Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-11-15
From the Chicago Republican, Nov. 3
THE UNION PACIFIC RAIL
ROAD.

ROAD
The Union Pacific railroad, commencing
at Omaha, follows the valley of the Platte
river for $50 miles, or to the base of the
Rocky Mountains. Omaha, upon the Mis-
souri, river, is 998 (barometer) feet above
the level Of the sea. One mouth of the
Platte is Is miles below Omaha, and to
reach the Platte valley the road makes q
detour nine miles to the southwest, and then
follows the natural valley formed by this
river. Partaking of the nature Of prai-
RE, the valley, as it extends westward, has
been for many years considered an arid
plain. r. It. covers an area OF about 5,OOO
square miles. and varies in width from three
to twenty miles. North of the valley the
country is rolling prairie, gradually in
creasing in fertility. as 1t extends north
- westerly to the British Possessions, where
the intense rigor and length Of the winter,
and the sandy soil, have almost destroyed
ali vegetable life.
The railroad follows the north bank Of
the Platte for three hundred miles, and then
crosses the north fork and keeps up the
north side of the south fork to its head wa
tiers at the foot Of the Rocky Mountains
There are but Eve bridges of any size until
the Rocky Mountains are reached. The
first is over the Elkhorn, one hundred miles
east of Omaha, and is truss bridge Of the
most approved pattern, built upon Stone
river, that will last for half dozen centu
ries. Similar bridges have been built over
Shell creek, the Loup Fork, the Wood river,
and the North Fork.
No streams Of any size flow into the Platte
from the south side, the natural tendency
of all streams Of this valley being to run
northward. No attention has ever been
made to navigate the Platte, or to improve
it for navigation. 1t is rapid stream,
spread over a very large surface Of ground,
very shallow, yet SO full Of quieksands as
to render it unfordable. Its banks are con-
tinually changing from side to side, owing
to the washing Of the sand, as In the Mis-
souri,. 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 mouth, in the Missouri
river. Its tributaries rise in the North or
Northwest, and, running Southeast, empty
into the Platte-the same muddy, sulien
streams as the Platte. It's southern trinu-
tariss. Skull, and Salt creeks, have clear
water and rocky bottoms.
1t will be seen that nature has laid out
the whole Platte valley into little valleys
belted with rivers and creeks ct various IN
tervals, 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
oil tt,oc o} if,aa
tonwood, however, prevails to the greatest
extent. There is no doubt were it not for
the annual burning of the prairies and the
grass upon the bottoms or valleys, the
whole Platte valley would be covered with
timber, as it is where the fire could not
reach that we low find the oak, locust, &C.
dar, and cottonwood, and ii has been fully
demonstrated in the various Western States
that where the fire has been kept off
particular tract for three years, strong
growth of timber starts out, and in ten or
twelve years it is large enough for posts,
rails, or general building purposes.
THE LAND GRANTS
of the Pacific road are the finest ever given
to arailroad One half the land for twenty
miles upon both sides, with the right to To-
cate at any point the amount they do not
in the Government.
This will make them the owners of the
entire valley after they get out beyond the
surveyed and located lands which probably
do not extend over 100 mills, for all lands
on the then surveyed line are withdrawn
from the market, until they get what they
desire. rIts ae.i4s .t
So far, they have no lands taken up. ex-
OF hof otto cd cd or
immediate use, and in locating these at
random they are safe, for they will get the
title whenever they desire it, and the cities,
towns, villages, and farms are theirs to 10
cate, to sell, and build up.
TIMBER FOR RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.
When DIR. Durant announced, one year
ago, that he wanted one million of cross
ties for immediate use, and three million In
two years, everybody laughed at the idea
"They must be had" he replied. 81 will
have them" Every source was applied to.
Soon one party agreed to furnish q large
lot, and another lot, but they were bring
ing in cottonwood, species of timber, like
unto pumpkin or cucumber, which looked
well enough, but had q reputation for not
being reliable over night; but the resources
of man are as endless as his desires are
boundless. s'Bring on your cottonwood y
said Durant, and up the Missouri, and down
the Missouri, out of thousand ravines and
gulches, rang the sound of the invaders
axe, and soon came perfect torrent of
ties; ties of oak, of cedar, and of cotton
wood.
BURNETIZING PROCESS"
To make the latter available, an iron
boiler hundred feet long and Eve hundred
feet in diameter was brought into requisi-
ton. 1t was filed with ties, and the aper-
lures being closed, q steam engine exhausted
the air, which emptied the pores of the
wood, when solution of zinc wa injected,
which, permeating the fbres, hardens the
wood, and in drying, gives it well nigh a
metallic APP earanee and weight, which
guarantees its durability for about twelve
years.
EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND TIES
AND TELEGRAPH POLES
already have been laid by the Company
10000 more must go down ere the work
ceases fer the winter, 800 to the mile,
and extra for sidings For fuel cotton
wood was bought for from IS to So per
cord at Omaha; and considerable was
delivered on the line Of the road for a dis
lance Of IT'S miles, at prices varying from
~" W SAo PEI coGu- Deyonu that poIAt Ao
wood or ties could be had Gutil q point was
reached. distant 225 miles. where wood is
again found on the Platte and south Of it,
and hauled to the track for SIS pea cord for
assorted kinds, and cross-ties for from ST
to $3.50. Two hundred and fifty miles from
Omaha, and south Of the Platte, is found a
belt of red cedar about thirty miles wide
and twenty-five miles long. From this, the