, 1866-11-24
Excursion to the Central Branch,
OF Atohi5on and Pixies
Peak Line,
THE KOAD-ITS DIRECTION AND
OhNECTlONS-THE COUNTRY
PASSED THROUGH,
Northern and Central Missouri and
hahsas-Topographical Sketches
and Facts.
Tie Trip and It's lncidents-Indians
at uomrrrairic Fires.
The Grcat Wcst-Its Character. Wants
and Resources.

In the year 1864 the American people decided
that snilroad shonli he huilt to connccs the At.
lsulic Slutcs with the Pacific coast. The trcnen-
dops development Of the State Of California had
already demonstrated 10 a people with whom,
more than WITH all others, time is money, il
would be cheapest 10 hui1d q railroad acscss the
continent, and they camc to the conclusion that
they could not Afford 10 20 round by ~ny Of Cape
Horn, 10 take the cutoff offered by the Straits Of
Magellan, nor even to patronixe tie Isthmus OF
Panama. And whcn, in addition to this, the In
terror Of ibis vast continent was found to be rich.
er In the precious metals thnn the gold mines OF
Ophir. and thousands of adventurous hearts and
willing hands went ont TO prospect, and
deNe. and pan ont In the fullics OF
the Territories, the need Of a railroad was even
more stringcnt1y felt. Sull again, when these
men gent and brought home the intelligence that
heavy machinery Was necessary to successfully
prosecute the search, then The demand for rail-
road became too urgent to be disTcgardcl; its
conetsu suclion was authorized by the Government,
aud provision made Cor aiding IN the ,TorA.
In the years 1852 and e; Congress pissed the
Union rasihc Ka!lEoad Laws, pfoviding for p?
uiNg east, to bp called .he Ccntral Pacdc ltaII-
,S saSh Sse Thssc are
City OF the ttSaihts " in 1S1i.
TIE C9ion Iastas 41s; 1sa!lsosa ptopss ean,mence.
from Grcetwch. In iaiitndc about faftS .,sscs
twenty minutes. cT about that Of Kcokn., on the
Ssr. lie orieila % iaw pro proyicd Do 10. 1sE. tbree
branches. wsfeh shon!d Connect with the main
line, AID s'an;ed subsidies, both in bonds and
Tranches arc: The 0maha Branch, popui,,jy
EnoWn as tie main iine; beIns Sasit % 4uasr he
1%o Branches arc The Atchso1, and ii. TX Kansas
Valley brsuchc5, Distinguished as lie CrntraiN
mud 'son!h :rn- - IN accordance with !hc acts
commenrrd at Kansas city lconneestne direct
,nu1r. lon" H., Ksnaas s3uer Fo1 ,1a9 anu t,t, nn
I'd ,Ern not,hwcst Sy north IN tha Rennhlicau
River, connecting wiih Inc Unioa Pacidc Railroad
a the 1uO;h parallel TIC Genital o. At:hison
se Nss5T
rec.ioM, strike The Southern pranch on ihc banl;s
q ths iiepaScan river, oae hundred miles i rom
popoEipg to bytla iLese several roads aud
branelts slou,tl Die thcis assent, With the msps
sc e rea,s S1n,S2 shose5 n Hs mannsal sd s M
s e %is e miles hs nss e s s
they tsns acquired were On % june ., lss;l trans.
icricd to tic sA.chisou l. Pixies Pcak RaiIroaa
Company" The Act of Judy j, ls5s, giving 10 tne
nannoaa S. SesspR co@p.ny, If lie q sis
| ihe bencoss Of he Pae,Sc Taiiroad Hct Vbev AZ
commenced to grade tic road ID The iaii Of lsss
hg 70 ss s s 4 Ma s 1ps sb.nt 5
sSSe per mjc pnia ~ to "a aoveIpmept aaoS Abopt M
oy @ e ssepd ssn s t
Government Commissioners. - NV
Re IT. ses ses;oa of Psm,sson s
led to pass westward hy he smoky nl,i ronta.
slS:sin: f. oas haadredta 1aerqss song nc niast;
o 81 onPR sas nas eaa
neeiion Of l50 miles bet seen hs Republican River
%ssi s Wien ea seatsea @ pSn s Gsa Sss
oso w sw q T. aTGTsh hs i
F. rss esi ey qny e. s S s e en sdaa: M m
Branch vii oe cal1ied: T. ''a'D- VI ''s 9'D'A''A
s9 s rss s ees tie Ss 3 & e7 | nov s np M IL
s5snn 5Sns 1ssp s d et e1s yssd /, Fs, y '9
ss IT, Ssess ssf1e aae St n'ss1 e. s aRs
En- saas 5 PosS ss S s. I 4 now ssnE saEd for ss ss
$ISS 9 n;ies VII r., ri M T. e portion & ,hs Pssiss
Indeed possttle ior them 10 bnHid lie extfa road @
SsSn o9 III ts L, aess allowance as that 'teds grant
crcss At lis nex session to cr4,t The snbsfdv rc-
siIGd TO- dhe e. G@Hmpan5 @ VII r9preset @ ~ ths iaes.
eonnsens Mssou | bs
.he eon;o m GEa noo ~. tna e o ~
Pssohe hoa m tor ha I,e tHe foao ss 9
m N &c o. = the SPs1an Hn
wee sacn II Ino nne, lor
thai 1Grs il much the most seItsblc 1oute as less
~ as a1ns ~ art9 ee M ~ Soh t
ehcS nS ot g, a so
aliel. y,s,r1,sc nnrn DOW =
The tccopdtstu uty I'M mile! 20 Of he Central Branch
being ecmpletvd, lie % Gosernmcns MI commiss nj Il sion. sion
ets went ont last week TO inspect # previous. 10
aae r. payment o. ne ennsdS o. S1S pss mite
"a i. Il smps3n. PRESIDENT Or TIC Cot2s ol Civil
EnEirssse at Nashlnstoa, Dr; y. n, White. OF
Ths ofdeefs and siessholdsrs otthe rod deemed
being done viii ihe money, and wha: S,nd Of a
eSealsioa ~ psty p' vas asS o1sanised, ~ xIeh iii
NcW York on tha morning Of
essas rhe assa
Chicago on Wednesday evening, and after spend.
Ing thursday in seeing tho siuts OF tho cry. left
tutlinston and Quincy, md The Hannibal and St.
Joseph hailsoaas. rue,.,-~
The party, when rk RhaIT; i1.a.1c,, Chicago, mum.
men and ladies'. Chief among them
were r. N. Pomcroy, Esq, Of Boston, the
President OF the Road; E1lngham q. Nichols
Esq. The 1rtasurer; and E. b. Phillips. Esq.
President Of the Michigan Southern anl Northefr
Indiana Railroad, and one Of the Directors Of the
Atchison aud Pixies Peak Railroad Company
! The company consisted chiefly oi toljd busiues;
men. moi specnlators, and their wives, to most o
whem journey to the West was q real treat, Is Il
| was q genuine noyeltg Tho following arc thf
names. ~ '
Bostou-R. NJ. pomrrov .nd Wifi Charlie:
II. Allen mud 1sifc W H.' GnrInT
and wifi Rev +. r Wcb,, r. n and .yiSes