New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-05


chances Of shipwrcck. OF vessels putting into way
ports on the South Atlantic South Pacific for 10
pairs. Its wok OF construction was attended with
drawbacks and dsaprortmcnts. and great expenses
that were not shared by the Union Pacific Company.
It had to pay rates of insurance. ranging from
10 IL per cent. nom which tax tho Union Pacific
free And when pressed for time. 10 remedy
loss OF material that had occurred in the transit around
Cane Horn from Ncw-yorl II was compelled to send
rails or locomotives across the J-hmrs Of Panama
II was subjected TO burdens from which the Union Pa
zinc was totally free as g shown hv the testimony Of
Mr. Clement, Mr.. Strobridgc and Mr.. Brown. hereto
fore noticed
Being at suc distance from IT'S base Of supplies,
II was compelled to kecp material for nearly wears
construction constantly In transit II had upon the
ocean for the greater part OF tho to n was engaged
n the construction of It's road materials valued at
from 10 three millions Of dollars. upon which n
was lncrrrng an interest accort ranging for most az
the time from IL 10 Is rcr cent rrr annum We have
II in evifcncc before the Commission that thr rails
used IN This work at the point OF production from
ga 10 sii5 IN cash per ton. Five hundred tons were
purchased a, sss2 In Central Pacific stock. with IS
edctional added for delivery I'm NcwYork or Boston.
ana that The average price paid in New-Yor' during
the entire work was $50 ton. The freight from
New-fork 10 San francisco around Cane Horn aver
aged sl7 so per tom insurance was from 1-o 70 II
per cent II VIII therefore he soon. that the cost to
me central Pacific of rails IN San Francisco. NJ the
lowest rate of insurance without interest 20
per ton To rs must he Joined the Of trans
ror'snon nom San Francisco to the western end Of
the cost Of moving 10 tne point Of construction being
added makes II entirely safe 10 calcula #, that tho
was not less than 1928 per ton laid in the track.
These enormous prices and expenses added to the
character OF The country through which the
central Pacific was built and the difficulty OF obtain
Ing fncl and tho long distance over which water was
transported for the use Of the engines engaged in the
construction and OF mon employed. Is Of the
sons why Joined TO others discussed hereafter this
company exhausted the proceeds Of all the aid granted
10 t,s ~ Conds oy the .nSd states and such portion
road to Promonory and tho proceeds Of the first mort
gage bonds which II had issned and all the aid which
u received from the counties Of California. and the
proceeds Of It's Dor ds the interest on which for twenty
years was guaranteed by tho State Of California. and
tho moneys received from tho sale OF the
Central Pacific. In the construction and equipment Of
the aided road between Sacramento and Promontory
Point and the purchase from the Union Pacific of the
road between Promontory and Ogden. 81 as TO COM
ply with the act Of Congress. tina: the ter
minus and point Of junction should be fixed at Ogden.
ana that at tho completion Of Srch construction and
purchase IT was sever al millions Of dollars in debt.
Tho charge. go often made that the promoters Of
lion s road m,spS rs hG s@ S
ished thy codd not hare nail h'ir debts from the
has shown the faithful expenditure OF every dollar
rc'vod prior to the completion OF the road-that II
I'll consumed I'm construction and equipment
No who reads the evidence given before tho
United States Pacific Railway Commission will deny
hat the promoters Of the Central Pacific enterprise
aborcd earnestly and manfuy not only to fluff their
contract with the Government. but comply with its
wishes for earlier completion Of the road and they
did It without regard to their own pccunary advan-
tage: believing that the Government would treat them
squitably In the premises.
Tho Government and the people were very anxious
for the frui,ion uf the scheme that had long held
prominent place in the public mind. The early events
Of the war had shown the peril of not having frequent
and rapid communication between the Atlantic and
Pacific States and the companies having the work IN
popular desire for It's early completion without regard
10 the cost to themselves.
Before the roads were fully finished the Govern
hent began to realize benefits from the partial fulfil
Of he contract In IT'S facilities for transport alton
OF mails and OF troops and munitions Of TO its
Ing with tho commanding officers by telegraph
These benefits and advantages to the Government
increased with the further progress of the road until
II finished
when the Union and Central Pacific connected their
tracks they had performed all their part of the con-
plished the great work that had filed large space
In the pablo thought and they put the easements and
facilities which their lines afforded the disposition
of the Government TO the great advantage of tho
ton, and the protection of its territory.
CONGRESS AIDS RIVAL ROADS
In July. 1864, the very day the contract between
he Government and tho Union and Central Pacific was
amended Congress pessed act subsidzing the North
Pacific Road the effect of which was necessarily to
take the Central Pacific the business north of
California And in July 1866, while the constructors
Of the Central Pacific bending all their energies,
Is We have heretofore shown, and seeking every aid
within human reach tunnel tho rocks of the Sierra
Eevada Mountains, to remove tho masses OF compact
snow, to cut down the timber and clear suitable bed
Tor their rails, the Government subsidized still anOhc
road, the Southern Pacific the building of which could
only result In taking away from the Central large
California, and which the construction of the Union
and Central was intended to control and to compel
the Central Pacific, for its protection to purchase
t. and TO limit its ability to respond to the demands OF
ho Government and to decrease the amount OF the net
earnings which, undcr It's contract IL obligated to
render to tho Government.
1t will not course, contendcd that II Congress,
acting for the bes interests OF the nation. thought IT
wise snbsidzc these roads, 1t should have RETAINED
because OF the contract II had made with the Central
a TG dos Dp m IN cS
should be consider cd and determined in the settlement
of the questions now existing between 1t and the COR
poraiions.
After the lapse OF time apt to underrate the
obstacles tina, attended effort successfully accom-
plisbed.
Even seven years after the road completed,
the embamassmonts of its constructors had partially
faded from the public mind learn from the fol-
lowing extract from the letter of Mr. Huntington,
dated April 3. 1876. TO st major EdmuudS, Which was
printed by order of the Senate:
The relations between tbs Government and the Pa
cfc Railroad Companies growing out OF the acts OF
1o62 and 1oC4 whereby The United states, in time Of
advanced lis bonds In order to insure aud hasten
the construction of railroad and telegraph line be-
certain points the Missouri River and the Pa
cifc Ocean and especially the pccunary obligations
created thereby have again been pressed upon tho at
tentOn of Congress and oi your committee.
The spirit and aim of those acts, ii Is well KNOWN
Has TO establish without the direct agency OF the ma
Hon, railroad communication atr0ss the Continent and
this object has been attained under the terms ami con.
dtOns then made, but years ahead OF tbs allotted
time. Commonplace as the achievement may seem
now at the time of its inception 1t was deemed work
novel, 50 bold and vast, that but iew DcIieVed IN
It's success. while thee was general apprehension
both in tho public mind aud among their representa-
tives that ii might be long delayed fall altogether
The physical and financial energy and ability so
auspicously displayed to overcome the impedimcniS
encountered car scarcely Le we'll cons deed deter
mined under the dome OF the Capitol.
"
OBSERVANCE BY TIE CENTRAL PACIFIC OF ITS
OBLIGATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT
But IL is said that the Central Pacific Railroad
Company has not been mindful OF The obliga'i I'm
posed upon 1t by the laws of the United sa'cs under
which il received aid for the construction Of Its road
II will DO difficult certainly for the most avo~ed
enemy of this company to subs antate tho proposition
II they had kept to the rigid prms of their contract,
And had opened the road its otier required them
do the LIST day OF Jniy 1876 Instead oi on The
10th OF May 1860 they had availcd themselves Of