Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-06-12
The Union Pacific Railroad
from Omaha. Nebraska.

The Union Pacific Railroad
. from Omaha, Nebraska.
What has been done, and solscs Il ,oiH be
y. + h. finished. uoo y7tF
No great enterprise was ever begun about
which 80 little has been said and 80 much
has bccn done. The public have vague
idea TINT q railroad is being built from some
where in the East TO somewhere in the far
ther West than rail-track has ever before
been laid; but where it begins, or what
route it follows, or where it Is to end, we
venture to assert, not one in thousand can
tell.
For dozen years we have heard that
great Pacific Railroad soas to be built, and a
dozen names and q, dozen companies, and a
dozen routes.-from the southern boundary
Of Texas to tho northern boundcry of Lake
have been urged upon Congress
as the greatest and best means for uniting
the Atlantic and Pacific shores. Bubble
after bubble was blown, and each burst in
turn when touched by the sharp point of
practical experience.
The absolute necessity for Pacific Rail-
road to retain and bind more closely togeth-
er the eastern and western extremes of the
continent in one great United and Pacific
country, the immense cost Of government
transportation to its frontier and Rocky
Mountain posts, and the even greater costs
Of Indian wars, in region that nothing but
n railroad could civilize, and nothing but
civilization could pacity, the great impor-
tancc of opening road to the rich gold and
silver mines Of the Rocky and Sierra Nevada
Mountains, so that the way to the resump-
ton Of specie payments might be made
shorter and easer,-all these prudential
reasons finally pressed with such weight upon
Congress, that it determined that the road
should be made There were, indeed, many
others two thousand miles Of additional
territory would be opened for settlement;
vast bodies OF land now valueess would be
made productive; the tide of business and
travel that now winds q tedious and danger
Gus way along she borders Of two oceans,
would be incresed ten-lold 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
The imperative need of the work was ad-
mitted, but it was too vast for individual
enterprise to attempt, No combination of
private capitalists was willing to risk a hun
dred million dollars in the construction of
2,00D miles of railroad through the wilder
ness. As the undertaking was strictly ma
tional so no power less than that Of the
nation was sufficient to accomplish it; and
large as the cost necessarily would be, the
expenditure would save a much greater cost
to the country But the Government did
not wish to enter upon any new system of
internal improvements on its own account !;
md he n,,ly, ,olt - ~
in the most careful manner to such respon-
sible individuals Of suitable character and
energy as might be willing to risk portion
OF their private means in the construction
of the road.
THE CoMpANY's CHARTER AND ROUTE.
This charter was granted and perfected
by various acts OF Congress, and the Com
pany comprises men Of the highest reputa-
tion for integrity, wealth, and business ex-
perience. Among the officers are General
John 4. Dix, President, Thomas G. Durant,
Vice President, and Hon. John j. Cisco,
late Assistant Treasurer of the U. S.,
| Treasurer.
The Capital authorized by the Charter is
One Hundred Million Dollars, of which it
is estimated that not exceeding Twenty
Five Millions will be required, and of which
Five Millions have already been paid in.
-Sn1Herins parties We're at otco pushed
out in various directions across the CONT
nent to find and locate the best available
line between the Missouri River and the
Pacific Ocean. This was established at
! Omaha in Nebraska, on the east, and will
finally be at San Francisco, in California,
on the west-a distance of nearly 1900
miles. The Chicago and North Western
Railroad is now completed from Chicago to
Omaha, distance of 492 miles; and several
other roads are rapidly building to unite
with the Union Pacific at the same point;
so that its eastern connections will be nu.
merous and complete.
The general line Of the road from Omaha
is west up the Valley of the great Platte,
and thence across the plains distance OF
SIT miles, to the Black Hills, or easterly
spur of the Rocky Mountains Col. Sey.
mour, the consulting Engineer reports that
the grade is much more favorable than was
anticipated maximum to the Rocky
Mountains not exceeding so feet to the
mile and from that point to the summit, OF
divide of the continent, it will not exceed
so feet to the mile From the Rocky
Mountains, the best practicable route vii
be taken to Great Salt Lake City, and thence
by the Valley of the Humboldt River to The
eastern base of the Sierra Nevada Noun
tains The Central Pacific Railroad is nov
being rapidly built east from Sacrimento
Cal, and is already completed about 1O(
miles, and will connect with the Uniol
Pacific. 1. . ...-.
WHAT HAS BEEN Done AND ITS Cosr.
AS we remarked before, there has beer
very little talk, and great deal Of work.
Almost before the public were aware, it hat
been begun. On the first of January, 1867
the Union Pacific Railroad was finished 70
305 miles west from Omaha, and full
equipped with Locomotives, Rolling Stock
Repair Shops, Depots, Stations, &c.-an'
the Company have on hand, Iron, Ties, am
other materials, sufficient to finish the roa,
to the Rocky mountains, or SIT miles from
Omaha, by the first Of September, 1867
1t is expected that the whole line through
to California will be completed in 1870.
The first 305 miles were graded, bridge
and ironed, with heavy Trail, and suppl
ed with suitable Depots, Repair Shops, Sta
tons, Locomotives, Cara, and all the neces
sary appurtenances of first class road, 70
$780, 900 per mile, and it is believed that tn
remaining portion will not increase tn
average cost to more than SOS, 900 per mile
exclusive Of equipments.
MEANS FOR CONSTRUCTION.
When the Government determined tha