The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-01-10
The Pacific Telegraph : How the Line
~ was Carried Across the Plains. H

Mes,e'n ooroers 20 pau Lske CITY, under
,no unoouon y, mr. Ore'gu'on, arrived at
S"'a"a, S y" .no'r re,urn. among them was
Sssnue' 3, n stafr OF tnis CITY. VINO reached
noms on Ihnrsday last. Mr.. Starr vas
engseeo 70 mo practicai work OF construc;
uon, 70 tne d'uerent branches, and he gives
~ interesting sccount OF the manner Ia \
Wn,oh % ,ne enterprise was conducted. pv4
ne "ne nad been constrocted previous
70 'u,y 'as, as Iar west ss gu'esoorg. which
Oh 'ne E'aue river, SVo miles east OF
Deascf. FROM Una. point 70 Fort Bridger
l,-apont tVo 'n,tes--the line was constructed
ley sne party OF whoa, mr. starr wac Quo.
Mr: Cre'eb'on nad from seventy'hven TO
s;9aS s;e"y n,en ., ,oup,oyeo' aas ney were d.
.'oeu ,n'o .nrec tra'ns: Inc men OF one
u us"" Jug 'n' notes tnoso OF another cut
uo." .us pe"s s"o so' 'nem' anu the Third
P1. ..up rue WIZ Al
an 'eestnfee trans there we're about sov-
en.y wagons ana seven hundred cattle, 1iu'
c.eu,ng ieW mucn cows to- fcrnish milk
nS, ~, we "'on. tue wagons contained IRON
'ur'y I'VE i've " Iof.y nse hpndred pounds
each-coos'st'ng OF wire, insolaiors. tools,
ca"p equ'psee ano PROVISIONS. lhe Trains
we're sa'd 70 DC tne pest that ever started
"Ve' 'ne p'a'ns-,-'no cstno oe'ng excellent,
mo Wagons sooa. ana at mat perta'ned TO
we com'crt OF INC men was IN Keeping with
'oo 'cs''l voou 'enis wero proyided !; also
cooking Stoves sna aii the necessary utensils
TOT ptos'o.ng mes'e, ana whas WAS quite in
Keeping with these, the best food that could
DO conveyed over the plains and mountains.
EU'Tbe fret pole was set on the 4th Of July
al Julesburg. and tho last on this section
at Fort Brideer, about 100 miles this side
OF Salt Lake City, on the 10th of October.
The diRgers train went ahead, and got
along NJ the rate Of about twenty.fopr holes
to each mile. The train which put up the
poles only made about ten miles per day.
and was 100 miles behind the diggers when
the latter reached tho end Of the route
On the plains the digging was easy, and the
work went rapidly on--in the mountains il
was slow, owing TO the rocky soil. MO
| The po!es SoSe selected. cat, stripped of
bark by the men, and were then drawn out
by the cattle and distributed along the line
In some localities excellent timber was
found IN great abundance, hard piue being
most plenty, though some cedar was ab.
tanned Dead or dry pines we're often found
in largo quantities, some of which would
make three poles. each Of suitable size. In
some localities the poles had to be cut 10
the mountains and hauled over 100 miles.
Each pole is twenty feet in the ground.
Through the Rocky Mountain Pass. where
,he lioe ruDs, shsra are points where tho
snow Is known TO cover the ground to the
depth 81 o'even feet. lir .lal.,l lsi.a.
tn, Iha Inc = r-- s.1-r, ana % es sae-
s:",' suo" '"'e eau oe. ~ mas .
s"so "xe uo' - y. poseu senso 70 damage ON the
.a"us =. 'ices, as care was taken 70 avoid
o'9, y""g oi t"a. k,"d. -, -. :,
"o Ioo@ saop'ea vas ma,oiy a'oog sne
! 'oeu a.'oss a"c p'a'us sad 'through the
o"ans a . 10 snorsen INSTANCES. where
o.a% ~. ,J"' .sn M serpe"une''ofm. me tel
, os.ePu "Nos u1ec' "ne. .oho~ing tne
, eene'a, ~ course pi 'oe road. ifoe track pur-
s"eu oy s"o "ss'srn t1a'ns over tne p'a'ns
o'1oHou. ," o''en 1,,. Waue 20 oy 'ne cau,e
, s"s ;,s :" ,"' ps."; ""en au an'mai ~ ia,,s
, aso :. s'.uo" ,op'oVeu rom tne
+ u. ussseAeop' ';- 40 .1e .o'ses carry " away
~ ~ ~ a.o;S !, .hu. a'us ~u'cn t"uo~ .u,n
' ior ,be home. NJ ,ho,,sand. ~ o',;a,.,s I;I
. Eblaachi,o aione The sra., n.,h. ,h., io"d ii
from tbe Mjssa,ri 10 ,ha pac;so 's"N
| eaTbe eons,ruction NJ ,b;sp ,aIao.. ,h i,ns
. mot with mn bos,IIa Tndi.n. ,ke..h ~,
!. saw many NJ The n.,;ves .Ion, H.
J somo,;me ea s,fF,,rod 4, ,bo;r ,h;a.;. 4 80
. dn,iona- Irha Jod;an .cont a. Da,s 60
. sixty five miles .bose For, J.ars,n,o ,oid
n Mr. s,.rr ,ha, onooS ,ha St. sh;" ~ o.o
.erseS .;,h b;u aSo,,, ,h. ."s"n 49, ou'e,. vou.
. hsfora ,ha no,as ~nro ~, ~" p,,9Io'
3 nodars,ood ,bst ,s,o. 80 80 ~ r .na
: tasn ica, h;sh .pd ,h.n .,,,,n. ,.,,L ;.a.
closalv from ,on ~ ho,,o,,, ~. n..iS
, ~nEa A. w;re f,ince s,i ,ha hna.Ioa. ~ -
o,har aar,a 1.ou,d 10 Las,. f.n..' 'Ss,nS ~
, do.n +, sne son,h W Ha ,not. 1919 nv
. nro;ec. With dis1.ror b.. whan bpom no
. s,ood ,ha. ,hnra -. ~ a., 10 a'uo 'N:oe
j. ana ,hs, ~, ,sso g., 49, ~ M ono w,
, ~.s o,;,a ra,;a.aH - ~ - .. ~
IN he s,l,fod '''S.' 80 - 'N "PP''"'''
~ Speaking of the manner in which the
animals regard the telegraph. Nj Starr
!, says the anielopes we're timid and distrust.
full. Herds of them crossing lie plains
would stop when thew came TO The telee erapb
and cautiously examine ihe poles before
. ven,uring to pass between them. 90 -
: Tha .,a,;on. ~ a. ,a,.,...,,, .......,
aro cb;eav a, On" .,.,;oas y - ~, D'.
n.nv from AZ, 70 49, i. ~ 49, 49,.
Tha,,. -. s,,- - ~" vo "'os epet.,
: s.ch s,a,ion ,.s;,a 80 ns P.,s :.
: : society the operator has. The work of re.
! pairing the limo must, for the present. At
least, be performed by the operators, going
out when sboy find communication with the