Vlll HISTORICAL MEMOIR. 



near the mouth of Calvey creek, in Franklin county, and run on 

 an interior ridge, west of Big river, via Potosi, and reported 

 that the Iron Mountain could thus be reached by building 

 about sixty miles additional of railroad, at a cost of two or two 

 and a half millions, the Legislature granted a loan to the 

 Company for that branch of $750,000. Some clamor springing 

 up for a " direct line" to the Iron Mountain from St. Louis, 

 this loan was subsequently yielded and transferred to the St. 

 Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad. At the same session of the 

 Legislature, a general railroad law was enacted, February 24, 

 1853, fixing the guage of all railroads in the State at five feet 

 six inches, and providing for the levy and collection of taxes 

 to pay subscriptions to railroads made by municipal corpora- 

 tions and for the conversion of the same into stock. 



On the motion of the President of the Company, also, (then 

 Mr. Allen), a loan was enacted for the first time, providing for 

 a Geological survey of the State, and appropriating 110,000 

 a year for two years, for that object. One of the consequences 

 which has flowed from that law is, the accompanying interest- 

 ing report of the State Geologist, upon the geology of the coun- 

 try, rich in minerals, through which the South-west branch of 

 the Pacific Railroad is located. An act was also passed the 

 same day, authorizing the Pacific Railroad Company to extend, 

 construct, and operate their road, or make contracts, <fcc., to any 

 point west of the State boundary having in view a connection 

 with a National road. 



It was on the 31st March, 1853, that Congress provided for 

 such explorations and surveys as the War Department might 

 deem advisable, in order to ascertain the most practicable and 

 economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi river to 

 the Pacific Ocean. Very soon after, Mr. Allen, being then in 

 Washington, and believing a route in that direction practica- 

 ble, proposed to the Secretary of War to make a survey, without 

 expense to the government, for a railroad through South-western 

 Missouri, and thence by the way of the Canadian river and 

 Albuquerque, &c., to California (the route now, in part, travel- 

 led by the overland mail) ; provided, that the results of the 

 survey should be reported with those of the Army Engineers. 

 The proposition was declined. 



