Year: 1866

II appears to US that the business men Of North


ern California are standing in their own light by
adhering TO the Sacramento river route, for the


transportation Of their freight. Cheap receipt of


supplies is one Of the great elements of prosperity
for communities Ike those of ours There is no
advantage in working diggings. if it exhausts


all that the miner can take out, to maintain him
Permanent settlements and business canno. be ex-
pected where the resources of the locality thus
exhausted. Every locality must produce more than
it consumes in order to be prosperous No State
ever presented better opportunities for combinations
to extort from localities and ii has been used to the
fullest extent. feeling of rivalry in the different
localities and desire to be something more than
the natural advantages would warrant, has fostered
the extortion. The interests of Northern Caifor-
MA imperatively demand that her business men
shall break over prejudice boyish and uncalled
for has been baneful in its effects upon the in


terests of the country. We shall not figure upon the
cost of its transportation by this route to its des;


nation. Those who try it can ascertain that for
themselves We hope they will find it less than they


have been paying by the river route. II they do


not, it is but the demand of correct business pru


deDce that they should avail themselves of the
cheapest route for the reception Of freight. We
trust, however that conclusion prejudicia to the
railroad route will not be too hastily arrived at. II
has been of some advantage to the business men of
CHICO, although they have not proper to use it
themselves. 1t created to some extent rival
route to that of the river, and since its existence
freight by the river has not exceeded 81 per ton
whereas it formerly sl4, and high
$50. But there is another consideration. which
should to some extent, influence the business men
of Chico and enable them, if necessary. to pay
trfe higher even for freight by the railroad than
by the river and that is the fact that they ult


mately looking for its continuation to their place.
By extending 10 it their business, they aid to that
extent in rendering it success and in demonstra-
ting the necessity for its extension 1t is true that
railroads seldom abandoned, after having
been built; their extension, however depends much
upon their capacity to pay profit upon their cost
The way To secure the advantages OF railroad COM
muncation to Chico, is to show that there is a ne
cessity for it, and that the cost of its construction
will not be money thrown away. Can this be
shown better than by patronizing the railroad al
ready made within the county, and particularly so
when it costs less than it does to patronize mo-
nopoiy of the river who bat for the existence of
the railroad would increase instead of diminishing
their already enormous tariffs for freights? We
trust the business community of Chico and for that
matter of the entire northern portion of the State
may find it to their interest to patronize the rail
roads extending up the valley, and thus secure its
steady extension towards Oregon. If this be done
we may then consistently ask aid from the govern
ment in constructing a road that is to benefit the
people of the two important States of California
and Oregon. Chico can be nothing without a
railroad. Patronizing the river monopoly
will never build it. Keeping up local jealousy
that had its birth in opposition to the railroad is


not the way to secure the advantages of railroad


communication. The interests of Northern Cali


fornia demand the continuance of this road. This
is something for which every locality and
should work in common. The question of routes
into the mountains can then be fought ont
in a pithy and pungent as the
occasion may require. But without the railroad all
the subsidies and legislation that Chico and Red
Bluff any other point may Obtain will confer
upon them no lasting benefit.