New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-10-28

FIVE HUNDRED MILES or CIVILIZATIONS.
From the base of the mountain range which
forms the backbone of the continent comes the
word that five hundred miles of the Union Pa
cifc Railroad have been successfully constructed.
Thirty one miles more, now nearly finished,
will carry the line to the summit which is the
highest elevation of the route, from which
point the headlight of the locomotive will
shine over toward the Pacific perhaps before
the snow flies. This accomplishment of half n
thousand miles in distance and the completion
of the first grand division of the enterprise
from the Missouri to the base of the Rocky Noun
transforms a fitting point from which to re-
view the work accomplished, and note the i'm
portance of the great undertaking.
This can best be done by glancing at the con-
dtion of the region through which the road
passes, as il was before the beginning of the
work, two years ago. Through the five humid
red miles which interviewed between the Mis-
souri, and the nearest mining districts, all the
machinery and supplies for the miners had to
be hauled by teams-a process so slow and eX-
pensive that it could only be undertaken by
mining companies who were confident of a SUI
ficient return for the outlay. Individual enter
prise on the part of the great mass of miners
was so blocked by the freight charges OF $500
per tun for machinery, that vast number
of promising mines, which would other
wise have added largely to the aggre-
gate production, were forced to remain
unopened And yet, spite of these enormous
charges, no less than $1,000 teams, with freight
and passengers, left two points only on the
Missouri in a single season. The public lands
through all this region were comparatively
worthless, through the difficulties and dangers
of communication with the States " and the
hostility of the Indians. The Governments
only tenants were the Indian and the buffalo.
But, beside it's loss of revenue from these
lands, the Government incurred enormous
actual expense in It's military operations upon
the Plains. The expedition to Utah cost a
prodigious sum, while for Indian campaigns, it
was estimated that the annual cost OF each
regiment of cavalry was counted by millions.
In addition to these extraordinary cxpendi-
lures, there was the great cost of transporting
materials for maintaining the military posts
throughout the Territories. Considering these
facts, and the urgent need Gas especially made
manifest during the late war; of more speedy
with the Pacific coast Congress
wisely made liberal grants of credit and land
to insure the rapid construction of the line
With this encouragement, the Companies to
whom was given the construction OF the
through line went vigorously TO work, making
large personal advances, and giving every
proof of perfect confidence in their success. A
contract involving over sixty millions of dol
lars was made by the Union Pacific Company,
under which responsible parties were TO build
914 miles west from Omaha, for S6S,05S per
mile, including all necessary buildings, repair
shops, and other appurtenances, and supply
rolling stock to the amount Of s5,0OO,0O0.
Under this contract FIVE hundred miles have
been completed, some Of the distance under
very SPECIAL difficulties. The Indians have
looked with suspicion upon this novel pene-
tration of their hunting and sighting grounds.
The mystery of the iron horse was too great
for the Indians comprehension, but he sllrewdly
OWNED that the locomotive was the herald Of
an army of pale.faces, and its whistle the