Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-06-06
THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
FROM OMAHA, NEBRASKA.
what has been done, and when it viii be
Finished.

what has been done, and when II viii be
| Finished.
| No great enterprise was ever begun
about which so little has been said and
so much has been done. The public have
n vague idea that railroad Is being built
from somewhere In the East to some
where in farther West than rail-track
has ever before been laid but where 1t
begins, or what route 1t follows, or where
it is to end, we venture to assert, not one
in thousand can tell.
For q dozen years we have heard that
great Pacific Railroad Wds TO be built,
and dozen names and dozen compa-
nies, and adozen nroutes--fromt the South
ern boundary of Texas to the Northern
boundary of Lake Superior-have been
urged upon Congress as the greatest ana
best means for uniting the Atlantic and
Pacific shores. Bubble after buggle was
blown, and each burst in turn when
touched by the sharp point of practical
experience.
The absolute necessity for Pacific
Railroad to retain and bind more closely
! together the Eastern and Western ex-
tremes of the continent in one great
United and Pacific country, the inn
mense cost Of government transportation
TO its frontier and Rocky Mountain posts,
and the even greater cost OF Indian wars,
| in a region that nothing but railroad
could civilize, and nothing but civiliza-
: ton could pacify,-the great importan ce
: of opening q road to the rich gold and
silver mines of the Rocky and Sierra n e.
. vada Mountains, so that the way to the
: resumption of specie payments might be
, made shorter and easier,-all these 1Oru-
dentiat reasons finally pressed with such
! weight upon Congress, that 1t determih-
! ed that the road should be made. There
4 were, indeed, many others: two thou
: sand miles of additional territory would
" be opened for settlement; vast bodies OF
!, landnow Valueless would be made produc-
tive: the tide of business and travel that
u now winds "a tedious and dangerous way
: along the borders of two oceans, would
o be increased tcn-fold; and how would
, the fathers in the East strike hands with
= their sons and daughters at the Golden
! Gate, if they could only be borne on the
- wings of the locomotive!
g The imperative need of the work was
>, admitted, out it was too vast for individ
ual enterprise to attempt. No combina
ton of private capitalists was willing t.
& risk hundred million dollars In thu
construction of 1000 miles OF railroad
In through wilderness. AS the underta
!" king was strictly national, so no powe
II less than that of the nation was sum
III cient to accomplish it; and larg
pt MS the cost necessarily would be
. the expenditure would save u mucl
greater cost to the country.* Bu
the Government did not wish to ente
, upon a new system of internal improve
IL ments on its own account; and It's onl
Mt alternative was to grant its ala III IN
m most careful manner to such responsibl
- individuals of suitable character and en-
= ergy as might be willingto risk portiol
u of their private means in the construt
e, ton of the road.
" THE CoMpANY's CHARTER AND ROUTE
IL This charter was granted and perfect
IN ed by various acts of Congress, and tn
i'll Company comprises men of the highes
no reputation for integrity, wealth, and bu
-, siness experience. Among the officer
i'S are General John A. Dix, Presiden
he Thomas G. Durant, Vice-President, an
Hon. John j. Cisco, late Assistant Ireas
,is urer of the United States, Treasurer.
40 The Capital authorized by the Chart'
he IL One Hundred Million Dollars, of Whic
lls ii Is estimated that not exceeding Twel
cit ty-Five Millions will be required, ana I
10 which Five millions have already bee
',o paid in.
'ta Surveying parties were ut once pushe
is out in various directions across the col
ttnent to find and locate the best avail;
w. bile line between the Missouri River an
~ Pacific Ocean. This was established I
res Omaha, in Nebraska, on the East, an
will finally be Mt San Francisco, In Ca
ifornia, on the West-a distance of nea
A. ly 900 miles. The Chicago and Nortl
ne western Railroad IL now completed fro
u | 10 N 1iStnnrH
49,, miles and several other roads are rapi
"" ly building to unite with the Union i
sh- cific ut the same point; 80 that its Eas
icy ern connections will be numerous al
,ti- complete.
:. The general line of the road fro
u'' Omaha Is West up the Valley or u
Lhe Great Platte, and thence across the plai
to n distance of SIT miles, to the Bla'
ear Hills, or Easterly spur of the Rock
nu Mountains. Col. Seymour, the Consul
vi ing Engineer, reports that the grade
AS much more favorable than was anticip
lgh ted-the maximum to the Rocky Mou
sxt tains not exceeding 80 feet TO the mil
| 20. and from that point to the summit,
ao' divide of the continent, 1t will not
the ceed so feet to the mile. From the Rocl
ire, Mountains, the practicable route VIII
hy taken to Great Salt Lake City, al
~ thence by the Valley of the Humbol
River to the Eastern base ofthe Sier
Nevada Mountains. The Central Paci
-. Railroad Is now being rapidly built Ei
IN from Sacramento, CAL, and is alrea
yes completed about 100 miles, and will CO
lor, meet with the Union Pacific.
ong WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND IT'S COS
As we remarked before, there has be
eral very little talk, and great deal of wol
but Almost before the public We're aware
had been begun. On the First of Jan
ave airy, 1867, the Union Pacific Railro
erts was finished for 305 miles West fr'
any Omaha, and fully equipped with Lo
motives, Rolling. Stock, Repair Sho
Depots, Stations, &c.-and the Compa
,do- have on hand Iron, Ties, and other n
~" terials, sufficient to finish the road to
epy Rocky Mountains, or 5l7 miles fr'
by Omaha, by the first of September, Is
first IL Is expected that the whole L
rho through to California will be compile
in 1870.
'dge The first 305 miles were graded, bri
The ed and ironed, with heavy Trail, q
hon supplied with suitable Depots, Rer
Shops Stations Locomotives, Cars, 1