Central Pacific Railroad of Californi By Theo. E. Judah. Central pacific llailrmtti of California. \_, Í.. c r "D ' •'/ o t v Sacramento, Nov. 1st, 1860. The object of this communication is to direct attention to some newly discovered facts with reference to the route of the Pacific Railroad through the State of California. Confident of the existence of a practicable line across the Sierra Nevada mountains, nearer and more direct than the proposed line via Madelin Pass and head waters of the Sacramento, I have devoted the past few months to an ex¬ ploration of several routes and passes through Central California, resulting in the discovery of a practicable route from the city of Sacramento, upon the divide between Bear river and the North Fork of the American, via Illinoistown, Dutch Flat, and Summit Valley to the Truckee river; which gives nearly a direct line to Washoe, with maximum grades of one hundred feet per mile The distance from Sacramento to Summit is one hun¬ dred and two miles ; to the State line, about one hundred and fifteen miles ; to Truckee City, one hundred and forty- six miles ; and to Virginia City, one hundred and sixty-two miles. The elevation of the Pass is 6,690 feet. U...RY HVJH4.-Í SURFAU OF RAILWAY FCOVOVIC" \ ^ q Ci WAS.«..».; Y0IU. f>. c 4 íf• £ . Cïtbu*~%Im, ( / • Co ûvwj < 3l, /1 ' S 4 The importance of this information is apparent, when we consider this line effects a saving in distance, over the northern line, of one hundred and fifty miles, and avoids the passage of two canons on the Sacramento river, twenty- miles long, estimated by Lieut.Beckwith to cost $4,200,000; while it affords a direct line to Washoe, across the narrow¬ est portion of the State, and a local road for the business of Sacramento, Placer, and Nevada counties. The Pacific Railroad Bill, as matured by the last Con¬ gress, and which is made the special order for the third Tuesday in December next, provides the following appro¬ priations for the construction of the road through Califor¬ nia, viz: $18,000 per mile from the navigable waters of the Sacramento river to the base of the Sierra Nevada; thence $24,000 per mile to the Summit; thence an addi¬ tional $3,000 per mile for each degree of longitude crossed, until the one hundred and ninth degree is reached. Inasmuch as the road through the State of California must be constructed by an organization effected under the laws of the State, it is proposed to organize a com¬ pany, for the purpose of constructing a road through the State upon this route, in anticipation of the passage of this bill ; to procure the recognition of this as the line of the Pacific Railroad through California ; to procure the appropriations appertaining to this end of the route ; and to construct the road under this organization. This will be effected by inserting the name of this company directly in the bill, as the company to whom these appropriations shall come, or by an arrangement with the corporators or trustees named in the bill. In organizing a Railroad Company in this State, the law requires that $1,000 per mile shall be subscribed, and ten per cent, paid in. The estimated length of the road to the 5 State line is one hundred and fifteen miles, requiring a subscription of $115,000, on which ten per cent., or $11,- 500, is required to be paid in. It is proposed to make with this ten per cent., a thorough, practical Railroad sur¬ vey, establishing the grades, cuttings, and fillings, and to make the necessary maps, profiles, estimates, reports, etc. To the accomplishment of this end, the instrument required by law has been drawn up, and has, in the towns of Dutch Flat, Illinoistown, Grass Valley,'and Nevada, received a bona fida subscription of $46,500, leaving about $70,000 subscription (requiring a payment of $7,000) to be made up in the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento. It is not considered necessary to make an urgent appeal for subscriptions, but simply to present a plain statement of the facts to a few persons of responsibility and influ¬ ence in those cities, who feel an interest in the matter, who will subscribe in good faith, and who are able to pay in the ten per cent, without embarrassment. To this end your co-operation is respectfully solicited, and a subscrip¬ tion from yourself asked. The plan will receive the support of our delegation in Congress ; and Col. Baker carries on with him a profile of the route. It has also received the approval of Governor Downey, and many other influential and prominent gentle¬ men. Messrs. Burch and Scott, and Mr. Curtis, Chairman of the Pacific Railroad Committee in Congress, have been fully posted up with regard to this movement. A bill is also before Congress, providing for an appro¬ priation of 4,480 acres per mile of Government lands. Mr. Burch will press this bill in the next Congress. It is intended that no further call than the ten per cent, required by law shall be made ; and no further assurance of this statement seems necessary, when it is known that 6 the law compels the subscription of the whole capital stock, with ten per cent, paid in, before any additional assessment can be called. It is estimated that the entire road can be graded for the amount of appropriation proposed to be given by Govern¬ ment, leaving only the iron, rolling stock, etc., to be pro¬ vided for by other means. An issue of first mortgage bonds of $12,000 per mile, will furnish this material. The road may connect either with the Sacramento Val¬ ley Road at Folsom, or with the California Central Road, at Lincoln. The counties of Sacramento, Placer, and Nevada will probably vote to subscribe $500,000 toward its construc¬ tion. It is important that this organization be effected before the sitting of the next Congress, that they may deal with a company already in existence. IN CASE GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ARE NOT FORTHCOMING. In answer to the question : What can be done in case no appropriations are granted by the General Government? a brief programme is herein presented, which is well worth attentive consideration. ADOPT GRADES OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEET PER MILE. The experience of the past six years has demonstrated that grades of as high as three hundred and fifty feet per mile can be advantageously employed, and successfully worked with modern locomotive engines. EXPERIENCE OF THE VIRGINIA CENTRAL RAILROAD. The Virginia Central Railroad has, from 1854 until a 7 short time since, crossed the Alleghany mountains, and performed their regular business over grades of three hun¬ dred feet per mile, and curves as high as two hundred and thirty-eight feet radius. Mr. Ellett, the engineer of that road, in a published statement, appearing in 1856, says : " This road was opened to the public in the spring of 1854, and has now, in the autumn of 1856, been in constant use for a period of more than two and a half years. In all this time, the admirable engines relied on to perform the extraordinary duties im¬ posed upon them in the passage of this summit, have failed but once to make their regular trips. The mountain has been covered with deep snows for weeks in succession, and the cuts have been frequently filled, for long periods, many feet in depth with drifted snow; the ground has been covered with sleet and ice, and every impediment due to bad weather and inclement seasons, has been encoun¬ tered, and successfully surmounted in working this track. SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS DURING SEVERE STORMS. "During the last severe winter, when the travel upon all the railways of Virginia and the Northern and Western States was interrupted, and on many lines for days in suc¬ cession, the engines upon this mountain track, with the exception of the single day already specified, moved reg¬ ularly forward, and did their appointed work. " In fact, during the space of two and a half years that the road has been in use, they have only failed to take the mail through in this single instance, when the train was caught in a snow-drift near the summit of the mountain. REGULAR DAILY SERVICE OF ENGINES PASSENGER TRAINS. " The regular daily service of each of the engines is, to 8 make four trips of eight miles, over the mountain, draw¬ ing one eight-wheeled baggage car, together with two eight-wheeled passenger cars, in each direction. DAILY SERVICE OF FREIGHT TRAINS. " In conveying freight, the regular train on the moun¬ tain is three eight-wheel house-cars, fully loaded, or four partly loaded. Sometimes when the business is heavy, loads have exceeded fifty tons. ABILITY TO STOP AND START ON THESE GRADES. " With such trains, the engines are stopped on the track, ascending or descending, and started again, on the steepest grades, at the discretion of the engineer. The ascending engines stop daily on a grade of two hundred and eighty feet per mile, and are there held by the brakes while the tank is being filled, and started again at the signal, with¬ out any difficulty. SPEED OF ENGINES. " The ordinary speed of the engines, when loaded, is seven and a half miles an hour, on the ascending grades. " Greater speed and larger loads might, doubtless, be permitted, with success ; but the policy has been to work the track with perfect safety, to risk nothing, and to obtain and hold the public confidence. CONSUMPTION OF FUEL. " The ordinary consumption of fuel in ascending to the summit, or to an elevation of six hundred and sixty feet, over many curves of three hundred feet radius, is forty- 9 two cubic feet, or nearly one-third of a cord. For travers¬ ing the whole distance, eight miles, including both the ascent and descent, two thirds of a cord, or one dollar and thirty-three cents. COST OF OPERATING MOUNTAIN TRACKS. " The total cost of working the two engines, when mak¬ ing two round trips per diem of thirty-two miles each, or a total of sixty-four miles per diem, is $830 per month, or an annual locomotive expense of $9,960. " The cost of maintenance, repairs of road, night-watch, &c., is $4,795 per year, or a total annual expense of $14,755. WEIGHT AND COST OF ENGINES. " The engines weigh twenty-seven and a half tons, fully loaded, with wood and water, and cost $12,500 each." Thus the entire practicability of a mountain road, over grades of three hundred feet per mile, and curve of three hundred to two hundred and thirty-eight feet radius, is successfully proven by actual experience. Let us draw some conclusions therefrom. PROPOSED PLAN OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. Even should the General Government make the pro¬ posed appropriations, and were the capital all subscribed and paid in, ready to commence work, the requirements of the bill, no less than the necessity for an economical and rapid construction of the road, would seem to point to this as the best plan upon which to undertake the work. The grading of a permanent track upon this route would occupy not less than two, and perhaps two and a half years. 10 REASONS FOR ADOPTING THIS PLAN. As the road must be built from the two ends, in order to procure iron, ties, &c., with which to lay the track, no grading beyond could be done, or if done, could not be used, until this division through the State was completed, thereby delaying the whole work for a corresponding period. V TIME NECESSARY TO COMPLETE. A road can be built npon the plan proposed, in twelve months from the time of breaking ground. DISTANCE AND ELEVATION TO OVERCOME. The distance from the line of the present roads, now constructed, to the summit, is sixty-eight (called seventy) miles ; the elevation to be overcome, say, 6,200 feet ; being an average grade of ninety feet per mile. Let the line be permanently located, as it will run finally, at one hundred feet grades. PORTIONS OF LINE WHICH WILL ANSWER. There are many miles of this line where the grading of the permanent line will be comparatively light, and not ex¬ pensive. The balance will consist of heavy work—deep cuts and high embankments. HOW GRADING SHOULD BE DONE. Let the line be graded permanently wherever the grad¬ ing is light and inexpensive ; and wherever a heavy cut or succession of heavy work presents itself, it is proposed to use grades of as high as two hundred and fifty feet per mile, and run around or over them, forming a connected line, II which can be built ready for use in twelve months ; using the same to run out iron and ties for the work beyond, and for the transaction of the present Washoe, Carson Valley, and Salt Lake business. IRON AND TIES TO BE PERMANENT. Let the iron and ties procured be such as will be used on the permanent road. Meantime, should these appro¬ priations be procured from Government, the work of grad¬ ing for permanent road can be carried on, and as far as fin¬ ished, the track moved over 011 to it. IRON, ETC., CAN BE PROCURED. If the work of grading, procuring ties, and laying track can be done by parties here, no difficulty will be experi¬ enced in finding parties in the East who will furnish the iron and equipment with which to lay the track, upon the most favorable terms. COST OF GRADING, TIES, ETC. The construction of the present roads in California has given rise to erroneous impressions as to the actual cost of railroads in this State. COUNTY AID PROPOSED. It is proposed to do the grading, ties, and track-laying of this road by County and State aid, in the following manner : Nevada County, - $300.000 Placer County, .... 250.000 Sacramento County, - - - 150.000 2 12 It is proposed to ask the Legislature, at its coming ses¬ sion, to grant a bonus of $250,000 to the company who shall first build a railroad to the State line, over which a single engine will haul a load of sixty tons of freight. COUNTIES NOT TO BECOME STOCKHOLDERS. It is not proposed that the Counties become stockhold¬ ers, but issue their bonds, receiving in exchange therefor, an equal amount of the bonds of the railroad company. NEVADA COUNTY. It is proposed that Nevada County allows $150,000 to be expended on the main line; the remaining $150,000 to be expended on a road in that county, to connect therewith. PLACER COUNTY. It is proposed that Placer County allow $200,000 to be expended on the main line, and $50,000 toward other roads within her limits. SACRAMENTO COUNTY. That Sacramento County allow the $150,000 to be ex¬ pended on the main line. STATE BONDS. That the State pay over the $250,000 whenever an engine runs through to the State line. PARTIES WILL CONSTRUCT THE ROAD WITH THIS AID. With this aid, responsible parties will enter into contract to construct, and place such a road in running order, in 13 twelve months from date of breaking ground—six months being allowed in which to make surveys and necessary preparations. PROPOSED INCREASE OF TARIFF. It is also proposed to ask the Legislature, in view of the increased cost of operating a line across the Sierra Nevada, to authorize this company to charge for through passengers and freight : fifteen cents per passenger per mile, and thirty cents per ton of freight per mile ; which is only about one- sixth the lowest rates at which freight is now carried to Washoe. Way passengers and freight, or local business to and from these counties, at the usual rates. BUSINESS OF THIS ROAD. The business that such a road will perform will necessa¬ rily be large ; the present business transacted by teams must be seen to be appreciated. It is not unusual to meet or pass three hundred loaded teams, en route for Washoe, in a day, loaded with an average of two and a half tons. It is estimated that not less than an average of seventy- five tons per diem has passed over the roads to Washoe during the past season. PRESENT RATES OF FREIGHT. The lowest rates of freight, by ox teams, is six cents per pound, or $120 per ton • and wrhen the roads are bad, double and treble these rates are paid. This business is constantly increasing, and it is believed that the effect of the construction of this road will nearly if not fully double it. 14 RETURN FREIGHTS OF SILVER ORE. But by far the most important business to be performed is the return freight of silver ore to Sacramento and San Francisco. It is well known that none but the richer ores are worked or sent away, constituting a small proportion of the ore taken out, by far the larger portion being the less valuable ores, which are thrown one side, to remain until the richer ores are exhausted, in the hope that mean¬ time some less expensive mode of extracting the silver will be found. COST OF FREIGHTING SILVER ORE. Were a railroad constructed, ore could be laid down in Sacramento and San Francisco at $80 per ton. The miner of moderate means, who owns a claim, but is not able to put up a mill and work it, can send the product of his claim daily to a market at Sacramento and San Francisco. There will be no necessity for selecting and separating ores as at present, as all will be sent down and separated at the mills below. PROFITABLENESS OF ROAD. An estimate can scarcely be made of the profitableness of such a road, for no instance of a road with a similar business exists. It is believed that its profitableness will exceed that of any known road in the world. For the purpose of illustrating its business capacities, we have only to compare it with coal roads in the United States of a similar class. CAPACITY OF SIMILAR ROADS. The Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven Railroad possesses 15 grades of two hundred and fifty feet per mile. The ton¬ nage of coal over this road, which (it is to be borne in mind) is one way, was as follows : For 1855 1,534,876 For 1856 1,614,887 For 1857 1,564,119 For 1858 1,452,083 Or an average of about five hundred tons per day.- DESCENDING GRADES FOR RETURN FREIGHT. It will be remembered that the up grades are princi¬ pally ascending eastwardly, while the return loads are car¬ ried mostly on down grades. The capacity of this road then for return business is not to be judged by the char¬ acter of its ascending grades. / APPROXIMATE ESTIMATE OF RECEIPTS. An approximate estimate of the business of this road is here presented, supposing it sufficient to require one passenger and one freight train per day each way. ESTIMATE. 50 tons outward freight, at $50 per ton, - - $2,500 100 tons return freight, at $25 per ton, - - 2,500 25 passengers each way, at $25, - 1,250 •Total receipts per diem, $6,250 Which, for 313 days per year, gives as yearly receipts the gross sum of $1,956,250. The attention of business men is respectfully invited to a consideration of the above facts. Respectfully, &c., THEODORE D. JUDAH. 16 San Francisco, November 4, 1860. Theodore Jcdah, Esq. : Dear Sir—In reply to your letter of the 3d inst., asking for information in regard to the prospect of business of a railroad from the navigable waters of the Sacramento to the mining districts of Washoe, we have to state that, from our observation and knowledge of the ' o resources of that section of the country, we should deem it a safe calculation to say that no railroad was ever con¬ templated in California with such flattering prospects of a large and lucrative business, and which promised such uni¬ versal benefit to the people of the State. To go into details would occupy more space than the limits of this hasty communication will warrant ; but we think it safe to estimate that such a road will increase the amount of business now being clone over the present route to the mining districts named very largely. From careful inquiry and observation, we find that, with the present limited facilities of travel, there are not less than seventy-five persons passing over the road, to and from, daily; and during that portion of the season when the state of the roads permit of the transportation of freight, we should say at least fifty tons daily—increased facilities would of course increase both the travel and the quantity of freight going forward. There are now probably forty to fifty mining claims being worked, from which not less than two hundred tons of ore are being taken out daily, that would warrant ship¬ ment at a low rate of freight. There are four first class 17 mines, viz, the Ophir, Mexican, Central ancl Gould & Curry, that alone are capable of turning out that quantity of ore, of sufficient value to warrant transportation by railroad to this place for shipment. it is only necessary to furnish facilities for cheap trans¬ portation, to insure the opening and working of hundreds of rich claims, capable of turning out an almost incredible quantity of ore, every ton of which would meet with ready sale on its delivery at either terminus of the road. It is a safe calculation to estimate that five hundred tons of ore daily would be sent over such a road, at a rate of freight not exceeding say $25 per ton. In fact, the only limit to the quantity would perhaps be the inability of the road to do the business offered. There are at the present time a number of agencies of eastern and foreign capital, armed with authority and means to purchase, at remunerative prices to the producer, ores of any grade, from $100 per ton and upward; but, owing to the limited quantity arriving, have not been able to purchase a fraction of the orders in hand. It is difficult to say what would be the limit to the amount of capital seeking investment in this channel. It is safe to say that five thousand tons of ore could be sold for cash at this moment, if it could be had. In regard to the benefit to the State and cities of Cali¬ fornia, that would arise from the enterprise proposed by you, it is almost impossible to calculate its extent. That it would make it the richest and most prosperous State in the Union there is not a doubt. This new resource of wealth is unbounded, and the only obstacle to its realiza¬ tion is that which your project will most certainly remove. A railroad such as you propose to build would, in our humble opinion, develope at once the resources of the 18 mineral wealth of that section of country, of which but little is yet known, and but the tithe has been told. Very respectfully, Tour obedient servants, O G DEN & WILSON. SACRAMENTO, November 10, 1860. Dear Sir: The object of this communication is to direct attention to some newly discovered facts with reference to the route of the Pacific Railroad through the State of California. Confident of the existence of a practicable line across the Sierra Nevada mountains, nearer and more direct than the proposed line via Madelin Pass and head waters of the Sacramento, I have devoted the past few months to an exploration of several routes and passes through Central California, resulting in the discovery of a practicable route from the city of Sacramento upon the divide between Bear river and North Fork of the American, via Illinoistown and Dutch Flat, through Lake Pass on the Truckee river, which gives nearly a direct line to Washoe, with maximum grades of one hundred feet per mile. The distance from Sacramento to Summit is 102 miles ; to State line about 115 miles ; to Vir¬ ginia City 162 miles. The elevation of Pass is 6,690 feet. The importance of this information is apparent, when we consider this line effects a saving in distance over the northern line of 150 miles, and avoids the, passage of two cartons on the Sacramento •river twenty-one miles long, estimated by Lieut. Beckwith to cost $4,200,000, while it affords a direct line to Washoe across the narrowest portion of the State, and à local road for the business of Sacramento, Placer and Nevada counties. The Pacific Railroad bill, as matured by last Congress, and which is made the special order for the third Tuesday in December next, provides the following appropriations for construction of the road through California, viz : $18,000 per mile from navigable waters of the Sacramento river to the base the Sierra Nevada ; thence $24,000 per mile to the Summit ; thence an additional $3,000 per mile for each degree of longitude crossed until the 109th degree is reached. Inasmuch as the road through the State of California must be constructed by an organization effected finder the laws of the State, it is proposed to immediately organize a company for the purpose of constructing the road through the State upon this route in anticipation of the passage of this bill ; to procure the recognition of this as the line of the Pacific Railroad through California ; to procure the appropriations appertaining to this end of the route, and to construct the road under this organization. This will be effected by either inserting the name of this company directly in the bill as the company to whom these appropriations shall come, or by an arrangement with the corporators or trustees named in the bill. In organizing a Railroad Company in this State, the law requires that $1,000. per mile shall be subscribed and ten per cent, paid in. The estimated length of road to the State line is 115 miles, requiring a subscription of $115,000, on which ten per cent.,1, or $11,500, is required to be paid in. It is proposed to make with this ten per cent., a thorough, practical Railroad survey, establishing the grades, cuttings, fillings, and to make the necessary maps, profiles, estimates, reports, etc. To the accomplishment of this end, the instrument required by law has been drawn up, and has, in the towns of Dutch Flat, Illinoistown, Grass Valley and Nevada, received a bona fide subscription of $46,500, leaving about $70,000 subscription (requiring a payment of $7,000) to be made up in the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento. It is not considered necessary to make an urgent appeal for subscriptions, but to simply present a plain statement of the facts to a few persons of responsibility and influence in those cities who feel an interest in the matter, who will subscribe in good faith, and who are able to pay in the ten per cent, without embarrassment. To this end your co-operation is respectfully solicited and a subscription from yourself asked. The plan will receive the support of our delegation in Congress, and Col. Baker carries on with him a profile of the route. It has also received the approval of Gov. Downey and many other influential and prominent gentlemen. Messrs. Burch and Scott, and Mr. Curtis, Chairman of the Pacific Railroad Committee in Congress, have been fully posted up with regard to this movement. It is intended that no further call than the ten per cent, required by law shall be made ; and no further assurance of this statement seems necessary when it i;s known that the law compels the subscrip¬ tion of the whole capital stock, with ten per cent, paid in, before any additional assessment can be called. I estimate that the entire road can be graded for the amount of appropriation proposed to be given by Government, leaving only the iron, rolling stock, etc., to be provided for by other means. An issue of first mortgage bonds of $12,000 per mile will furnisR this material. A bill is also before Congress providing for an approp riation of 4,480 acres per mile of Govern¬ ment lands. Mr. Burch will press this bill in the next Congr ess. The road may connect either with the Sacramento Valley Road at Folsom, or with the California Central Road at Lincoln. The counties of Placer and Nevada will probably vofie to subscribe $500,000 toward the con¬ struction of the lower portion of the road. It is important that this organization be effected befe >re the sitting of next Congress, that they may deal with a company already in existence. Very respectfully, THEODORE D. JUDAH.