Year: 1859

Address of Railroad Committee


The Address of the Committee, appointed
by the Pacific Railroad Convention TO pre-
sent facts and reasons to the people connected
with the great scheme Of a railroad from the
Pacific Coast to the Atlantic States, has re-
Gently been issued. 1t does not pay much
attention to the matter of constructing the
main trunk, but seems TO be especially devo.
ted to a consideration Of the ways and means
Of building the road from San Francisco to
Stockton. As far as that portion Of the road
is concerned we think it is wholly unneces
sary to ask for it any aid from the State
Treasury at all. The counties Of San Fran.
cisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and
San Joaquin through which the road will
run, ought to bear the entire burden of its
construction. The cost would probably be
"a 100000, and this amount ought to be
raised by the counties named by voting sub.
scriptions of stock, as Yuba county has done
for the San Francisco and Marysville Rail-
road Indeed, it would well pay the county
Of San Francisco alone to subscribe one third
Of the entire amount. The increase IN the
value of her real estate would be so great as
to realize a speedy return, in the shape of
taxable property, Of the full amount expended


The money of the State, if she have any to
spare, should go to building the road through
the Sierra Nevada. Find the proper pass
and provide the means for getting the road
through it, and there will be no difficulty in
connecting the contemplated San Francisco
and Stockton road or the San Francisco and
Marysville road, or the Folsom and Sacra-
mento road, with it. There can be no obiec-
ton to effecti1g an immediate organization
for constructing the road from San Francisco
to Stockton, but let the State expend her
money where it will be more needed, and
where it may be said to be of more general
benefit to the tax payers of the State at large.
towit: in making the passage through the
Sierra Nevada. In making this passage, it is
the State at large which ought to bear the
expense. but in running a road from San
Francisco to Stockton, it seems to us that the
counties through which it runs are to be so
particularly benefited that they ought to
build it for themselves.


In reference to the line of the road across
the Plains, from the Eastern boundary of the
State, the Committee make the following
very sensible observations:


There can be no doubt that road must be con.
struced about the line of the 32d parallel, through
Texas and the Gadsien purchase into California.
There can be no doubt but that road must also
be constructed by the upper Missouri TO the uav-
gable waters of the Columbia river on Puget
Sonnd. The practical question is, are they us
great present necessity, aud do they furnish the
same facilities and inducements for prompt and
successful prosecution as road on the great line
of emigration, uniting directly the great emgrat-
ing and commercial centers Of the East with the
the Bay of San Francisco.


The governing consideration always have been
and always will be found in the relations of bu-
sness and enterprise which involve The requisite
Inducements and necessary capital for the con-
structiOn of roads. BY reference to the railroad
statistics Of the day, it will be fund that on Jan
uary 1st, 1859, there had been expended in rail.
roads in the United States, 1851 O74,364. Of this
amount the sum of$3lS,Sl7 ,692 had been expend-
ed in the Middle and Northern and North interior
States, including the State of Missouri. This en-
tire amount Of capital and enterprise is more or
less interested in communication by central
route with California. Ahe States OF Ohio, Indi-
ana, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri have several hun
dred more miles of railroad, and more capital in


Invested IN railroads tan the entire South proper


including Virginia and Kentucky The roads now
nearly completed to the western frontiers of Mis-
souri, and Iowa will, independent of connection
with the Pacific, push some common line up ihC
the Valley OF the Kansas or the Platte to the vi
cnity of the Rocky Mountains The local bust.
ness in settling up and supplying the Territory OF
Kansas, trade of Utah, and the torough emigra.
ton to California and Oregon, will make snch a
road Immediately remunerative.


In addition to these considerations there can
be bat little doubt bu that Government action
can be more readily secured in favor of central
than i'll aid of either of the more extreme routes.
1t may be also worthy of remark that the distance
from the Bay Of San Francisco to the southern
boundary OF the State at Fort Yuma, is about the
same as the distance from the Bay OF San Fran
cisco to Salt Lake City. At the latter plac the
road would be half completed at the former
it would be but begun.


The Pacific Railroad Convention were
even more decided than their Committee in
favor of the Central Route. In this prefer.
ence they expressed the wish of the great
body of the people whom they represented,
The public mind of the Pacific Coast has set
tied the question, beyond any further dubie.
ty, and it is foregone conclusion that the
Central Route is the route for the Pacific
Railroad. The next question to be settled is
as to the pass to be selected through the
Sierra Nevada. Very general attention is
being directed to the Yuba Gap and Henness
Pass, the two being only a few miles apart
They are at least two thousand feet lower
than any other pass through the mountains
and the fact is SO easy of demonstration that
it must ere long be universally conceded
We shall, we doubt not, be able in q few
days to present such proofs and statistics on
this head as will silence all objections. We
are firmly of the opinion that no sensible
man or set Of men can fail upon examination
to view either of these passes-the Yuba
Gap or the Henness-without determining
at once that it is the very best entrance
through the whole range of the Sierra Ne
vada for the Pacific Railroad into California.


ADVENTURES OF TWO DEsERTERs. .--On the
l4th ult., Corporal German and private Caul.
held deserted from Fort Buchanan, taking
with them three horses, arms and aecoutre-
ments. and fled into the State of Sonora.
They employed some Mexicans to guide
them towards Guaymas, who, in lonely
Part of the highway, fell upon and robbed
them. One of the robbers. says the Arizo