Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-05-03

ROAD WILL PASS.
missioner, and he maintains that his
project, far from being impossible, is
already probable and the direct corol-
larry to the Monroe doctrine. He
quotes the late George M. Pullman,
who, keen student of railway develop
ment as he was, predicted that one
day there would re through sleepers
between Denver a 4 Buenos Ayres.
MI. Pepper has seen Pan-American
conditions both as a newspaper corre-
spondent and az a delegate to the Pan
American conl res7 in 1901, and since
his appointment DIS railway commits
sioner he has made a costly survey
with a view of a Pan-American rail-
road Such a road as he proposes in
wolves the cooperation of ID of the
South American republican, and the
rail links necessary to complete such
a system would be 5000 miles in
length and would cost $2O00 DOC, 900.
To show that the plans for this gi-
gantic system have passed beyond the
proplematic stage. Mr.. Pepper says:
"It may be said that in the begin
ming of 1905 every Central and every
South American country has a dehnite
policy Of aiding railway construction
as an integral part of the Pan-Ameri-
can system. and some of them, as in
the case of Peru and Bolivia, have
enacted special legislation. All Of them
are sympathetic toward an interconti-
mental trunk line, because it comedies
with their plans for internal develop
ment and external trade"
The project as 1t appears on the pro-
file of the map of the survey made by
w. T. Skunk, as engineer-in-chief from
1892 to 1898, shows the general direc-
ton of the road to be northwest and
southeast along the giant chains of the
Andes. The governing principle is a
long continental backbone with branch
ribs in every direction, taking into
consideration mineral, agricultural and
timber resources, without emitting CHI
matte conditions.
Mr.. Pepper has prepared a table
showing what parts of the proposed
system are already in operation and
what parts are under consideration.
The road from New York to Laredo,
Tex, 2,1S7 miles, is in operation, as is
also that from Laredo to Mexico City.
From Mexico City to the Guatemala
border there are 730 miles of road, of
which $50 are being operated. In Cen
trail America there are 351 miles in OPP
Grafton, 100 miles being built and 592
miles projected. In Panama 612 pro-
jected. In Colombia, 20 miles in opera
ton and S45 miles projected. In Ecua-
dor 1876 miles in operation, II miles in
construction and 455 miles projected
In Peru there are PIT miles in OPP
Grafton, 223 miles under con-
'struction and 1885 projected
In Bolivia 233 miles in operation, 12s
miles under construction and 1870 miles
projected. And in the Argentine re-
public there are 1,033 miles of road in
operation and 1876 miles under con-
struction.
In an imaginary trip over the future
system, Mr.. Pepper grows enthusiast
tic over the wonderful display of ma
tural beauties along the line of the
road. When the twentieth-century
tourist takes the through railway jour
ney, 'he will see the relation of sea-
level plains, inter-mountain plateaux
profound valleys, shallow depressions
rushing rivers, mighty gulches, tortu-
Jus canyons, sinuous passes, the spark.
ling verdure and the brilliant foliages
of the tropics, the treeless regions Of
the Andes desert, naked cliffs and jut.
ting precipices, fieece-hidden SUBMITS
and the pinnacled peaks of the eternal
SHOWS, often passing from the rankes|
wealth of nature to its most sterile ant
grudging gifts, almost as swiftly rs tbs
Imagination can conceive the change.