, 1867-07-19
North Platte and The Pacido RaIl,o,d.

The following is from the letter Of cores
poudent of the New York Tmes:
The town of North Platte, where we speut last
night, is a fair specimen of the settlements
which spring up with such rapidity along the
newly constructed line of travel in the westsrn
country. 1t is at present the terminus of pas
senger travel over the Uniou Pacific, and the
overland stages make it their starting point for
Denver and California. A few weeks ago not A
house had been built there; now there are over
hundred buildings, nearly all of them hastily
constructed shautes but there is a well built
"nd well Kept hotel. Just at present there is an
accumulation of freight aud a congregation of
passengers al North PHtte ia CONSEQUENCES OF the
dePredations by the Indians upon the overland
route and the suspension of travel. Among
those whose progress westward is thus arrested
are Few respectable people, including the Unit
eo states Judge of the Denver District, but b7
lar the larger part Of the floating population is
maze up OF desperadoes, who spend their time
10 gambling OF all kinds, from cards to keno
ana iaro. Day and night the "saloopsp are in
iull blast, and sums of money varying from five
collars TO hfty, and even oIe hundred. change
hands With rapitity astonishing to one who is
'' uot sccustomed to the recklessness which this
wild frontier life invariably begets. To-day. the
hr't number of the frontier Hadsr, a semi,weekly
paper was issued At North Platte. IL is A small
out sPrlghtly sheet and the advent of the sena
torlai excursionists sgnalized its first appear-
ance very happily.
Leaving North Platte about Q clock this NOR.
nlng the train reached the present terminus oftbe
iHirosq AT noon. Gen. Augur, with two compa-
mes oil Pawnees, who have been mustered ont of
the service, and belong to a regiment commanded
oy MAJOR North, an experienced frontersman,
were at this point awaiting General Sherman's
arrival, to proceed to Forts Mcpherson and Lar
anne They received their distinguished guests
with all the honors, providing an ambulance in
Wnlch to take the ladies to camp and Offering
al the members of the party, with Senator
Chandler at their head aud under a sufficient
escort, at once started for a horseback ride to
the BUNS, distant a couple of miles from the
camp, while others proceeded to inspect the
operations of track >layinr
Ihe Messrs. Easement, who have this section
OF the road under contract, are both Young men.
and they are prosecuting their work with an
energy which has never before been witnessed |
In the history of railroad construction in this
or any country. When over two miles of rail |
road track Is laid in single day, aud that too |
through a district so remote as This from the |
great commercial ceuters il is we'll worth while |
10 know just how it is DONE From Omaha the /
rslls are taken to the front" upon the ordinary |
platform cars, and there they are transferred TO |
smaller cars. One or two gangs of mon are |
assigned to this work, and when a small car is |
ioaueu WIN specihed number of rails as well |
as with its share of spikes and "chsirs, =" it is
drawn by horses TO the extremity of the track |
",i e"dy laid. Then tn, 90 or fnr- ,~!.. %.
places on opposite sides of the car, and each
seizng rail puts it in its place, securing the
end in the "chairs" which have been previously |
distributed. Other workmen follow with sledges |
and spike down the chairs, and others still |
spike the rails themselves to the ties Large |
gangs of men quite a distance in advance of |
these working parties grace the track aud dis
tribute the ties, while other gangs follow some
distance behind, leveliug mp and ballasting the
track. The marvellous rapidity with which the
work is done, inevitably produces the impression
upon those who have not themselves inspected
the operation and witnessed its results, that it
must be very imperfectly performed but this is
not at all the case We have ourselves to day
ridden over the two miles and quarter of track, 1
part of which we saw laid yesterday, aud it is
quite as smooth as the majority of our eastern
railways. In fact, the three hundred and fifty
miles of trek from the Missouri river westward,
has only had such repairs since it was first put
down as all roads receive. 1t would be impos-
sible, as a matter of course, to make such rapid
progress through any other than perfectly fiat
country, but the fact that such surface has
been found certainly make it appear if Prov
idence had specially prepared the continent that
its eastern and western shores might be con-
nected bv railway lines.