The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-12-24
From the Rochester Union.
THE PACIFIC TELEGRAPH.
How the Line was Carried Across che Plains.


!, Jt
! How the Line was Carried Across she Plains
a On Thanksgiving dsy-the 2sth ult.-,
> large party of workrnen engaged 10 construct
a ing the Pacific Telegraph from the western
borders to Salt Lake City under the direction
of Mr.. Creighton, arrived at Omaha on thei
return. Among them was Samuel P. Starr
Q Of this city. who reached home on Thursday
last. Mr.. Starr was engaged in the praclica
work of construction in the diff rent branches
and he gives an interesting account Of the
: manner in which the enterprise was conduct
J ed. The line has been constructed previous
to July last, rs far west as Julesburgh, which
is on the Platte river, 600 miles east Of Den
} yer. From that point TO Fort Bridger-
about 700 miles, the line was constructed BY
the party Of which Mr.. Starr was one. Mr.
Creighton bad from seventy five to eighty
men employed, and they were divided into
three trains. The men Of one train dug the
holes, those Of another cut down the poles
and set them, and the third out up the wire.
In the three trains there were about seventy.
five wagons and seven hundred cattle, in
cluding few mich cows, to furnish milk for
ty-tive to forty five hundred pounds eacIl-
consisting of wire, iusulators, tools, camp
equipage and provisions. The trains were
SAID to be the best that ever started over the
plains-the cattle being excellent, the wag.
ons good, and all that pertained to the CON-
fort of the men was in keeping with the rest.
Good tents were provided; also cooking stoves
and all the necessary utensils fer providing
meals, aud what was quite in keeping with
these-the best food that could be conveyed
over tie plains and mo, ntains.
The first pole was set on the 4th of July,
at Julesburgh, and the last on this section
at Fort Bridger, about one hundred miles
this side Of Salt Lake City, on the 5th Of
October. The diggers' tain went ahead, and
got along at the rate Of about twelve miles
per day, digging about twenty -four holes
for each mile. Tue train which put up the
poles only nade about ten miles per day,
and was one hundred and fifty miles behind
the dggers when the latter reached the end
of the route. Gu the plains the digging
was easy, and lhe work went rapidly on i'm
the moutains it was slow, owing to tie rocky
soil.
The poles were selected, cut, stripped Of
bark by the men, and were then drawn out
by the cattle aud distributed along the lne
lo some localities excellent timber was found
10 great abundance, hard pine being most
plenty, though some cedar was obtaned.-
Dead or dry pines were often found in large
quantities, some Of which would make three
poles each Of suitable size. In some local
ltles the poles had to be cut in the mountains
and hauled over one hun lred miles. Each
pole Is twenty feet in length, and is buried
four feet in the grourd. Through the
Rocky Mountain Pass, where the line runs,
there are points where the snow is known |
to cover the ground to the depth of eleven
feet.
The line is well put up, aud is as substan.
tial as such line can be. 1t has a single |
wire, not exposed to damage from the falling
OF trees, care was taken to avoid everything
of that kind.
The route adopted was mainly along the
road across the plains and through the noun
tains. To shorten distance, where the road
ran IN serpeutine form, the telegraph takes
a direct line, following the genetal course of
the road. The track pursued by the ives.
tern trains over the plains is very crooked,
often made 80 by the cattle dying in the
path. When an animal falls its carcass is
seldom removed from the track-excep: ~
the wolves carry it away by piecemeal-and
trains which follow turn out 10 avoid it, thus
making a crooked track, for the bones Of
Of animals lie bleeching along the ,
great paths that leads from the Missouri TO ,
the Pacific.
The construction Of this teleg aph line met
with no hostile Indians. though they saw
many of the natives along the way, and
suffered by their thiev ng depre- {
lations. The Indian agent at Dear Creek, {
'ixty-ive miles above Fort Laramie, told Mr.. I
Starr that one of the Sioux chiefs conversed 4
with him about the telegraph project before Z
he poles were set, and said that he under. 2
tood that poles were to be set sixteen feet !
high, and then strung with wires closely from Il
.op to bottom. As this would make wire
ence, all the buffaloes and other game would 8
20 kept from coming down TO the south - o
He looked upon the project with dsfavor, !
,ut when he undertood that there was to be d
,ut one wire, and that sixteen feet above The r
.round, he was quite relieved of his fears and "
ppeared to be satisfied Speaking Of the c.
manner in which the animals regard the P
elegraph, Mr. Stsrr Gays the antelopes were
inid and distrustful. Herds Of them cross. CT
ing the plain would stop when they came d
o the telegraph, and cautiously examine
he poles before veuturiog 10 psss between n
hem. Il
The stations Of the telegraph operators are b
hiefy at the stait ms Of the mail company, o.
rom fifty to one hundred miles apart. There D
re usually two or three persons ut each sta re
ion taking care of the mules of the stage tr
ompsny, and these are all the society, the
perators has The work of repairing the =,
ne must, for the present at least, be perform. -
d by the operators. going out wi en- they find q,
ON nunication with the next station inter- :;
apted. The duty OF 40 operator and repair. ~
T Is anything but pastime, and to perform "a
well required hardy courageous men who !,
re not afraid to be alone aud to contend with =.
low storms and whatever else they may =.
,eet 10 that vast W. Id region over which they :,
lust sometimes travel The right men will. d,
J time, be found in right places, and Of the -
,cccssful working Of the telegraph to the
acifc none are more confident thar the men ni
bo constructed it, and who, therefore, best 10