divides the waters flowing south |
by the tributaries of the Mississippi and Mis- |
souri,, and those that flow to toe north through
British territory. 1t is free from deep SHOWS
and has a fine, dry climate, with an abund-
| ance of rich soil. 1t enters on the west the
productive region Of the Columbia River and
terminates a thousand miles or 30 nearer
Japan and the northern part of China than
San Francisco. In the future, with the
CROWN OI OTeROu duu OJucI OIoLCo uOE VI Va
California, this railroad must become the
most valuable artery of commerce with Asia.
Then there is the Atlantic and Pacific Rail-
road from St. Louis and the southwestern
corner of Missouri through the Indian |
Territory, New Mexico and Arizona to Cali |
fornia. The distance is shorter than
by the Union and Central Pacific |
Railroad. This route Is free from
Instructions by snow, and for the greater part |
of the distance is through rich PASTORAL agri-
cultural or mineral country. Along this line
there is almost o perpetual semi-tropical Z.
climate Besides its connection with the vast
railroad systems of the North, it Is more
directly connected with the railroads of the
South, with those of the rich and progressive
State of Texas and the lines which are pro-
iected to the Mexican border and the Gulf of
Mexico. Every one of these great transcon-
tinental routes, then, has special advantages,
and all will be traversed by Pacific Railroad
at no distant day.
There is, however, another and an impor-
tant line of railroad which may perhaps be
called transcontinental; for, though Its present
projected limit is the Rio Grande and
Mexican boundary, it must ultimately reach
the city of Mexico and the Pacific
shore. We refer to the Missouri, Kan
sas and Texas Railway. The northern
division, starting from Junction City, on the
line of the Kansas and Pacific Railway,
traverses the State of Kansas in south
eastery direction to the Indian Territory.
Another division, uniting with that at Par
sons, starts from Sedalia, Missouri, on the
Missouri Pacific Railroad. From Parsons, or
the southern line of Kansas, this road Is being