Show KNOW UTAH H 1 By ALBERT T J F. F PHILIPS 1 P How many people in Utah kno know that Jefferson Davis Is secretary oC of war in tho the cabinet ot of Franklin Pierce and afterward pr of the southern rn confederacy confederacy con con- sent ent a a. surveying party part into the Hoel mountain mountain moun moan tain thin region for tho the purpose of oC examining and 1 reporting reporting report report- ing upon the feasibility of ot constructing a transcontinental transcontinental railway over o the O Overland Orland rland or Mormon route Under l tho the provisions of oC tho the act of ot 1853 1553 he sent Bent five o parties to malco malo tho the survey S Tho The surveys were vero made and under date elate of oC January 27 21 1855 1556 Davis made a a. full fun report to congress When the report was read to tho the senate Stephen A. A Douglas Doug las senator from Illinois introduced a a. bill hill In the In which three routes were proposed The rhe congress cong of at 1853 hart hail appropriated to make ml the survey cy to ascertain the most practical and economical economical eco ceo route for lor a n. railroad from the Uin Missouri 1 river to the Pacific ocean The Tho bill hill of oC Senator Douglas provided for tho tim construction of or railroads ad over al- al most the same fame routes routs as those of tho the Union Pacific tho the Northern Pacific th thA Missouri Pacific Denver Rio Grande tho the Santa Fc Fe and the Southern Pacific roads 0 The sune surveys s 's of oC these routes were published In eleven doyen l large volumes the tho size of oC tho the present pl congressional cons res record and were profusely Illustrated 0 It had bad been heen thought according to Professor Trott- Trott mans man's history of or the Union Pacific railroad that the building of or a n. transcontinental railroad ml might ht prevent pre loss o of California from front tho the Union as tho the isolated settlements of oC the Iho Golden stalo sero separated from tho the Mississippi all valley C by bp a stretch of or mountain and desert land nearly early 2000 miles s wide and the case ense with which a n. foreign power might successfully Invade In tho the state slate was one ono of oC tho dangers which menaced American Ameri Amen can possessions at lt that time This was during luring the fifties and tho bonds which held California to the Union were ero largely largel sentimental It was pointed out says Professor that the Iho people of or California while American n by hy birth and In sympathies but b by being separated from tho the states slates b by hundreds of or miles of oC uninhabited mountainous moun moun- territory wera to all nIl intents and purposes independent of oC tho tIm central authority and tho the difficulties and dangers of or western transportation were so 0 great and that th these so experienced in full fun measure h by the tho national government when In 1857 It attempted to enforce tho tha fed federal em 1 laws a against Mor- Mor monism in Utah This was during duning tho the bloodless Buchanan war of or S Tho The overland o journey journe to California consumed more time time- and was considered hazardous than the thc voyage via ia the Hlo of or Panama or 01 around Cape Horn Hom which latter trip occupied front from rom four to five o weeks In the dl days dl's s 's of or the Iho Forty an entire summer was wa required to make mako the Iho trip in a prairie schooner Later the establishment o of a a. regular sta stage e line so o shortened tho tim trip hip that It St could bo be made mado In Ina Ina a a. month Then camo caine tho the gold bold discovery at Sutter's mill and the admission of oC California into the Union in with a a. population of over o Tho The necessity necessity necessity for fOl a n. railroad across tho the country was more apparent than ever hut but it was not until 1862 that congress passed tho tito first of or the tho Union n Pacific railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road acts S S S SOn On Jul July 1 I 1562 Pre President ident Abraham braham Lincoln approved ap ap- ap- ap proved the Iho bill which provided pro for tho the Union Pacific railroad and authorized tho ho construction of oC a a. transcontinental transcontinental trans Hans continental line between the Missouri ourI river and the Pacific coast Ground for fOl the road was broken In inthe tho the north Omaha bottoms December 2 and the thelon thelong thelong lon long talked of or railroad to lo the Pacific ocean was vas begun beg Progress on Iho tho road which was to connect Utah with tho the world was slow The fhe Civil CI war was on Tho llo price of all materials material needed in the construction of a railroad which had been boen soaring caused dla delay In iii carrying out tho the contract for or the first miles oC of road II Jr M. M r. r the contractor did not la lay the first rail until Jul July 10 1863 Tho The fh first t. t ten miles of 01 road was completed September 2 22 January ry 1 I I. I tho the first government inspection was made b by officials of or the war department |