The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-16
A BELT ACRssS the CsariNEHT.
The Union Paoine RailrOad-An Into-
resting History.

dredth parallel OF longitude, has written q full
account of the road, which is OF such interest
that we COPY the material pats. II should be
premised that another Pacific Railroad is in
rapid progress due west from Kansas City, two
hundred miles south of the Platte Valley route,
descrlbed below. This lower route is the one in
which ST. Louis has the most interest, as 1t Is an
extension of the Pacific Railroad OF MISSOURI.
The directors OF each of these roads are striving
vigorously TO reach the mountains with their
tracks before the other.
The Republicdn's correspondent says:-
ROUTE OF THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The Union Pacific Railroad, commencing at
Omaha. follows the valley of the Platte river
for five hundred and fifty miles, or to the base
of the Rocky Mountains. Omaha, upon the
Missouri river, is nine hundred and sxty-eight
(barOmeter) feet above the level OF the sea.
ore mouth OF the Platte Is fifteen miles below
Omaha, and to reach the Platte valley the ROAD
makes detoUr niue miles southwest ana Gheh
follows the natural valley formed by this river
Partaking OF the nature OF prairie the Valley,
as it extended westward, has been 1Or many
years considered an arid plain. III covers an
area of about five thousand square miles, ana
varies in width from three to twenty miles,
North of the valley the country IS rolling
prairie, gradually decreasing in fertility as 1t
extends northwesterly to the brltsh provinces
where the intense rigor and length OF the win
ter and the sandy soil have almost entirely de-
stroyed all vegetable life.
The railroad follows the north bank of the
Platte Tor three hundred miles, and then crosses
the North Fork, and keeps up the north side of
the South Fork to its headwaters at the foot of
the Rocky Mountains There are but five
bridges of any size until the Rocky Mountains
are reached The first is over the Ekhorn, one
hundred miles east of Omaha, and is a truss
bridge of the most approved pattern, built upon
stone piers, that Will last for halt-a-doZen cen
turies. Similar bridges have been built over
Swell creek, the Loup Fork, the Wood river,
and the North Fork.
No streams of any size dow into the Platte
from the south side, the natural tendency of all
streams OF this valley being to run southwark.
No attempt has ever been made to navigate the
Platte, or to improve it for navigation. 1t is
rapid stream, spread over very large surface OF
ground, very shallow, and yet so full of quick
sands as to render it unfordable. Its 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 mandates its banks. Its
rise and fall is limited to six inches. The water
is never clear, but of a muddy, sandy character,
caused by the washing of its banks.
For practical illustration it may be said that
the Platte, rising in the west, runs west to its
-nouth, in the Missouri river. Its tributaries
rise in the north OF northwest, and, running
southeast, empty into the Platte. Its southern
tributaries, Skull and Salt creeks, have clear
water aud rocky bottoms. 1t will be seen that
mature has laid out the whole Platte valley into
little valleys bisected with rivers and creeks at
various intervals, and lined the river banks
with the richest bottoms or valleys, covered with
an alluvial soil and varying IN width from one
TO six miles. Timber of various kinds is found
upon all the small streams. The cottonwood,
however, prevails to the greatest extent. There
is no doubt, were il not for the annual burning
of the pralries and the grass upon the bottoms
or valleys, the whole Platte valley would be
covered with timber, as t is where the fire could
not reach that we now find the oak, locust,
demonstrated in the various Western States that
where the fire has been kept off a particular
tract for three years, strong growth of timber
starts ont, and in ten or twevelt is large enough
for posts, rails or general building purposes.
POPULATION OF NEBRASKA.
Over two-thirds of the population of Nebrask
lie south of the Platte valley, and the largest
portion along the Missouri rlver. Out of ifty
members of the Territorial Legislature, over
thirty are elected south of the Platte.
The line of travel opened by the emigrants
starting out from Omaha to cross the PLAINS to
the gold mines of Colorado, the Mormon
harems Of Utah, and to the Pacific coast, have
induced many farmers or ranChemen to settle
along the wagon trail OF the overland route.
THESE found ready market for their corn and
cattle IN the emigrants, and later in the mining
regions Of Colorado, which raised nothing 10
feed themselves. The Indians and the wolves
have for many years reigned supreme on the
route, and it was necessary for emigrants 10
travel in large bodies for self-protection, and
for ranchemen to fortify themselves and build
stockades for their cattle. These disadvan-
tages but few We're willing to meet, and conse-
quently we now find settlers so rare upon these
millions of fertile acres.
LAND GRANTS.
The land grants of the Pacific Road are The
hnest ever given to a arailroad:-One-half the
land for twenty miles upon both sides, with the
right to locate at any point the amount they dC
not get on the last end, where the title is no
now in the Government.
This will make them the owners of the entir
valley after they get out beyond the surveyor
and located lands, which probably do not exten
over one hundred miles tor all lands on the the
surveyed hne are withdrawn from the maTke
until they get what they desire.
So far, they have no lands taken up except a
whatever stations they needed for immedat
use, and in locating these at random they ar
safe, for they will get the title whenever the
desire ii, and the cities, towns, villages, am
farms are theirs to locate, to sell, and to bull
up. Durant can literally say, as he rides on
with his iron horse into the wilderness an,
startles the Indian from his lair,''I am monarc
of all | survey; my rights there are none
dispute
TIMBER FOR RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.
When DR.. Durant announced, one year age
that he wanted one million of cross-tes for in
mediate use, and three millions in two years
everybody laughed at the idea. "They must
had" he replied. "I will have them.r Ever
source was applied to. Soon one party agree
to furnish a large lot and another a lot, bU
they were bringing in cottonwood, a species {
timber like unto a pumpkin or a mbel
which looked well enough, but had a reputatio
tor not being reliable over night; but the II
sources of man are as endless as his desires al
boundless Bring on your cottonwood - sal
Durant, and up the Missouri, and down the Mi
souri,, out of a thousand ravines and gulChe
rang the sound of the invaders axe, and 500
came a perfect torrent of tles-ties OF oak, {
cedar, and of cottonwood.
TIE "BURNETIzING PROCESS"