Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-11-15
The Union Pacific Railroad
All Rail to the Rocky Mount
aims.

5
: duStrial enterprise so important as iii
: building of railway to the Pacific oceal
q Less than twenty years a@o. Col. Bcuto
} advocated in Congress railroad, "wher
: practicable. across the country from III,
MissiSs pri to the Pacific co st; but hi
moderate proposal was considered to b
: far In advance even ofthiS progress sive age
And yet to-day. more than onc-third of TIL
vast work has been finished. The In
a.. ion Pacific Railroad Company. organic
ed in 1865. began to build in lSGi, la,
only fairly got to WORK in 1855, and il
October, 1867, have completed live hun
bred miles of road which has been pro
nouuecd by Government Commissioner
first-elass in construction and equip
mcat. This Company is constructing the
eastern end OF the line, beginning at oma
In. Nebraska; while the Central Pacific
Company is building the western end, be.
ginning at Sacramento. California.
The peculiar Impressive features Of the
Pacific Railroad are: lst. It's Importance
Is u national enterprise; 2d, The especial
privileges granted to it b. the Govern
meHt; and Sd, The unusual care taken by
Government enactmeHtS Ior the safety OF
Investment in lis securities.
Tie national Importance of railroad to
The Pacific can hardly be oyerestimated.-
I The Government is spending millions OF
dollars annually ia tran, pc sting men and
material 70 its frontier posts; with rail-
road ia operation. this expense will be re-
dnced at least thrcc-faurths. The gold
and silver mines Of the Western States and
I Territories yield annually about one hun
drcd million dollars; ilh the increased
facilities lof emigration. and for transport
in9 the requisite machinery for the thor
oHgh development OF the mining region
ton VIII be at least doubled. The public
land, in Nebraska, and in the Territories
West Of thai Stat, have beea compare
lively worthless, because they were inac-
ccs>i5ie, aad, consequently, nmproductiyc
the Union Pacific railroad opens all the
great valley of tGc River Platte and vast
re2io4, beyond t. the occupancy OF thrifty
emf grants. aad has already established
sueh i succession o! thriving towns as will
bring all Land in the vicinity OF the rail
read il..o active deila d. In case OF for
| eign war or domestic revolution. the exis-
tcnce OF railway line, by which troops
could be conveyed from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, OF rtce rersu, in II week, would be
ft 4 ltl,l al,
circumstances Of Internal trouble. ncces>i
taiing a repetition in Kind OF the Utah eX
petition, the saving to the Government by
means OF this road would be enough tC
construct the entire line. gen Sherman
has sad that " The Government could al
ford to build the whole road rather thar
be without it. and there are abundau
, reasons tor pronouueing this opinion
. soUad one.
: so great are the manifest national al
yantageS 10 be derived from Pacific Rail
road. that the two powerful companies AT,
, fhorzed 10 build it received very cXtraor
binary grant, from Congress. Donation
f OF land were made TO the companies 10 tn
, United States bonds, TO the average amour
, of ABOUT $4,000 per mile. were advance,
. to the Companies which have the priviicg
, of paving large pant. if not all Of thi
Indebtedness to the Government, by tn,
. transportation OF mails and war and othei
national material. No other industrial en-
torprisc ever received 50 liberal aid from
. the Government as this.
: Having made such special grants rs in
, die.tcd its entire confidence in the FIJI
/ success Of the undertaking, the Govern
, meat took unusual care that those VIII
Q Joined with ii in assisting the Union Pa
cifc Railroad Company should be amply
, secured against any probability OF loss o
, failure. The Company was authorized L
issue its own bonds to an amount equal +
= the advances of tn Government. and thes
bonds constitute the first mortgage upol
! the road. the claim of the Government be
t ing made a second lien. The Government
+ appoints five Directors, who shall loo'
+ carefully after the management of tn
road and also three commissioners, who's
duty it is to thoroughly inspect each sec
, ton Of twenty miles, before the bonds ca
be issued upon that section. Thus tn
| bonds represent. not a projected entcrnris
r which my be completed, but q fiuishe
and equipped railroad, earning very large
: L. in excess of its expenses, and with
| future which cannot fail OF being eminent
~ profitable.
The future business of the only railroa
connecting the Atlantic and Pacific state
/ must be something marvellous, and W
venture the prediction that no single tract
will long accommodate the endless sue
eession of trains that will crowd its entir
| linc. Western Europe is waiting for 1t
rs the shortest route 10 Eastern Asia; am
how many anxious hearts in the old HON
a states are longing for it, to join hands wit
friends and relatives, without the cost an
, risk Of long. dreary and dangerous voy
G age in 4 crowded steamer along tw
oceans.
= But if the bush of the complete
/ line is to be something marvellous. the 10
] cal business on the sections already finish
: ell is not less satisfactory. The earning
on three hundred and twenty-five miles 70
} a single quarter this season are ofiiciall
reported at one million dollars, and rs til
road goes further toward the great min
ft... 10. 4