Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-03
HISTORICAL.
The First Protectors

The First Pro ectOFS.
II IS said that Asa Whitney, merchant
of New York city, was the first to propose
and diligently advocate the construction of
q national railway to the Pacific, But
about the same time DR.. Hartwel Carver,
of western New YORK was earnestly NOV
ing in the matter and he has produced ar
ticles in favor of such railroad which he
published as early as 1878. At that
time his project included ''all America for
the Americans" In 1845 DR.. Carver and
his associates memorialized congress for
charter. He then proposed to build a
road from about Dubuque on the Missis-
s.ppi through the South Pass of the Rocky
Mountains to two terminal points On the
Pacific coast. Subsequently he proposed
to build from Lake Michigan to the Column
bia, and this he designated as the Oregon
road. Mr.. Whitney proposed to build a
Pacific road for land grant of thirty miles
wide on each side of the road. DR.. Car
yer proposed to build the road
for land grant of twenty miles on each
side of the road. Mr. George Wilkes, of
New York, criticised their plans sharply,
and strongly argued that the Pacific rail
way should be built, owned and controlled
by the t1onal-government. The specu-
lative anticipations of these gentlemen
as to the benefits and dangers, the facili-
ties and distractions, regarding the
location, construction and operation of
railways across the continent were much
like what has been written by ell who have
followed them on the subject. The people
of ST. Paul and the Northwest have read it
all many times within the last twenty
years-if they have read their home news
papers. DR.. Carver's speculations as to
the traffic of the East Indies may not have
inspired some late publications, but was
in the same vein. Here is a sample SEN
tence:
"Methinks lean look forward through
the vista of time and see countless thou
sands of our fair country women sitting
of an afternoon leisurely slipping and
drinking their tea, until they become in
toxicated with the sweet favored aroma of
this delicious beverage, and cry out, in
sweet and musical accents, blessed be God,
and the projectors and builders of the
Oregon railroad, now and forevermore,
amen"
In 1854, Edwin F. johnson,
G. E., published with pro-
file map pamphlet advocating
the northern route to the Pacific. His pro-
file begins his line at Chicago, reaches the
Mississippi at La Crosse, crosses it about
the mouth of the 81. Croix, passes the Red
river valley about forty miles north of
Lake Traverse, and proceeds to the noun
tains by way of Milk river and the great
falls of the Missouri, crosses the noun.
tains by Lewis Pass, descends Olark's
Fork and across the Cascade mountains to
the head of the straits of De Fuca. This
line he estimated at 1850 miles, or about
$50 miles less than the actual distance by
the route he marked out.
GOVERNOR STEVENS SURVEY.
In 1858 congress authorized explora-
tions and surveys "to ascertain the most
practicable and economical route for
railroad from the Mississippi river to the
Pacific ocean," which surveys were made
under the direction of the secretary of
war in 1853'54. The report of the secreta-
ry of war Jefferson Davis) accompanying,
and reviewing the field reports and the
final reports of the chiefs of the several
expeditions was published by congress in
twelve large volumes in 1856. These re-
ports corrected most of the misinforma-
ton regarding the western part of the
United States, which he'd been popularly
believed until then, but they did not quite
remove that old idea that the center of
the continent was an arid region where
agriculture would never be an important
industry.
The Northern Pacific line, or the route