The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-04-06
The Union Pacific railroad.

road" It is a full account Of an excur-
sion to the hundredth meridian, "prepar-
ed at the request Of the excursionists -
Among these were Hon. G. I. Sherman,
Gen. Simpson, Robert Lincoln, Mr.. and
Mrs. George Francis Train and maid, and
Senator Wade OF. Ohio. There were also
about one thousand others along. They
had a gay time. They had plenty of the
very best to eat and drink no accident
happened, and when they got away out
on the plains to a point called Columbus,
they had the inexpressiblo satisfaction of
seeing a large party of Pawnee Indians
engage in a war-dance. Also, the excur-
s%ionists witnessed an attempt, by these In
dams, to represent an attack, by a body
of Sioux, upon a Pawnee village, The
historian says:
I'll three tents of tho Pawneos stood in their
old place. Around them were the warriors seated,
with squaws and pappooses near, while their po-
MES. with the yellow hand upon them, grazed in
the vicinity. But suddenly a number ofhorsemen
made their appearance on the skirts of tho timber,
lying along the river TO the south of the village.
The minute the Pawnees perceived them they
sprang TO their feet, seized their weapons, and
started for their horses. If the ponies did not
come to them they lassoed them, and then set OF
to meet the enemy. IL was out in the prairie that
they came together. and there, in that large open
space, they eircled round aud round, pursuing and
pursued. Loading as they rode, they fred at the
foe. Sometimes m apparently wounded rider
would drop from his saddle, and his horse would
sweep across the plain. One man-not p%urposely
was thrown from his horse, and was greatly
shaken by the fall.
Thus, shouting wildly. they went sweeping to
and fro. At first the Pawnees gave way, and the
Sioux nearly reached the village. But there the
Pawnees rallied, and finally, after half an hours
eddying back and forth, routed the enemies and
drove them to the timber. Then the yietors re-
turned in triumph, and, uniting With the pretend
Cd Sioux, resolved themselves into q grand pow
WOW 10 celebrate their Victories
When we first read theabove We could
not repress the wish that Ben. Wade
aud q few others with him, could be set
upon in reality by FIVE or six times their
number of wild Arapahoe Indians in the
Rocky Mountaips-just as a certain edi-
tor We are we'll acquainted with once was.
We are of the opinion that their yells,
and gyratiOns, &c, would give them a
more correct conception of Indian fight
ing, and deviltry, than anything they saw
that day enacted by the Pawnees-
1t would have eradicated all roman.
tic and moonstruck notions relative
to the ''noble red man of the plains and
mountains" We repeat what we have
more than once publicly said, viz: The
true policy, the truly humane policy that
should be adopted and carried out by the
Government relative to the wild tribes Of
the plains and mountains, is that of utter
determination. 1t is all folly to make
treaties with them. They will not OBJ
serve them and they take advantage OF
the security which a treaty naturally pro.
duces in the minds Of the great majority
of whites, to fall upon and murder them
on every occasion which presents itself.
Their mode of warfare is most cruel and
barbarous. They spare neither age, sex
nor condition. Were we a painter, and
did We wish to personify the devil him
self, we would draw a big, wild Indian
warrior, with all his toggery, and paint,
aud hideousness.
But this is something of a depression.
The following extract viii give our read
ers al idea Of the rapidity with which
the Pacific Railroad Is being built:
HEach car was laden with 4 certain number Of
rails, all Of the same length, and the exact num-
Der OF chairs and spikes required TO lay them
These were sent out to the work, and the boarding
ears having been pushed as far az possible toward
the end Of the track. the materials were thrown Of
behind them, then the boarding cars showed back
and the small cars used in laying the rails could
come up 70 the piles Of new material. Horse pow
er being used to draw the small cars to and fro,
the mere length of the boarding train was no oh.
stacle. a small car having been loaded in the
same manner and with the same precision as the
the large ones had been. was run forward 10 the
end Of the track, by horse power. A couple OF
feet from the end Of the rails already down, checks
were placed under the wheels, stopping the car al
once, Before it had well stopped a dozen men
grasped a rail On each side, ran it beyond the car,
laid it down in its chairs, gagged ii, and ere it
1 clduR In falling udQ cEd4EQL 10 EeBeTDefaLc, tue cal
was run over it and another pair OF rails drawn
out. This process was continued as rapidly az q
man would walk. Behind the car followed a man
dropping spikes, another setting the ties well un.
der the ends ofthe rails, and thirty or forty otherl
driving in the spikes and stamping the earth under
the ties. The moment that one car was emptied
of its iron, a number of men seized it and threw
of the track into the ditch. and the second follow
ed on with its load. The work was all done with
excessive rapidity, simply because each man had
but a certain thing to do, was accustomed to doinl
it, and had not to wait on the action Of any on
else"
By means of this system the track, du
ring the last summer, was laid at the aV
erage rate of one mile and six-tcnths PEI
day for every working day in the month
We believe that, FIVE years hence, we o
the Pacific coast may go to the States cas-
of the mountains by railroad and instead
Of being six months on the route, it vii
not take six days.
We are firmly of the opinion, and al
ways have been, that the Pacific Railroad
will prove to be very profitable to tn,
builders. But unlike any other railroad
Of which We have any knowledge, ther,
will be millions of acres, on either side o
it, that viii forever remain barren ant
uncultiyated. Senator Wade says of tn,
soil of the plains, hat it is "of the mos
fertile character" and he predicts that i