, 1866-01-05
FROM OMAHA,

A06 HNEluG 4&4SlftRQ IeffhlnU$-UGTs
eTfpsicn Of she CITY and Its Surround
iDEa-Forty Miles OF Road Completed
-Pefsonal and General News
Correspondence Of the Chicago Ts1bunc.]
uERsDoA Housz, 01AuA, Dec. 80. 1895
According to promise. write Jou from
this far Western city, or rather central city OF
the Republic. should have written earlier.
but wished to look around and be fa1ly
posted with regard to passing events before
giving an opinion Of results gained. It Is
well known that by far the larger portion of
the West has for long tirnc looked upon
Omaha as the grand terminus of the Union
Pacific Railrond. "Comlng events have cast
their shadows BEFORE" and now tho people
fell that what Was prophecy is being surely
and rapidly fulfilled. think that no unpreju-
diced person Gun look about him and not be
impressed with the truth Of this assertion.
The site for the city Is one Of the finest TINT
can bo Imagined. The thousands OF acres of
bottom land on the banks Of the river afford
as good location for the depots, freight
houses, machine shops mills, &C., &c, as
can be found in the world; and the blufEs
above form plateau, which for beauty Of
situation cannot be surpassed The streets
are laid out at right angles, and arc one hun
dred feet wide, except Capital Avenue, cI-
tending from the river to the State House,
which is one hundred and twenty feet wide.
m The 7f a9s 81 tq1nd e se for by swsRby s5 afe sG
farming purposes, with a rich soil OF from
three 70 len feet deep, Timber Is scarce,
though there is much more thau was at first
supposed, and farmer can In half dozen
years, from the seed, raise his own fuel, much
cheaper than he can clear land In the East.
But With the railroad which will soon be
completed through Iowa, and should be. as q
Chicago enterprise, within year, coal will
be abundant and cheap.
. +- BUSINESS.
Omaha Is . city largely engaged In trnde,
doing q much more extensive business than
many places or much 1arger growth Though
at thls season Of the year there is not 30 much
doing az In the spring, when the thousands Of
people and trims arc congregated here to
croes the plains. I am surprised to find q d.
GERS here doing d business Of $50, 900 per au-
mum, and other houses IN proportion. The
First National Bank is doing largo business,
with nearly half q million deposits, and an-
other ia soon 10 be established. We were
shown a large amount of gold q few days
since, lying around 1ooset which was p1r-
chased Of tho miners of the Northwestern
Territories.
COMPLETION or FORTY MILES.
You can imagine the sensation produced on
one who almost regarded the Pacific road as
myth on seeing the steam engine or, rather,
eUluE ual1.u-AuLtu VI luclu-tpEEu1ug Oh tNGll
way toward the setting sun. The first forty
miles are completed, OF, rather Gft5 niles ;
but forty Will DO presented for acceptance to
the commissioners, who are daily expected.
The commission consists of Mai. Gen. Curtis,
DR.. White and Col. Simpson.
BUILDINGS, AND MACHINERY.
The immense energy displayed here il come
thing marvellous In the construction OF the
necessary buildings Of the Company. It Is
not like accom- plishing thc work at Chicago,
or near any Of the great commercial centres
In the East; but at the commencement, so far
as u1aterial was concerned, o barren waste
neither lumber, iron, brick, nor the thousand
and.onc articles necessary to carry On the
work could .be found here no Eallroal reached
within 150 miles, and tho river could not al
ways be depended upon, md transportation
across tho prairies, with only a natural road;
was slow and tedious process.
On the 1Bth Of September last, scarcely q
blow WIS struck, and to look now, 1t seems
almost like q pure creation of magic The
blacksmith shop and other buildings neces-
sary are completed. They are built in the
most substantial manner, Of brick, and can
not be surpassed by those Of any company
In the country. They arc capable Of building
two hundred and flfty miles Of road. Twenty
steam earmllls, many Of them Of thc most
ply ~. 1.a4An1 for timber, and contributions
are being levied on al Tho surrounding coun.
try for the material which Is needed, and
when 1t cannot be found here, It must Come
from Chicago or the Atlantic const. ". F.
Dnrant, Of Davenport. Iowa, is superintcnd-
| Ing the work here. He Is man Of great en-.
crgy of character, thoroughly understand.
his business, and has given powerful impe-
tus TO the work. T. C. Dnfant, the Vice
President Of the road, is also here. Mai. Gen
Dodge is here, at the Herndon from Lcavcn.
worth, and Breyet Mini. Gen. Wheatou md
stalr are also here. They tell wonderful
stories Of their warfare with tho Indians.
George Francis Train has purchased 1rt
hundred acres Of the most eligible land II
Omaha, large portion Of which is COVERED
by trees, partially for his one hundred cot
taecs, md the capitalists associated with him
In Chicago, New York, and London, but
mostly on his private account.