Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-20
RAILROADS TO THE PACIFIC.
senator Thomas II. Benton's Prophe-
cies Anticipated.


we here republish from the Columbia
OIo) Herald, an article with the above
caption from the pen of Dr. 3. B. Minor,
now of this city. Columbia is the seat
of the State University of Missouri, and
Professor Minor resided there when ne
was the president OF that institution,
which, greatly enlarged and improved
has now at it's head another Underwater
Virginia. Columbia was, then, hitting
place whence to disseminate the facts
which are so conclusively presented in
this article. They will be interesting also
To our own people. who Will thus have
another proof of the foresightedness or
that great Virginian, Commodore Mathew
F. Maury.
Our Rappahannock river fisherman has
fairly "gigeed" the Sturgeon, which VIZ
ginians learned how to DO even In the
days OF Captain John Smith. The article
is as follows:
To the Editor of the Herald:
In the st. Louis Republic. issued on
Sunday. December 5, 1897, Is an interesting
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. prophetic utterance
recalled; Comptroller Sturgeon grows
reminiscent concerning the Pacihc rail-
roads; contributes q highly interesting
cbapter of local and national history
Then comes an extract from Senator
Thomas II. Bentons speech on "A High
way to the Pacific" delivered In 1913, and
Mr.. Sturgeon proceeds as follows; Ben
fonts words now seem to me to have been
nronbetic. He realized the great I'M
porfance of a national highway to con-
meet the East with the West. The gold
fields of California were arousing the
wonder of the world. The glorious devel-
onrnent that has since resulted was clear
~ foreseen by Benton" etc, ETC.
There are some contemporaries OF
comptroller Sturgeon who also have
"reminiscences and there are some re-
oords which he may never have seen,
-. -,oov have forgotten. With the aid OF
tbasa his history may be supplemented
"a corrected. without the least dispar-
os,avosnt of him, or OF Missourfs thirty
vears' senator. To furnish sueh supple
100 and correction, in q spirit friendly
40 nv old acquaintance, the Comptroner'
Ie the object Of this communication
Mr.. Sturgeon gives an account Ol 49,
Iution which he offered as Iien1D0 COO
tI,a Council of st. Louis, May a. 1883
S do9oS1 IN regard to railroad connection
Sx.,jth California and oregon, and making
o. .oris the starting point and OF
ss,ose-rneeting. of citizens on That supJeot'
~ .oxs chat the action to wnlch these
orocaedIngs led was laid before con
tHantion held at Memphis, which CONVEX
tion "endorsed the st. Louis resoiu'ioh
an an elaborate report "a
This was all very well. but .neIo naS
heen previous conventions an sss 49,
which embraced similar ana Aiieieu '"'
jects. - ,o,s .orvantion
=, nror,nhis of southern and western
states appointed committees ana aoJouih-
"a 20 the 18th OF November 10 receive
ond act upon their reports on ELEVEN Iiib ,
=, -,yono-tant subjects. The editor OF the
Go,tbern Literary Messenger called upon
the celebrated Harry Bluff CMatneW On
taine Maury, then only a neutenans ="
the United states navy, put sup rv.sS.
- ~ the National Observatory az WASH
,ns,or and already highly distinguished,
49, oS5ress the adjourned convention on
49, s,hiects. and especially upon the
49,, o,,sing SYSTEM" which ne ana inc
rSessa,,gar we're then urging upon the at.
..ase.' 80 congress- and the country Du1
-. ,,.+ one OF those eleven. lie TO-
.n,,dad IN one Of his matchless proouc-
tiona which was published IN me Sou te,r
ern I literary Messenger tor VclopssI' 4s.D'
Thev procured Afterwards .he auok So
by Congress Of "Ihe "ai''0u's
tenn" .,.,,orotad NV Harry
,,ls -, Ne address Of October, 1916. was
~ onening by the General Government,
~ ot0 ,oereased facilities Of communication
WITH the Pacific slope. HIS speclna p an1
was "a monthly mail 70 Oses" Here
$500 20 the Sandwish Islands. nelc
&c some of the things Wn'Sh ne seio.
"or,v two hundred millions OF coleu,n .,,s
ON, sy,,n mil through the markets OF inc
aiy . st ocean. But there are In the
n ns,Sae' and the countries bordering on II
r ia. lass man six hundred millions OF peo-
no nor is ',,os s1' wants have always been mea-
pre- r,v s nyo Badly fed ard half clad,
,bev are eager for our produce. ana ere ere
well able TO buy and barter iTee cS,na,oan
II be supposed that the stinteo OHA--A