THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FIRST SECTION OF THE ROAD. 17 
‘country, and all positions of a character to postpone early consummation. But it may, never- 
theless, become the means of constructing a grand line, not necessarily contiguous to it, as the 
term would be applied in civilized regions; for, reaching by any line of approach, the vicinity 
of the plains and rim of the Great Basin, where occur sources of supply of iron, coal, building 
materials, and way-stations of population, a preliminary road would become the carrying line 
for developing and transporting these resources. 
To once more state this question. It is probable that Col. John Charles Fremont (not par- 
ticularly a railroad-builder) is better qualified than any other individual to name the relative 
merits of the several lines of central routes, regarding agricultural development, from having 
compared them in the field. The direct line from St. Louis to San Francisco—which is located 
too far south to admit of ready connexion by a branch with Puget Sound and the important 
northwestern coast—is described by that distinguished explorer as possessing such characteris- 
tics. It has attracted national notice as a grand central Pacific line. Its adoption has been 
advocated by one of the oldest statesmen of America. And these desultory remarks are for the 
purpose of explaining that the combined extension of a wagon-road and preliminary railroad 
over the present emigrant trail of the South Pass, would in no degree prevent, but would, in 
fact, absolutely further the completion of a grand highway of commerce and of nations over the 
direct line named, which, central in reference to commercial and domestic relations, is not cen- 
tral as regards the combined claims of California, Oregon, Washington, and Utah, or of the 
entire Pacific coast, for military defence; and under the contingencies of rapid railroad construc- 
tion, could not conscientiously be selected for such a purpose by legislation. 
This view of the question should also practically refer to all routes of such undulating and 
broken surface as to postpone early communication, if adopted. 
A military railroad should extend over plateau surface, from the mere fact that a railroad is 
not a line of fortifications, but a structure peculiarly pregnable to the most insignificant means 
of attack; and, when built over substrata of sand or gravel, the line of communication can be 
renewed, when broken, at a few hours’ notice, 
The energy of the American people has never yet failed to develop border country by railway. 
Legislation has seldom hesitated to aid the construction of roads, even in advance of the needs 
of civilization. But (summing up the statements of this paper) if nature has debarred any 
section of the continent those facilities of surface or position which warrant the attempt at rapid 
railroad extension, in answering this grand necessity of the earliest practicable consummation 
of overland transportation, then the requirements of a whole nation should not be made subser- 
vient to such merely local claims to attention. 
Tf local roads can only tardily progress over a rich agricultural, but broken surface—a sur- 
face of excavation and embankment, of masonry and bridging, of practicable construction but 
of deferred communication—while the less costly preliminary line might be speedily extended 
toward the mountains, then the claims of the hardy pioneer of civilization, of the citizen of Cali- 
fornia, Utah, Oregon, and Washington, should not be deemed subordinate to the prayer of the 
wealthy capitalist of the eastern city. If legislation is to furnish the means of solving this 
problem of overland communication, the rights of the poorest herdsman of the Pacific are as 
much entitled to notice as those of the eastern speculator in land-grants. 
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT FIRST SECTION OF A PACIFIC RAILROAD CONTIGUOUS TO THE STATES, THE 
INITIATIVE OR PRELIMINARY STEP TOWARD THE EARLIEST PRACTICABLE CONSUMMATION OF THE WHOLE 
UNDERTAKING. | 
During the many long discussions which have taken place on the subject of a railroad to the 
Pacific, it seems to have been forgotten, or to have entirely escaped notice, that all great rail- 
road lines are built in sections, and that, although this road is one of two thousand (2,000) 
miles in length, yet ^ a single mile need be built at the outset. 
5p 
