Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-07-12
FROM THE GREAT PLAINS.
HO,O the Uaion Pacidc Railroad is Dui7t.

Ho,O the Uaion Pacific Railroad is Ju;lt
An intelligent correspondent Of th'
CincinnoG Gozette has written very in
teresting letter, showing the manner il
which this last wonder OF the century il
being completed. He says:
There is nothing connected with th,
Union Pacific Railroad that is net wonder
i'ul. The possibility of constructing such
road ut some future day has leng loom
ed up as Que Of the events vi grandeI
future which all believed was to coue foI
the land. To look upon SO much of il ac.
complished, to watch the marvellous pro
gress of each day, and feel sure that the
great enterprise which we had consigned
TO the future of our dreams, is to be re
ality for US, makes one plouder Of the no
bic days in which we Il La one seuse
the road il us great ai a ievement as the
war. aud as grand triu oh to those who
have seen much of the fJfmer and look ed
from this point upon the unfoldings Of
the latter, they appear equally impressive.
What the country has dreamed about for
many years is becoming u reality much
faster than the people know One year
ago, but forty miles were finished this
morning We look back from cur traiu over
days rapid lun, and forward sixty miles
Tonight, three additional miles Of rail
will mark the track of the days nd
vance.
Our party left the depot at Omaha a.
Q o'clock ou the morning of the Sd inst.
The station; ;house, and The common pas
senger cars, were better than those on The
roal from Washington to New York
those who have been So unfortunate as to
make the latter trip will all hope they are
very much better, If the love of country be
in their hearts.
"The train, which was made up for the
excursiosists, consisted OF cars as elegant
as any that can be found east Of the Mis-
souri,. lt was very difficult to look nj
them and realize that belun night they
wou d be roaring along over the plains
from which hostile Indians. deer aud ante
lope have not been driven yet.
VALLEY OF The PLATTE.
"Long before the valley is reached, il
cpiCdoS tHC INV vast w
opening out into an ocean, whittier the
track appears to lead. 1t is forty mile,
from the low rolling hills on the north, ID
the opposite aud similar range on the south
Between, the surface is almost peri, city
Ia, though its regular ascent toward the
West, Of about ten feet to the mile, give:
ample drainage The soiltis very rich
aud the mind falters ia III attempt to es.
innate the future of sue valley. or il
immense capabilities. Th grain fields ot
Europe are mere garden iiches beside
the green oceans which roI hOm Colorado
to Indiana. The valley wiOens with the
advance. The hills behind sink into ih,
plain until the horizon there is per.
feet. Those on either side grow fainter
till through the heated air they take OF
tho appearance Of low islands seen across
many n lies OF water.
"Much Of the land at the mouth Of th'
valley is under cultivation aud the deel
black Of the freshly turned loan, the darI
green OF the wheat, the lighter grass, th'
deeper shades. and the brown Of that whicl
the fires of the autumn spared, make NJ
the wide expanse u mosaic which natur,
alone could color, aud the prairics oul,
iiud room to display. Further on, hug
plows, drawn by eight oxen, abored slow
ly along each furrow being an added rip
pie to the tide which is sweeping up owe
all these rich reglons--a tide whUso ebl
the youngest will never know.
After rapid run Of l5O miles, VIC stop
ped for an excellent dinner at Grand Is
land.
A CONTINENTAL MILESTONE.
"The common mile posts seem 10 meas
ure Insignificant distances upon the wild
plains. Oaly each five miles are note'
on this road, aud when one has passed be
tween two of these, the step taken hardl,
appears like an advance. But there is on
point marked in manner 10 suggest th
distance which had been overcome, aud th
gigantic character of the work. At n pon