Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-30

Special Cor. Of the Chicago Evening Journal. !
LRAvENwoR1H, Nov. 10.
One Of the greatest struggles 10 now tax
ting place 10 this country that has ever been
chronicled, outside Of politics and war-a
struggle Of vast internal AMI important i,n>
provenent-a struggle the contamination
VI which will unite the Atlantic with the Pa.
ci6c; . union which, from the vastness of
the undertaking, has awakened . spirit Of
conjecture in the minds Of many; but this
spirit. which is 50 prevalen.lv recorded in
The earlier histories Of railroad formations.
wall, no doubt, be sxterminated BY the pres
cat impen1ing struggle between the Kansas
and Nebraska Branches Of the Union Pacific
Railroads. Each company seems TO apprc
ciate the importance to be gained In reach.
ing the Rocky Mountains first The change
made In the route VI the Kansas Branch car
ries it TO Denver through the bottom land
Of the Kaw-A magnificent vallcy-tO the
confluence Of the Smoky Hill and the Re.
publican, extending up the gloriously beau
tiful valley Of the smoky Hill. thus making
the nearest cir Ii Of any proposed Pacific
route. Conjoined with this. there 10 still
another specific advantage effected by this
the Plains will be controlled. owing to the
important Eastern connections which are
already completed.
The Northern Division, under the super<
vision Of tho Omaha Company, have no
connections. yet they are striving. and, in
deed, With every appearance Of success, to
reach the Rocky Mountains first. Prai.e
il insufficient for the enterprise With which
the Nebraska Company have pushed Tor
ward their work. living no Eastern con
nectioc, (though they soon will have, they
have been compelled % overcome difficulties
which would hayc proven insurmountab'e
10 any other than the e,tcrprising Manager,
I. q. Durant. They have contended against
every inaeiaabls berriss, and that success
fully. Being compelled 10 ship their loco
motives, cars, rails, and all other mater q
consumed during the process Of conssruc.
ton from st. Louis, distance Of nearly Z
thousand miles, they have at the prcsen,
time one hundred miles more Of track laid
than on the Kansas Road, with oil its su,
p~r:Or facilities end railroad connections,
and ere nov laying track a the rate Of
one and two miles per day. thing quite
novel % The annals Of railroad construction,
and which would scarcely have been com
plsted At this time were il not that thu
road runs on nearly level river bottom -
The NSrthera Pacific Road is about compile
ted to Cottonwood, distance Of two hun.
dred and for'y six miles, while the Kansa.
Branch has only one hundred and forty .cigh,
miles Of track laid. The Directors Of the
kansas Branch met 10 ST. Louis, and the,
resolved % pat their road Though imms'
diatsly. A contract was let for building o.
additional two husdred and forty miles from
Fort Riley westward. This contract il
nov being rapidly fulfilled, and the let o.
January, 1868, the distance contracted 70.
will b completed entire. This sill con
stsuct the road ~ within two hundred and
forty miles Of Denver City, nd insures it,
completion in two years more. When tin
great enterprise is completed, America will
by her energy and perseverance, lave as.
ton'shsd the w.rd, there being no one con
t.nu0us line Of railroad in the world d
that length
The Central Pacific road, Of California
is now completed distance Of ninety seven
miles east Of Sacramento. and the cycle
Of time viii have advanced but brief dis
lance when the shril whistle Of the locomo
uvc VIII Oc UedTu VI the coatcrn valleys o
the Sierra Nevada. When they have ono,
surmOunied this range of mountains, Their,
will he = road similar to that on the Platte
"a level river botton-and, until they hav,
reached the western range Of the Rocky
Mountains, there will DC no serious difficult
lies 10 overcome II the same indomitabls
energy is displayed until the completion d
this gigantic aud mOnstrous enterprise
which has been SO eminen,ly characteristic
OF it, present success and rapid advance.
ment. seven years will amply suffice for the
entire completion Of the greatest work in
world
There are at present upwards Of SOC
miles Of railroad from Boston 70 Kansas
and when the Pacific ID completed to Den.
yer there will bc one (almost) cont inuous
route Of more than $500 miles in extent
American genius. American industry, and
American perseverance can accomplish al
most any thing. These combined can con,
struct raisoads ignoring time and distanc,
in the swiftness Of their completion car
level mountains and last though not leas
arouse the monarchs Of tho deep by the
news electric the magnetized union Of hem
Hphc res nnr