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umbia rivers. The first of these, with the improvements that have been made, carries a navigable water line half way across the continent-the distance from the Straits of Belle Isle to the head of Lake Superior being over 2,000 miles. From the head of the lake to the great Bend of the Missouri, upon the same parallel, the distance is about 500 miles, over a vast plain. The river, from the Bend to the mountains, has a direction nearly west, for more than 1,000 miles, following its course; or about 600 by the proposed line of Railroad. From the eastern base of the mountain, to the navigable waters of the tributaries of the Columbia the distance is about 200 miles. This great river has a generally western course. These three great water lines, extending nearly across the continent, upon a similar parallel, indicate a remarkably favorable route for a Railroad, as well as the great capabilities of the country traversed for agricultural and commercial pursuits. The general physical features of the route of the proposed road are pretty well shown in the Government surveys of the Northern route for a Pacific Railroad. From Lake Superior to the mountains is a nearly uniform plain, differing only slightly in its elevation, considering its vast extent. Lake Superior is about 600 feet above the sea. The Mississippi, at the The summit between probable point of crossing, 111 miles west, is 1,152 feet above the sea. this iver and the Red River of the North is 1479 feet above the sea. This summit is 177 miles from the lake. The Red River of the North, 232 miles from the lake, at the point of crossing, has an elevation of 985 feet above the sea. From this river the line rises gradually, and attains an elevation of 2,400 feet on the simit between Dacotah river and the Missouri, and 133 miles west of Red River. From this last summit, the line falls off into the valley of the Missouri near the great Bend of that river, which, at that point, has an elevation of 1,800 feet above the sea. After crossing the Missouri at this point, the line takes a course nearly parallel with that river, and some 60 miles south of it, traversing the general valley of the Yellow Stone. It will probably cross this river some 200 From miles west of the Missouri, and at an elevation of about 2,100 feet above the sea. the last named point to the Missouri river near the Grand Falls, the distance is about 300 miles. The river here has an elevation of 3,050 feet above the sea, and 2,450 feet above Lake Superior. The distance from the lake to the Grand Falls is 1,025 miles, and the general ascent of the country is at the rate of only about 2 feet to the mile. The route for this distance is practic illy level, and presents no obstacles to the easy and rapid con struction of the road.

From the crossing of the Missouri, near the Grand Falls, to the summit of the Rocky Mountains, the distance is 90 miles, and the elevation to be overcome is 3,117 feet; or to the line of the tunnel which is proposed 2,282 feet. The average rate of ascent, for this distance, consequently, is only about 37 feet to the mile. The summit of the mountain is 6,167 feet above the sea. It is 5,567 feet above Lake Superior, from which it is 1,115 miles distant.

The western slope of the mountains is still more gradual, the rate of descent, until the Flathead river is reached, being only about 24 feet to the mile, for a distance of 110 miles. This river is followed for 130 miles, and until it makes its great Northern Bend, at which point the line crosses it, and traverses an extensive plain reaching to the Columbia river, near the mouth of the Yakima river. The distance from the crossing of Clark's river to the Columbia is 300 miles. At the mouth of the Yakima, the Oregon Branch leaves the main line and follows the North Bank of the Columbia to Portland, a distance of 200 miles. The main line follows up the valleys of the Yakima to Snoqualmie Pass, a distance of 140 miles This pass has an elevation of 3,030 feet above the sea. The western slope of the Cascade Range has a descent, for 44 miles, of about 65 feet to the mile. From the base of this range to Seatle, on Puget Sound, the distance is about 35 miles over a nearly level country.

By the route proposed, the distance from the western extremity of Lake Superior to Puget Sound is 1,775 miles. The Portland Branch will make the whole length of line to be constructed 1,975 miles.

Only a small portion of this immense distance has what may be called a sterile soil. From Lake Superior, to the summit between Dakotah river and the Missouri, the country is fertile and well watered. The same may be said of a considerable portion of the Yellow Stone Valley. There are large tracts of arable land within the mountains as well as upon the Columbia river and its tributaries. The climate of no part of it will compare unfavorably with that of the more Northern States, while upon the western portion of the line the severity of the winters is greatly meliorated by its proximity to the Pacific Coast. The low elevation of the greater portion of the country traversed insures a comparatively mild climate. The Missouri, at the mouth of the Yellow Stone, has an elevation of only 2000 feet above the sea, while the Platte, upon the same meridian, has an elevation of 4400 feet above the sea. Upon the line of the proposed route the great mountain range has only about one half the width that it has some 500 miles further south, while nearly the whole of it is more or less intersected by large and often navigable rivers. These 5

rivers will not only prove valuable auxiliaries to the construction of the road, but will add greatly to its business. A railroad to the Bend of the Missouri could not fail of a lucrative business from that river alone, as it would connect the road with the gold mining districts upon the head waters of that river and the Yellow Stone. It would open a

vast country to settlement --a country penetrated by numerous navigable rivers, many portions of it possessing an excellent soil, and large portions of it known to be rich in all the more valuable metals. The road, for such distance only, would open to settlement and trade, the great hydrographic basin of Lake Winnipeg, second only in extent and importance to that of the St. Lawrence. The Red River of the North, from the point of crossing, is navigable to this lake, into which flows the Saskatchawan, which carries a navigable water-line to the base of the mountains, a distance of 1,000 miles from Lake Winnepeg. A large portion of the Columbia river, near the line of the proposed road, is also navigable.

Recent discoveries have already shown that some of our richest deposits in gold are in the immediate proximity of the line of the proposed road. The value of these discoveries would be immensely enhanced by its construction.

It is claimed that the construction of some 825 miles of railroad would, in connection with navigable water-courses, form a convenient line of communication from New York to Puget Sound. From New York, by way of Hudson river, the Erie canal and the lakes, the distance to the head of Lake Superior is 1,500 miles. From the lake to the Bend of the Missouri the distance is 485 miles. From the Bend to the head of navigation of this river the distance is some 600 miles. From the last named point to the navigable waters of the Flathead and Clark's river, the distance by railway would be 200 miles. rivers are navigable in the direction of the proposed line about 175 miles. Clark's river to the Columbia the distance is 140 miles. From thence to the Pacific Ocean, by the Columbia river, the distance is some 250 miles. The total length of the above line, is about 3,350 miles, of which 2,525 consist of navigable water-courses, and 825 of railway.

These

From

The estimated cost of the 1,975 miles is $156,857,500 which is at the rate of $79,421 to the mile. This estimate includes a cost for equipment equal to $22,400,000. Such rate of cost is not greater than that of the average of Eastern roads. For an equal distance a less expensive route could not probably be found upon the Continent.

LAND GRANT ROADS.

In 1850 Congress established a precedent, in the case of the Illinois Central and Mobile and Ohio Railroads, of granting to States, in aid of construction of railroads, upon specified routes, six alternate sections of public lands of 640 acres each (and equalling 3,840 acres to the mile), to be taken by the odd numbers within six miles of the line of the road proposed. In case such a number of sections of odd numbers of public lands, could not be found within six miles of such line (in consequence of the previous sale or reservation of the same by the Government), then the grant was to be enlarged so as to apply to the odd sections within 15 miles of the line, on either side, so as to make up the full amount intended to be granted. Many of the grants were subsequently further enlarged so as to apply to sections of odd numbers within 20 miles of the line. Upon the sections of public lands of even numbers within the limits of the grant, the price at which it was to be sold was raised from $1.25 to $2.50 to the acre-the theory being that the construction of the road would enable Government to realize this advanced price, in which event it would lose nothing by the grant, while the construction of the railroad, a matter of great public importance, would be secured.

Although the grants were made to the several States, they were, in all cases, as speedily as possible, transferred to railroad companies, chartered by them to construct lines upon the general route specified in the act of Congress, and usually without any other conditions than those imposed in such act, the most important of which related to the time in which the roads should be built. Although in many cases the time originally allowed has elapsed, Government has manifested no disposition to take advantage of such default, but has given the additional time for construction of the contemplated roads.

The following is a statement showing the date at which the several grants were made; the companies to which they have been conveyed; the number of acres called for by each grant, and the number of acres certified to each company up to August 1, 1866 :

1850 Illinois Central...2,595,053 2,595,053 1856 Port Huron & MilMISSISSIPPI.

Estimate Acres certi-
of acres fled to June
granted. 30, 1866.

1856 Ala. & Florida.... 165,688
1856 Pensacola & Ga...1,568,730 1,275,213 1856 Marq.
1856 Flor. Atl. and Gulf
Rr.

133,154 37,583 1862 Peninsula.

967,840 719,194

1852 Hannibal & St. Jos. 781,945

1852 Pacif. & S. W. Br'ch,1,161,235 1,158,074 1953 Cairo and Fulton.. 219,262

1856 CedarRap.&Mo. R.1,298,739
1864
123,370
1,226,163 1,226,163