The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-02-12


rafarence 10 this service2 A mail-rOute exists
over this same route, or almost identical with
Il, from Kelton on the line OF the Central "a
c;;c Railroad to the Dalles on the Columbia
river The mail over this route il carried Dy
contract with the Government on fOur.horse
staoa.coaches: and for this service alone the
post Office Department is to-day paying the
enormous sum annually of $224,OOO, q sum IN
itself almost equal to the whole amount OF In
terest required for the construction u tne pro-
posed railroad and telegraph line over Lhis as
lance From the Dalles to Portland. oregon
the Department is paying the further sum an
nually of $4,000 for mail service Alone maA'
| inc An annual expenditure for the TRANSMISSION
If the limited States mails from Kelton to
Portland. Oregon. of $242.OOO. But this is not
all Another mal-route exists to-day from
Winnemucca. State of Nevada, to Boise City,
Idaho Territory, on which there Is daily man
service. for which the Government ID paying
the annual sum of $4,000. Other mall-rontes
exist. all of them to-day absolutely necessary
| To supply the wants of the people, but the ser.
vice ON which, to very great extent, would
be supplied by construction of this road.
Again, the time occupied in carrying letter
from Kelton, Oh the line of the Central Paclhc
to Portland, Oregon, is about eight days, WINE
with railroad this time would be reduced 10
about thirty hours. If then, Mr.. PRESIDENT
were to step here l have said enough, 1t seems
to me, to remove every possible objection TO
this bill, 80 far as any question is concerned as
| 10 the mere policy of the Government aiding
the enterprise to the extent required, consld-
cred in an economical point Of view. But this
| is not all, only IA mere 1.-THE OF the DEMENT'S that
nlust necessarily result TO the Government
from the construction Of this road upon the
terms and conditions proposed In this biil
| What does the Government. the Indian De
partment aud the War Department, disburse
annually. would inquire. iii the transportation
Of It's troops, freight, and supplies which are
conveyed every year To the North Pacifc coast
10 Oregon, Idaho, Washington Territory, Mon
iana, aud Alaska! Contemplate but Tor mo
ment the vast extent Of country lying north
west Of the line Of The Centrai Pacihc Rail-
road. and which would be supplied through this
arm of the great national trunk line of trans
continental cominunication--an area greater
in extent than all of New England, with the
States of New York, Pennsylvania. Ohio, In-
diana. aud Illinois added thereto. We have III
the three political divisions Of the State OF Or
rson and of Washington and Idaho Territories
an area of two hundred and fifty one thousand
| iiye hundred and sixty square niiles, win All
of W.s.ern Montana and part "i Utah 10 the
northwest. while Alaska, with five hundred aud
seventy thousand square miles more, lies still
! beyond 10 the uor;hnard
| This vas: region-l refer now Ia Oregon Ida
ho aud Washington Territories-ls dotted from
one extreme ia the other with Indian resrrsa-
lions and agencies aud military posts; rot SD
many military posts, however, ~ the nFcess-
lies Of cur propl. dcmand If We had a few
more of these, with increased garrisons and Il
better suppl, of arms. have 80 doubt II would
] j,.ss al pti
TRY: we would have fewer Indian ou'rages. and
more ample protection Ia settlers. But as the
matter new stands the annual expenditures
! h., the Government. especially by Tie Indian
aud War Departments III supplying these va
r.ous agencies aud military posts connoi be- OH
cgnisr than immense. And III addition 10 All
/ this there ii the branch of our revenue marine
aud engineer service on the North Pacific coasi
constant, Demanding shipments from the Last.
ern States in maintaining aud developing our
commerce. Connect the great national high
way, connecting the central artery OF the ma
zion with the waters ot the arandcst river on
the globe, IntcrlaCiug It's arms. rs II does, with
those uf the Missouri and Saskatchewan in the
remote regions of perpetual snow, thus holding
communication with the two grand valleys oi
The continent. aud You prepare a free highway
Tor the nation that will save this Government
annually, in the Transmission ot mails and Gov
erument shipments and in the transportation of
Government troops. not merely hundreds Of
thousands. but nj 10 distant day. millions ot
dollars. And all these advantages are Ia be Sc
cured to the Government a right and n priyll-
ege exclusive aud perpetual IN its character
for the mere piitauce at $3.50 600 for period
of twenty years. When say "mere piitance"
| speak. ot course. in comparative sense. II
il indeed n considerable sum but when con-
sidered with reference Ia the fact that S3l6 600
are now paid annually for the single item Of
mail carriage over the route. that would be sup
piled free of all charge by the construction of
this road. aud the further fact of the vast sums
that are annually dsbursed for other Govern.
meut services in this direction. and all of which
would be obyatcd by this enterprise, the ex.
penditure asked by this bill becomes insignif-
cant in amount; and when viewed in the light
Ut the still broader intelligence that is capable
OF grasping the grand results ftkis national en-.
terprise. and that must unquestionably be ex-
hibited in the commercial prosperity Of the
whole country. il seems to me there should be
| no hesitation in giving support to this measure.
We of the North Pacific coast have watched
and waited with modesty that defes criticism
and patience that challenges the production
Of parable: for some successful effort upon the
part of the General Government that will wrest
us from our isolation and place our people on
some kind Of an equality. in commercial point
of view, with other sections of the country, by
means of railroad communication. The cry
is coming up to the ears Of the Republic to-day
from the great valleys of the Mississippi, and