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Resolved, That the delegation from each county represented in this convention, appoint one person in their several counties, to act in concert with the persons selected as committeemen of other counties whose duty shall be to raise by contribution money, and to cause to be surveyed, the route through "Noble's Pass," in case the survey of the same is not commenced by the General Government within three months from this date, and that the Chairman of said committee be instructed to correspond with the proper Government officers in relation to said survey.

Resolved, That by centrality of a route for a railroad, we mean central, not with regard to our own State, but central as regards the whole territory of the United States on the Pacific coast.

On motion, the resolutions were taken up seriatim, and each adopted unanimously, without debate-save the third, which was amended to read as it now appears, and the seventh, which Mr. Geiger moved to strike out, giving his reasons therefor. This motion was opposed by Messrs. Bryan, McClatchey, and Harrison, and the vote was taken and the motion declared not carried. The question then recurred upon the adoption of the seventh resolution, upon which the ayes and nays were called, and resulted in the affirmative, only two dissenting.

The preamble and resolutions were then adopted as a whole, with but one dissenting voice.

On motion of Maj. Bidwell it was then

Resolved, That the delegates from each of the counties represented select a member of the committee provided to be raised by the eighth resolution.

The Convention then took a recess of five minutes.

On the reassembling of the Convention the following gentlemen were named as those chosen for such committee:

Yuba, Gen. James Allen; Sacramento, Col. F. Forman; Shasta, Maj. B. P. Reading; Butte, Judge J. W. McCorkle; Colusi, Capt. D. Finch; Trinity, J. Comstock; Siskiyou, John D. Crosby.

On motion of Mr. McMurtry, Gen. James Allen, of Yuba, was selected as chairman of the committee.

On motion of Mr. Fairfax it was then

Resolved, That Maj. P. B. Reading, John Dreibelbis, W. Harrison, G. W. McMurtry, aud Col. Toomes, are hereby appointed a committee, and requested to accompany the corps of engineers, when they make an exploring and surveying examination of "Noble's Pass." On motion of Mr. Bryan, it was next

Resolved, That the different newspapers of the State be requested to publish the proceedings of this Convention.

The thanks of the Convention were tendered to A. A. Stout, Esq., for his kindness in furnishing a room for its sittings, and

The Convention adjourned sine die.

James McClatchy,
G. F. Winters,

Secretaries.

J. W. McCORKLE, President.

The influences which have been brought to bear upon the extreme northern and southern routes for a Pacific railroad have for a time diverted the public mind from the investigation of the true merits of a

central location. But we are persuaded that the report of the engineer will put an end to the northern project, and force the northern influence upon the central line. In support of the opinion that the northern route will be abandoned we quote from the Nebraska Palladium what Col. Lander is reported to have said in his public address at Council Bluffs. Col. Lander went out with Gov. Stevens on the northern route, and re turned up the valley of the Columbia. He says:

ter.

"I cannot think there are ten men in Oregon, who believe that the line adopted for the great national thoroughfare will be that surveyed during the last season, under the direction of Gov. Stevens, generally termed the Northern Route, and passing from St. Paul, Minnesota, north of the Missouri river, and along the British frontier, to Puget's Sound. Having examined that line in my professional capacity, I am fully prepared to speak of its characIn the vicinity of the Mississippi river it possesses advantages over all other Pacific routes by traversing a rich timber country; regarding the scarcity of timber in the interior, this is a desideratum and gives a high character to the line. Beyond this advantage, the Northern line, (which to the first range of mountains is of so favorable a character, as to justify any encomium,) does not compare as a Railroad route with that I have recently examined. I believe the route up the Platte river valley to be peculiarly favorable for cheap construction. From a point thirty miles west of the Missouri river, a single piane of surface extends for 500 miles without a break or declivity. The soil is of such a character, that by skirting the Sand Bluffs on the north side of the river, all necessity for ballasting or dressing the road bed is avoided. Brooks of clear water, having their sources in these bluffs, and at such an elevation above the level proposed for the Rail, as to afford every facility for the use of locomotives.

I have no doubt that the perfect drainage, afforded by a soil of such a character would allow the use of the Rail for long distances, without grading. I believe that nowhere on the American Continent, occur such facilities for cheap and speedy construction for the immediate completion of a road, or at least the earliest possible opening of a line of transportation to the interior. This is a fact of the greatest importance. One of the chief obstacles. to the construction of a Railroad within a reasonable period of time will be the difficulty of transporting supplies and the necessary appliances for grading, to the several mountain sections of the interior. The line up the Platte offers every advantage for overcoming this obstacle by affording such facilities for an immediate use of the Rail in a preliminary track. I have already stated that the citizens of Washington and Oregon Territories have manifested a lively interest in the Pacific Railway question-that they believe the adoption of the Platte Valley route will exert an important influence upon the future, and that they have no hopes of the con

struction of an extreme northern line. I left Olimpea, or Puget's Sound, in March carrying (by unanimous vote,) a full indorsement of both branches of the Legislature of Washington. I have been deeply interested in the success of this reconnoisance, and am abundantly repaid for some months of severe labor by this full and successful result. I have ascertained the fact, that an excellent Railroad line exists between the waters of Missouri river and Puget's Sound; also that a very practicable, cheap, and favorable line exists between Salt Lake City and Puget's Sound, and am able to fully demonstrate the latter proposition by reliable data."

ARKANSAS MIDLAND RAILROAD.

The friends of this enterprise performed the ceremony of breaking ground as the commencement of the work at Helena, on the 4th instant.

The Helena Star of the 5th says, "our citizens, full of national and State pride, turned out, without distinction of age or sex, to participate in the festivities of the occasion.""A public address was delivered by James T. Crary, Esq., orator of the day, and speeches were made by several other gentlemen in response to the call of the Assembly. "After dinner was served up, Major Richard Davidson, surrounded by the enthusiastic assembly, took his spade and threw up the first sod on our railroad. This pleasing duty could not have been assigned to one more worthy. The great work was commenced with the utmost enthusiasm-long, loud and continued applause cheered and animated this interesting scene.

We sincerely hope that the enthusiasm manifested upon this interesting occasion will not abate until the road is completed. Let the "Midland Road" be built only to the city of Little Rock, and it will ensure the construction of other roads terminating at Helena, which will place it in connection with the great systems of public improvements east and west of the Mississippi.

Though we regard a direct connection with Memphis, by railroad, as necessary to complete the Missouri system of public improvement, we are still persuaded that the true route from St. Louis to New Orleans is that which crosses the Mississippi at Helena, and that, in obedience to the laws of commerce, this line must, sooner or later, be constructed.

Important Invention for Rolling Railroad Bars.] [301

MISSISSIPPI, OUACHITA AND RED RIVER RAILROAD.

This road was inaugurated at Camden, on the 4th instant, with the usual ceremonies-public addresses, breaking ground, feasting, &c. Though local in its character, this work will be one of immense benefit to Western Arkansas and Eastern Texas, and we trust its friends will find the means necessary to its speedy accomplishment.

JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURES AND MINING.

IMPORTANT INVENTION FOR ROLLING RAILROAD BARS.

Mr. Wm. Harris, late of the Rolling Mill firm of Harris, Burnish & Co., of this place, has just completed an invention for the mannfacture of Railroad Iron, which in the opinion of our ablest mechanics is likely to give a fresh impetus to the Iron Manufacture, and to effect corresponding changes throughout the entire trade. It consists in a new method of arranging the rolls, and cannot fail wherever understood, to entirely supplant the old process. Mr. H. is a practical iron manufacturer, and has been actively engaged in the business for the greater part of his life. He is now about 34 years of age. His attention has for many years been given to an improvement of this kind, manifestly so much needed.

By the old (present) plan, each pair of rolls has nine separate grooves, through which the heated mass from the furnace is successively passed, until it is delivered from the last in the shape of a railroad bar. Much manual labor is required; and even with the most skilful and expeditious workmen, the metal has time to cool very considerably before it is finished, thereby becoming less malleable, and causing a dangerous strain upon the machinery. The breaking of a Roll in such a mill, it is well known, is but a common occurrence.

Now, instead of the one set of Rolls, containing the nine grooves; by the new process, there are nine separate pairs of Rolls, each having but one groove-arranged in one continuous line, with close ducts or boxes between; so that the "pile" (the hot ball of metal) is fed in at one end, and comes out at the other a railroad bar! The principal advantages claimed are-economy of time, and saving of manual laborhighly important considerations, as all iron manufactures well knew. Let us compare (and our data throughout, it may be proper to remark, are not mere guesses, but have been ascertained by accurate calculations): By the old process, a bar of 21 feet, the usual length, is manufactured in 24 minutes; by the new, in the same time, one of

100 feet could be run out, if the "pile" could be prepared; or with the speed proposed for the new machinery, a bar 30 feet long may be finished from the "pile" in 30 seconds!

By the old plan, 10 men and boys are ordinarily employed in the rolling process alone-by the new, but one; and his business would be solely that of superintendence there would be no manual labor for him. For instance, the Heater brings his "pile"-it is put in at one end of the continuous line of Rolls, and requires no farther manipulation till it is delivered, a railroad bar at the other.

Another prime advantage claimed for the new process is the manufacture of the "Red short" iron into railroad bars. This species of iron, it is well known to manufacturers, possesses a peculiar brittleness when hot, that renders it difficult if not impossible, to work by the old process, though remarkably tough when cold-having a long fibre and making the best of railroad iron. On the new plan, the time occupied in the manufacture of a bar is so short, that the metal can easily be retained at a workable temperature during the entire process. This will undoubtedly tend greatly to improve the general character of railroad iron; as the "cold short," now mostly employed for that purpose (because it is most easily worked,) becomes exceedingly brittle when cold, being in very many cases not much better in that respect, than common pig metal.

The new machinery used is of the simplest mechanical construction, and not at all likely to break or get out of order. It consists mainly of a horizontal shaft, to which are attached, by plain level gearing, the several Rolls, some revolving vertically and others laterally (in order to compress the metal on all sides.) The Rolls are set apart at distances corresponding with the successively increased lengths of the "pile," in its passage through them-the first four or five being comparatively close together. Hence the entire length of the line of Rolls, for manufacturing bars, say 21 to 30 feet long, would not exceed 100 feet. No more power is required than in the old process, as the metal is acted upon but by one Roll at a time; and not near so much toward the finishing, as in the old process, as the metal has by that time cooled very much and, of course, is less malleable; while by the new, the whole operation is performed so speedily, that the temperature of the metal is very little reduced.

A Caveat was filed at Washington some time last winter, and application for a patent for the invention is now pending in the names of Messrs. Harris & Geo. Bright. A model may be seen at the hardware store of the latter in this place.

As to the cost of a mill, constructed with the new Rolling machinery, a liberal estimate places it at about 15 to 20 per cent. more than the present expenditure; but the new Rolling apparatus alone will not cost more than 10 per cent. over the price of the present Rolls. The other increased expense results from the additional number of improved capacity of the furnaces, necessary to supply the new Rolling machinery; and of course is to be considered in connection with the proportional increase of manufacture. This will become plain by a simple calculation: A mill constructed on the old plan can work up about 70 tons of metal in 24 hours; that is, in the largest establish

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