WESTERN INCIDENTS. 119

to have it done, long before it was. There was a time pre-
ceding the war—for this great work has been in contemplation
for a good many years—that we fought this thing persistently,
but without success; we could not get it through Congress. We
sent out surveyors to prospect and estimate the cost of the differ-
ent roads through the Rocky Mountains and on to the Pacific
coast, and they reported that it would cost a hundred millions of
dollars to establish this road there, and men thought this sum so
great that no nation could afford to engage in the enterprise. You
all know the arguments used in Congress against it. It was extrava-
gant, it was enormous, it would bankrupt the nation to under-
take it, yet a private company of individuals, aided a little by the
Government, have gone on and rendered it not only possible, but
have, in a great measure, accomplished the work. [Applause.]
As the gentleman who preceded me stated, we traversed the road
seven hundred miles west of this place, into the very heart and
centre of the continent, and there we found them going on almost
as fast as man could walk. Indeed I did not know at one time
if we should be able to get to the end of it, for I will say that
they are prosecuting it with an unabated energy, and with a unity
of purpose that is perfectly amazing. Every workman knows
his place—every one is as busy as he can be—the work goes per-
ceptibly on while you stand there viewing it; and, sir, this is
most honorable to those gentlemen who have this great work in
charge. I tell you that five years will not elapse before you may
take the cars here and go to San Francisco in four days. [Ap-
plause.] And then think of the developments of that great coun-
try which will be disclosed. How is it now, sir, in your Rocky
Mountain region, a region so remote and so little known, that
ten years ago, I recollect, in Congress, when we undertook to
divide it up into Territories, we were puzzled most ofall to fix the
boundaries, because we did not know where they would run, and,
if you look in our work you will find that we have bounded them
on the west ‘‘by the crest of the Rocky Mountains, wherever that
might be.” We knew not if there was any gold or other minerals