New-York tribune., 1875-02-06
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
IS THE TEXAS PACIFIC NEEDED,

SMALL AMOUNT or TRAFFIC ALONG THE SOUTHERN
BoRDER-ARHoNA AND WEST TEXAS PART OF
AN IRREDEEmABLE DESERT.
To the RAZOR OF The Trfbune
SIR: Will you permit one who has traversed
the proposed route Of the Toxas and Pacific Railroad.
from the Mississippi to tho Pacific TO say word ia re-
ply to your correspondent. Mr. H. BOwlby Wilson.
In the first place. in that approaching time. when the
increase Of Southern transcontnontal traffic shall de-
mind IT, this railroad ought 10 be- and doubtless will bc.
built independent private enterprise. Uniil that
time arrives 1t would 10 tho OF folly for either
the Government corporation TO attempt TO push IL
through. What necessity for 1t at prescntf Take
the whole amount OF traffic ana travel from San Anto
MA westward and from Fort Yuma eastward aud what
does 1t amount to 1t amounts TO about one Govern
mont wagon-train q week each way. or say 90 tons
week. or 1900 tons year. As for travel there are
perhaps 9J emIgrant trans Of Texans going westward
say 900 persons year and on tho Pdon; slIe tue
entire passenger traffic between California aud Arizona
Is conveyed on blackboard. To cnliVon anil diversity
his trips throug tho desert sotules OF Arizona anu
New-Mexico, tho driver sometimes takes ABOARD re-
constructed Apl lie or so1tlO PdpagO' ana I"o HeA1
week carries him back.
Your corrcspondents elaborate calculations as 10 tue
prospective profits OF this road, which he estimates o.
One-hli those VI the Central and Uuion Pdch;-S1j)a
mileIrc quito basclss. The traio is not there ana
would not DO there, IL tbs road were con'tEu0eh
for the next quarter OF century az least Tho lsoher
NAL line arches far into tho continent leaving be-
tween tho Rio Grande and tho ella hot aud ARID re-
gion where AnglOSaxon civilization will make sluggsh
progress. Tao country IS incapable OF supporting
raGlrking population. Ninety hundredths OF The
region proposed 10 be raycrscd Of the Colorado ~
T,xas consists Of vast sandy mcSlS and mountains,
which yield q cousid cradle growth OF grass, but can
never subdcd To piOw at any t'mr' ana cannot
support population exceeding an average OF ono or
two fdmc. to the square milo Oi unprOgrtsSYe nerds
mon and Grca-cgA For 100 miles tho only 6lro ne
pendenCe fuel MESQUITE roots, dhd OIten even
this supply fails II ia one long journey OF death
iorla1d del nltcriO. "a the Mexcans well call tt
urrary waste OF sand ana sagebrush and aIka, WIN
only now ard then cottonwood by some spring or
stream to break the mOnOtOny.
As to the 3COOlCO acres OF land which the Govern
Incnt Is 10 receive btckhavng once bestowed the sano
on tho COmplnyas security, any person who mas peh'-
rdtcd that region hardly avoid regarding tue pro-
posa rs uunentiOnal pleasantly. In JOurneyng l5J)
miles bet Yeen tho two COOrad0s you vii not see as
iornia ranch. II True, thele - consid-
erdbe good land along tho route, but IL Is ~ utterly
dried up for lack rain that 1t Is a. baro as dIiI-
ground And n this tho fate Of the good land, What
ought to be expected from the millions Of acres OF sahu
and gravel, which no amount or ram could gdlEanIZc
into ruituue,si OF the 30OOOOO acres tEero are AZ
least 20 10000 acres which not and never VIII De
worth 50 cents an while the world enGures IN
other words, the Texas aud Paclhc, equty WIJh the
Central and the Union, could not vo day on the way
tralc and must wait for through traihC until II mas
San Francisco aud "a Chicago for terlDIni.
Neg YORK, Jan. ", 1916 ANIISUDslDf'