The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-01-02
Omaha aud George Pranei. Train.

"A. d. r." of the Tribune is on his travels
again and furnishes the following lively sketch
oithe growth ofOmaha and the rise aud prog
ress OF George Francis Train:
From 1857 TO 1864 Omaha had hard strug-
gle. but the great Pacific Railroad has in
FUSED wonderful vigor, and to-day the little
capital oil Nebraska Is the liveie.t city in tue
United States The railway COMPANY Las
erected an immense bricK car house. engine
house, ana machine shops, ana nye or six
hundred buildings have gone up this season.
One prlck block mas cost slUU,UUU. Streets aro
being graded, sidewalks are throngeu with
returned gold-seekeri, discharged soldiers,
farmers selling produce, speeuIators, Indians.
and all the strange phases OF border lie. The
popuiat!on is e,OOU. Single grocery houses
are doing business of han a miiiion dollars
per year; and neariy all the pioneer merchants
ana bankers have made iorLunes. lhe rail-
road disburses quarter OF a million dollars
per month. Times are flush, and property
holders sangulne Business lots sci. at rom
$1,000 10 5000. Some enthusiastic residents
expect very soon to see here another Chicago,
Omaha VIII not be ali their fancy paints her,
out she has great future, and will become a
metropolitan city. 4he potential iron horse
settles the fate OF these Western towns, and
several important railways now buiiding con-
verge at this point.
lwo great companies have been organized
after the French mode. L. The Credit Mobii-
er, composed OF the capitalists WHO are build
ing the Pacific Rairoad. Gen. Dix Is Presi-
dent or the road. L. q. Durant, President of
Inc Credit Mobilier, and VicePresident and
sole Contractor Vi the road, furnishes the ener-
ey and most OF the brains ior this stupenaous
National enterprise. Ii. The Circuit fon-
chief-George Francis Train, President--or-
ganIzed lor aealing IN lands and stocks-ior
building the cities along the ine from the MIS-
sourI 10 Salt Lake. This corporation has
been clothed by the Nebraska Legislature
with nearly every power imaginable, save that
OF r.eoHStruetng Inc late heDel otates. 1t Is
erecting neat cottages In Omaha, each costing
Sl,loO, ana renting Tor S25 per month. IL has
also made heavy purchases OF land at Colum-
bus and other points west.
Mr. Train owns personally about 500 acres
in Omaha, which cost HIM only 81, rs per acre
"a most promising Investment. lie Is no.
ticeab.e, original American, who has crowd
ed wonderful aid varied experiences into his
snort lie. An orph an boy employed to sweep
the counting-room, he rose TO Tue head OF u
great Boston shipping house, then este Oiished
branch In Liverpool next organized aud
conducted h2ayy commission business In
Australia, and astOnished his nelghbors in that
era OF fabulous prices with brussels carpets
gnu IOuutciS u Itc ldlupelgn
Iun ,heon daily In his business otiice After
ward he maue cncuit of the ~ ord, wrote
books OF travel, fought British Conservatism
and preJudices against street railways, occu-
pyln3 MS leisure Dy merry and audaclous Amer
Ican war speeches. 10 our 1siand cousins, until
ne spent hrs fortune and enjoyed the delights
OF a month in British prison. Inenee ne
returned 10 America, and lectured everywhere,
cnampionIIio lie enlaiis ana Ials III, ,tue wnole
liiSh race. 1t Is saId the AtlanLIc and GIeat
WeSteii hallway company pald nim SiOUUUO
iOf CERTAIN hnanctai Negotiations abroad.
Now he Is trying to buIid bet OF etties
across the conGinent--a magnn cent PROJECT,
@hetner It succeeds OF not. CuIionsiy COM
Dihin5 e5I saSaeIGy WiLn Wild enthusiasm, q
man WHo mlsnt nave built the pyramids, Or
Deen conlined III a stlai9nt jacKeG Ior lIs &C.
cehtiIciIlSS, according 10 tne a5e he Ilgeu III,
ne observes dlyiy that since Me Desan 70 maze
money people no longer pronounce ann crazy.
ne says CnIca5o ana san FRANCISCO nave
more ~Inen or Dlaias than any osnCf city IA
the word--"men wno wJaid Know wnat 10 do
IN an eathquase, nre, or sDipwree4' "a
dennitlon oi Dfains woftay oi rOsc0. he
drinks no spiEltS; uses no toDacco; taiks on Lae
stump like an enDodied NIasasa, eomposes
songs 10 order oy the hour, as lasL as lie can
sInS them, ilee an ltaiIan tlpFOetSdt0re re-
memDer5 every droil story, IroIn Joe Miner to
ArtelDu5 ard; is q born actor; Is intense.y
Ia earnest, and has the mOst absolute anu
outspoken faitn in himself ana his 1utaIe.