Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-27


straight line from st. Louis to San Fran
cisco. The obstacles on the route were
found SO great that it was regarded as i'm
| practicable
The next route was the thirty-f fifth paral-
| lei. The estimate of the engineers OF the
cost of this route was $169, 900, 600; but Mr..
| Davis says that must be mistake; that
they overestimated it; but he does not say
to what extent, and, as subsequent events
showed, he was correct IN dlsagreelng with
| their estimates on the route.
| The fifth route was on the thirty second
parallel, to start from a point on the Gulf
| in Texas. at a place called Fulton, and
running from there TO San Francisco. The
| estimate cost of this route was $93 900, 900
and the reasons are given ct considerable
length by Mr.. Davis why it could be built
cheaper on this route than any other. But
| Ii may be observed that if this route had
| been chosen it would not have answered
| the purpose of commerce. 1t would have
been long way in getting around from
New York and it would not have served
| the purposes desired besides Texas was
| then in rebellion, which fact precluded the
consideration of road on the thirty second
parallel at that time.
| These estimates were made as prelimln-
| airy to the granting of aid for the construc-
! ton of a continental road, and many
| speeches were made on the subject during
the period of these appropriations when it
was regarded as military necessity. The
two political parties, following up the ex-
plorations which had been made by the
| Government, declared from time to time
that it was both
| COMMERCIAL AND A POLITICAL NECESSITY.
And should be aided by the Government.
| The Democratic convention that was held
in 1860 in Charleston so declared; the con-
vention that was held in Chicago, which
nominated Mr.. Lincoln, SO declared; and
some seventeen or eighteen of the States, if
| recollect Alright, passed like resolutions.
1t was the general sentiment that the road
| should be constructed by the Government,
and these estimates of cost were made Tor
| that purpose.
| While l am speaking of these estimates
of the cost will anticipate little and refer
to what the roads did actually cost. The
| Government bonds issued in aid of the
construction of the main line amounted, in
round numbers, to $50, 100000. The roads
were authorized to issue like amount of
| tirst-mortgage bonds, making the aggregate
cost from Council Bluffs 10 San Francisco
| of about $110,000000.
| The road was, therefore, constructed for
SAC, 100000 less than the estimate of the
| War Department, which, as | have shown,
was Sl50,000,000. l am of opinion that ii
the road had been constructed by the Gov
| eminent under the charge of the engineers
of the army, it would have cost the full
| amount that was estimated by the engineers.
have never known any work constructed
| by them to be done much more cheaply
| than the estimate. 1t generally exceeds
the estimates. 1t must be remembered
| that this road was constructed not as an
ticipated, deliberately, when the engineers
made their estimate, but it was constructed
in time of war. when prices were from
| two to three times as much as they were
before the war, and when the discount on
the paper money of the Government was
| about 80 per cent.
So it Will be seen that the railroad was
constructed more cheaply than was antici-
pated by Congress when the Act was
passed, because Congress had before it the
| estimates of its own officers as to the prob
able cost.
Much has been said about the extraya-
gance of these appropriations, and we have
investigations into little things that are
very annoying and expensive, as to how
| these roads were constructed and how the
various expenditures were made. 1t seems
to ME, in dealing with the grand result we
have no time to consider all these details
We should take the situation as presented
in larger sense and see whether the result
obtained is all that could have been reason.
ably anticipated. 1 think it is.
Not only this, but the road was con-
structed
SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THE TIME
Limited in the Act for its completion.
There were matters connected with its con-
struction which added very much to the
cost. But the reasons for constructing the
road at that time. as given by every man
who addressed either House of Congress,
were of a national character. The prin-
cipal reason assigned was the urgent mill
tary necessity to enable the Government to
protect the Pacific States and retain them.
all the national advantages that were pic
tured during that discussion, to which !
will call attention, have been fully re-
allied. There is no question about that.
An empire has been created west of the
Mississippi, and between that and the Pa
ci6c Coast, which will furnish many i'm
portant States of this Union, the develop
ment of which was advanced for genera
ton by this appropriation. No man at the
time this was done was able to picture
anything like we now see. The expecta-
tons have been more than realized If it
IL said that the roads could be built cheaper
now after the country is developed and
when there is business, we shall not deny
it; but we must take into consideration the
| time when the contract was made the cir
cumstances under which it was made, not
only of the Government, but of the parties
who undertook the work, in coming to 8
conclusion whether there has been an un-
reasonable expenditure of money. Ger
taIniy no more was spent than was author
lied by Congress
ba tb.+ a44o~ ~ ,oaI .x-.- -.
structed the country commenced filling up
was natural, both in California and at this
end, and the road finally became suffi-
Gent success to make the stock valuable
which nobody would take. to my certain
knowledge, at the time the road was in
process of construction. | say the unex-
pected success of the enterprise was such
that the stock became of some value, and
consequently those engaged in the enter.
prise made money. But this was not anti
cipated by anybody. On the contrary, the
projectors We're regarded as fanatics TOR un-
dertaking such hazardous scheme.
Without going into details in regard tc
the situation of my constituents, l suggest
that they are
NOT ABLE TO PAY THE ENORMOUS DEBT
OF the Central Pacific Railroad. They are
not able TO pay this money back to the
| NONtTlluieut, dHu II THIS company is forced
to do it it never can or will build branch
, lines. The result will be that we must
continue to pay high freights aid be taxed
during the next fifty, sixty or one hundred
years, to pay for this great national wal
measure, which has added thousands Of
millions to the wealth of the nation and
its taxable property and demonstrated the
fact that trans-continental road could be-
!, built, and induced others to engage in like
enterprises. This and the other land-grant
roads have caused the construction directly
of about 10000 miles of road and indirectly
it is estimated. of as much more.
This expenditure of sos. 000, 600 having
been paid by the Government for this ma,
!, tional object, and it having accumulated
now TO Sl00, 600 600 or more it seems to me
that the use of this $780, 900 600 in building
branch lines and constructing reservoir.
and other hydraulic works for irrigation
under such regulations as Congress shall
hereafter prescribe, would be better than
eking this vast sum out of the people liv.
ing along the line of these roads. Such
use of the money would give better re.
turn than any amount we may ultimately
collect. II would yield more money TO the
Government in the way of taxable prop.
erty, and furnish that region with roads
, and cheap transportion.
The legislation of Congress since the con.
struction of the road has not followed III,