The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-02-05
NORTH AND SOUTH
AMERICAN RAILROAD

There is an immense appeal to the
imagination in the scheme OF building a
vast railroad to unite all the countries OF
North, Central and South America,
Though this great line, when completed,
will not compete in length with the
railroad which now runs all across
northern Asia, it will, nevertheless, be
numbered among the worlds greatest
projects, a tremendous victory over space
and time. There can be little doubt,
also, that the regions to be opened up
and united by the Pan-Amcricau line
are of greater natural wealth, better sup
Piled with almost untouched resources,
and more promising for future develop
ment that the great wheat-iiclds and
forests OF Siberia, and the dry Man
churian uplands.
forming the idea OF Pan American
railroad running from the northern to
the southern extremity OF the New
World, belongs to the venerable Dr.
Edward Everett Hale, who included ii,
in a lecture delivered several years ago,
among the coming wonders of the world.
The Pan American Congress, which met
in the city of Mexico two years ago, en-
dorsed the project, and practical plans
were there discussed, by which the nat
ura and economic difficulties i'll the way
of the line might be overcome. 1t was
further brought out on the same occa-
sion that very large sections of the Pan
American railroad were already i'll exist
ence, needing only series OF missing
links of relatively short extent, TO COM
plcte the chain. Yet another step has
Just been taken, towards the rcaliza-
ton of this project in the appointment
of Mr. Charles Nj. Pepper as United
States Commissioner to the various Cen
trial and SouthAmerican countries con-
cerned, who will be in a position to see
with his own eyes not merely the dit
hculticS to be overcome, but also the
immense possibilities to be opened up
by this gigantic undertaking That two
well-known men of business have vol
untccrcd to advance five thousand dol
lars each, towards the expense of MIR.
Peppers journey, shows that the plan
appeals strongly to practical minds.
DETAILS OF THE SCHEME.
In considering this great scheme, the
first thing to get clear in our minds is,
the extent to which its realization is
facilitated by the railroads already built
or building, which can be used as links
in the chain. 1t is, of course, true that
there are a dozen alternative routes
from New York to Texas, the first stage
of the journey, while several plans are
at present under discussion by our rail
road companies, for traversing the great
Southwest by new and more direct
routes. The striking deficiency, as far
as our own territory is concerned, and
from theoretical rather than a prac-
teal point Of view, is the lack OF a great
trunk road running north and south
across the Western plains, and serving
as direct link between the wheat and
forest lands of the Canadian Northwest
Territory and our own Southwest, to-
wards the Mexican line There is no
north and south railroad in the States
which compares in directness and conse-
quence with our various Pacific rail-
roads, or with the Canadian Pacific,
There are, of course, numerous COM
binations by which passengers or freight
can go, let us say, from Manitoba to
Mexico, but there is no single main
artery, such as the Pan American |
scheme contempIstss. At present this |
IS, as we said, rather a theoretical than
practical difficulty.
When we come to Mexico the next
link in the chain, we find that our sister
republic makes an admirable showing.
There are two main arteries connecting
our railroads with the Mexican system:
he one making connection at FL Paso
with the Arizona and New Mexico lines,
which thus introduce the circulation OF
our Pacific coast; and the other at Ciu-
lad Porfrio Diaz, joining the Mexican
ines with San Antonio and Galveston,
md the Gulf States. Southwark