CHAPTER VIII. 
* General Summary.—Business of the Road , &c. 
I have set forth at some length, though, I fear, imperfectly, in the preceding chapters, the 
advantages presented by the route I have surveyed for the location and construction of a rail¬ 
road, and which may he summed up as follows, viz: 
1st. That easy grades can he obtained along the whole route. 
2d. That the cost of construction is reasonable. 
3d. That over more than half the distance timber and building material of every description 
can he procured on the ground. 
4th. That several points are presented on the line not far distant from the heads of naviga¬ 
tion of the streams of Texas. 
5th. That the only obstacle to an abundant supply of water is easily removed. 
6th. That over the most unfavorable portion of the route the grades are not difficult, and 
timber for the ties is to he transported hut short distances. 
7th. That the agricultural and mineral resources of the route are in all respects good. 
8th. That the chain of military posts to he established for its protection would, both indi¬ 
vidually and collectively, combine all the necessary requisites to be considered in the establish¬ 
ment of military posts in the Indian country. 
9th. That the country traversed is of mild and genial temperature, and but little subject to 
the changes of the seasons; and, finally, that the route presents every combination of advau- 
tages and facilities, both for railroad and wagon-road, for military purposes or for emigration, 
that can reasonably be expected west of the valley of the Mississippi. 
There is, however, another element which enters into the consideration; and although of 
little consequence should the government undertake the building of the road, has, nevertheless, 
been the basis upon which all railroads heretofore constructed in the United States have been 
projected. I refer to its prospective business. 
I do not propose to speculate upon the trade of China and the East Indies, nor even upon the 
exchange of commodities between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. I presume such matters are 
better understood by the entire business community of this country than by myself, and I shall 
therefore confine my remarks upon the subject to a rapid sketch-of the local trade at present 
existing along the route, and of its prospective increase from the construction of a communica¬ 
tion with the markets of which the information is not so general. 
I had proposed to furnish with this report statistics exhibiting all the facts connected with 
this subject for a succession of years, but my time is so limited that it will be impossible to 
arrange such information in an intelligible form. The brief sketch of the subject which I shall 
give will, however, serve to attract the attention of those interested, and full information con¬ 
cerning all matters relating to it can be easily obtained. 
By far the most important commercial feature of the country west of the frontiers of our 
settled States is undoubtedly what is known as the “Sante Fe trade”—so called for the reason 
that until very late years Sante Fe was the only port of entry for all goods coming from the 
United States, whether sold in New Mexico, or in the States of Chihuahua, Sonora, and Du¬ 
rango. 
It is not many years since the Sante Fe trail was regarded as something mysterious and 
