The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-14
The Union Pacific Railroad.

Omaha, follows the valley OF the Iiatte river
for $50 miles. or to the base OF the Rocky
mountains. Omaha, upon the missouri rlver,
is 999 (berometer1 feet ABOVE the ieVei OF the
ses One mouth of the Platte is l5smiles be-
low Omaha. and to reach the Platte Valley
tho road makes detour nine miles to the
eoptb vast and then follows the natural valley
formed by this river. Psrtaking of the ma
sure of a prairie, the valley, as it extends
westward, has been for many years consider
cd an arid plain. Il covers an area OF about
5000 square miles, and varies in width from
three to twenty miles. North OF the valley
the country is a rolling prairie, gradually IN
oreasing in fertility as 1t extends northwest
erly to the British possessions, where the IN
tense risor and length of the winter and the
sandy soil, have almost destroyed all vegeta-
BILE life.
The railroad follows the north bank of the
Platte tor three hundred miles, and then cross
as the north fork and keeps up the north side
Of the south fork TO its head waters at the
foot of tho Rocky mountains. There are but
five bridges of any size until the Rocky noun
tains are reached. The first rs over the Elk
horn, one hundred miles east of Omaha, and
10 tfuss bridge of the most approved pat
tern, built upen Stone river. Similar orldg-
Is have been built over Shell Creek, the
Loup Fork, the Wood river, and the North
Fork. u. #8 <sE
No streams of any size flows into the Platte
from the south side, the natural tendency OF
all streams of this valley being to run north-
ward. No attempt has ever been made 10
navigate the Platte, or TO improve 1t Tor na'i-
CATION It is g rapid stream, spread over
very large surface OF ground, very shallow,
vet so full of quicksands as 10 render It untof-
dable It's banks are continually changing
from side to side, owing TO the washing OF the
sand, as in the Missouri Unlike the latter,
however. it never has freshets, and never in
unds.ea its banks. Its rise aud fall is limited
10 six inches The water Is never clear, but
of muddy sandy character, caused by the
washing of its banks. For practical 1ilusera-
ton, Ii may be said that the Platte, rising IN
the west, runs wsss to It's mouth, ID the Mis-
souri, river It's tributaries rise IN the north
or northwest, and running southeast, empty
into the Platte-the same muddy, scllen
streams IS the Platte. It's southern trleuta-
RES, SKULL and Salt creeks, have clear alter
ard rocky bottoms.
II will be seen that nature has laid out the
whole Platte Valley into little valleys beited
with rivers and creeks at various Intervals,
aud lined tho river banks win the richest
bottoms or valleys, covered with an aliuvial
soil and VARYING in width from one to SIX
miles. Timber of various kinds is found up
ON all the small streams. The cottonwood,
however, prevails to the greatest extent.-
There is no doubt were it not for the annual
burning of the praisies and the grass upon
the bottoms or valleys, the whole Platte val
lev would be covered with timber, as II is
where the fra could not reach that we now
find the oak, locust, cedar, and cottonwood,
and il has been fully demonstrated IN the va
rious western states that where the fire has
been kept off particular tract for three
years, q strong growth OF timber starts out,
and in ten or twelve years 1t is large enough
for posts, rails, Or general building purposes.
THE LAND GRANTS
of the Pacific road are the finest ever given
to railroad. One half the land for twenty
miles upon both sides, with the right to locate
as any point the amount they do not get on
the last end where the title is not in the gov
eminent.
This will make them the owners of the en-
tire valley after they get out beyond the sur
vey and located lands which probably 90 not
extend over 100 miles, for asl lands on the
then surveyed line ate Withdrawn from the
market. until they get what they desire.
So far they have 40 lands taken up,except
at whatever stations they needed for immedl-
ate use, aud In locating snsse at random they
are safs, for they will get the title whenever
they desire it, and the cities, towns, villages,
and farms are theirs to locate, to sell. and
build up.
THE TIMBER FOR RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.
When DR.. Durans announced, one year ago
that he wanted enc million of crossties for i'm,
mediate use, and three million in two years.
everybody laughed at the idea. ''They must
be had, ne replied. - viii have them" Eg-
cry source was applied &c. Soon one party
agreed TO furnish large lot, and another
los, but they we.e bringing in cottonwood, a
species Of tim bsr, like unto a pumpkin or Gu
cumber, which looked well enough, but had
the reputation for not being reliable over
night but the resources of man are as end
less as his desires are boundless. Bring on
YOUR cottonwood" said Dusaut, and up the
Missouri, and down the Missouri, out of
thousand raveres and CLUTCHES, rang the
sound cf the invaders axe, and soon came a
torrent Of ties tics Of oak, of cedar, and of
cottonwood.
'BURNETIziNG PROCESS
To make the latter available, an iron bJi-
Ter hundred feet long and five hundred feet
in diameter was brought into requiBitIon.-
Il was filled with ties, and the apersures
being closed q steam engine exhausted the
ai., which emptisd the pores of the wood,
perm eating the fbres, hardens the wood and,
In drying, gives it we'll nigh q metallic ap-
pearance and weight, which guarantees It's
durability for about twelve years.
EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND TIES
AND TELEGRAPH POLES
already have been laid by the company
10000 more must SO down ere the work
oeases for the winter--2. 500 to the mile, and
extra for sidings. For fuel, cottonwood was
bought for from 50 to So per cord at Omaha
and considerable was delivered on the line Of
she road fer pistsnce of ITS miles, ut prices
varying from SIS to $40 per cord Beyond
that point no wood or ties could be had until
a paius was reached, distant 225 miles
whore wood is again found on the Platte and
south of it, and hauled to the track for So
per cord for assorted kinds, and cross ties for
from 81 to Sl.50. Two hundred and 6Fty
miles from Omaha, and south of the Platte.
is found belt of red cedar about thirty miles
wide and twenty-five miles long From .hi,
the DOM pany have cut 100000 cedar cross
ties and telegraph poies-en enough for several
hundred miles, and probably enough to
reach the Rocky Mountains. This cedar
grows in oanons, where it ia most probable
that the wild fowl have dropped the seeds,
and, protected from fire, cold, bleak, piercing
winds, they have been nursed into life, and,
opca secnrino q foothoId aoop raared THAR