Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-30
A GREAT ENTERPRISE.
The Pan-American Railway Which Asks
Its Charter of Virginia.


Colonel II. C. Parsons was in the city yes
| terclay and left for Washington on the af-
| ternoon train. He is looking after the in
terests of the bill now before the Legisla-
| ture for the Pan-American Railway Com
pany. This bill was introduced as the
| Colombia Railway and Navigation Com
| pany, but by general consent the name
| has been changed as above to the one
| which is more appropriate and descriptive.
| Great interest is being manifested through
| out the country in this undertaking, in
| which Colonel Parsons is the prime mover,
i as shown through the importance attached
| to it by the press at large. The New York
| Tribune, speaking editorially of it, says:
| The proposed intercontinental railroad,
which is to connect North and South
America, starting southwark from the City
| of Mexico, is now supplemented by q pro-
| position from II. G. Parsons, of Virginia, to
build another road, less than 1900 miles in
| length, beginning at Cartagena, on the
| northern coast of Colombia. thence running
south through Ecuador TO Cuzco, in Peru,
where it will connect with the road already
| building northward from the Argentine
| Confederation. A company has already
| been formed under a charter from the State
of Virginia and trustees appointed-the
latter being Judge Granville 7. Halves, Of
New York ex-senator Il. NJ. Norwood,
of Savannah, Ga. {; John W. Thomp-
son, Washington banker, and A. W.
| first step to be taken will be the survey
| of the route. and for this q fund of $500, :
| 600 has boen raised. Great difficulties will
stand in the wav, especially among the
| mountains, as huge peaks will confront
| the surveyors in Ecuador and Bolivia, but
| in these days of science it is premature to
| consider anything as insurmountable. and
| the success which has crowned the efforts
| of the builders of the road running east
and west in piercing the Andes with tun-
| nels will be encouraging to the projectors
Of the North and South road. The new
road, il is claimed, will pass through
an exceedingly fertile country to the north,
| in many sections rich in gold and
silver and Astounding in coal and timber
A considerable portion of the road will run
| through an almost virgin region, very
sparsely populated, but once opened up
| the projectors are certain that its natural
resources will attract large colonization.
| The country penetrated by the road IS one
| of the most picturesque in the world, and
| the enthusiastic projectors are confident
| that within five years it will be the
| favorite route of tourists instead OF
| the European. IL will at least be q
| new experience when the traveller
can purchase his through tickets from
New York to Chicago, thence to the City OF
Mexico through Central America, and down
through the wild scenery of the Andes to
the heart of Peru, thence eastwardly
through Bolivia, Buenos Ayres, and Brazil
| to Rio Janeiro. aud home by steamer TO
New York. For some time TO come 1t Is
evident that human enterprise and energy
will concentrate themselves upon the great
work of opening up Africa and South
America, the one to. civilization and the
other to commerce. England seems de-
stined to accomplish the one and the
United States, if she is quick TO seize her
opportunities, tho other.