The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-02-02
Pacific RallrOn6.

ting its mineral and agricultural production.
Not only our own Eastern states, but all
Europe gain an outlet for their surplus popu-
la;ion:, sufficient to rid them Of all the evils
of overcrowding. \ new continent is opened
! teemirg with riches wholly beyond conspu;a-
ton. inviting development.
Since the passage Of the bill through con-
gress in 1868, giving effective aid to this
enterprise, the Pacific railroad has hardly
received thought from the public. 1t has
! been understood that engineers have been
surveying the route. and that both at the
eastern and western end work has been COM
WILL We imagine, be surprised to learn that
nearly six hundred miles OF the road have
already been built, and are traversed to-day
BIZ the iron horse. Also that, at the present
rate Of progress, IN less than three years
from this time, :. man can 90 from New
York City TO San Fra cisco between two
! SUNDAYS; that Salt Lake City will be a
accessible to the deniZens OF Ottawa rs New
Yosk City and th..t trip to the Pacific
coast will involve 4 little matter of four or
five days. y few years ago It hal a strange
sound to hear the brakeman 1T Chicago cry
! out, Passengers for Cleveland and Buffalo
change cars" But will it not be stranger t,
become, within Il matter Of three years. IA
miliarized with brakemen's calls like these ::
Missouri River. Passengers for L,avce-
worth and GalventOn change cars - Salt
Lake twenty minutes for dinner, Passen-
gers for Benton and British Columbia change
cars :" "San Francisco, Passengers for
Honolulu and Hong Kong take the steamers
at O'Clock Baggage checked through to
Pekin. Calcutta, and all points in Asia and
Australia -
The Union Pacific Railroad. when COM
the expansion looking eastward. Two rival
cities, or sections, are contending for the
trade that must accumulate at the eastern
extremity of tie main line. One IS rcpre>
scented by Chicago, whence a-Iinc now tra>
verses Illinois and Iowa to Omaha. Thence
the road will be continued to q point Oh the
Laramie p!ains-say 800 miles west OF O.na-
ha, 10 miles east o. Denver, where it meets
the eastern extremity of the main line. The
other Is represented br ST Louis. whence 4
line ls already built By state aid and private
enterprise to the junction with the southern
branch of the Pacific road at Kansas City.
Thence the road passes uF the Kansas river
70 Fort Riley, and thence following the
Smoky Hill Fork proceeds northwesteriy to
the junction 100 miles east of Denver. The
work thus Tar, at this end has been confined
to these rival tines of the bi. fork, OF letter
7. The northern, or Chicago tine, during
the past wear, has been extended to little
berond North Plat station, Z distance OF
: 305 milas west of Omaha. The southern. or
+ ST. Louis tine. is finished to the 10Th mile
! Post and graded to the 200.h mia Posi-
about 70 miles beyond Fort Riley, ard the
road is under contract to the 38j:h mile
post, which is within 200 miles of the juno
I ton with the northern branch.
At the estern, or California; end, tha road
, has been prosecuted with even tnore vigor
than at this end bat until the Sierra Neva>
/ da is passed, the difficulties to encounter are
50 gigantic. that less distance has been ac-
/ complishei. The road is however in run,
min. order from San Francisco TO Cisco, q
point 80 miles beyond Sacramento, 40 miles
from the starting point, and up to within p
! miles Of the snow be-! Of the Sierra Nevada.
y c aifornia paper says:
/ The section of railroad within the snow
! belt Is . wonderful inouuma u, of eneryv AMI
( engineering skill. and the region through
I which IL passes is a succession Of the grand,
, est scsnes thu Sisrra can afford. There ere
through Grzzle HI, ak hundred fee;
/ long; and the other through the ridge ;hat
divide; the waters of the American fro N
those of the Yabl. At Emigrant Gap. only
7 TIRES hundred and ffly lee, in length. The
/ ijue has been sklliallY run that the ascent
is accom- pushed by cuts. emhankmeu,s, and
blasting road bed in tha solid rock Of tie
mountain side.
Similar difficulties will doubtless have TO
b. encountered and overcome at this end in
passing the Rocky Mountains but once
through the great barriers al the two ends,
and the work across the plains viii proceed
wiki great-rapia.ty.
! From the starting point east Of Denver,
the main track will cross the Rocky Nouns
tains and strstcl to ths valley ami city Of
Great Sal: Lake. Westward of Salt Lake it
VIII follow the course OF tia Hunt, ldt river,
and. reaching the Eastern boundary of
California, will meet The 81 Central Pacific
Z abroad. tile progress of which we have
mentioned above, and on 1t cross the Neva>
I da to San Francisco.
/ The total distance from New York to San
| Francisco will be 29JS miles, which, at the
usual average speed of railroads in the
country, : passenger train will prss over in
less than six days. 1t IS confidently believe
that the entire road will be in operation As
early as the sun mer of 1919. Tnc complies
ten of this magnificent enterprise will be an
, epoch IN American history, and a bond Of
union between wi iely separated regions of
! country.
HOSPITAL FOR THE Ixs,SE-Th2 biennial
I report of the officers Of the Illinois Hospital
for the Insane has bean laid b lfore the Legs
stature. IL is an able AMI interesting docu ::
ment, exhibiting the coalition. usefulness