The Portland daily press., 1867-10-18

WORKING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.-Ac cor
respondent OF the New York Tribune, writing
from the 279th mile post on the Kansas Pa
citic Railroad, publishes. an extract from his
diary, commencing on the 1st of March and
ending on the 23d Of September, showing
how serious are the obstacles which have to
be met in the construction Of the road, aris
ing from floods, the cholera and the Indians
He closes his communication as follows:
Who can read this record without feeling
of admiration for the couragr and energy
which pushes this Pacific Railway through
such warfare. Floods, Immediately caused
by the understanding quality of the buffalo
grass, from which heavy rains run of as from
an India-rubbeI blanket, wash away the COM
pleted track While the ruin is being repair
ed new track is laid. The cholera appears, and
stampedes graders and track layers; yet mile
and half of the road is prepared for the cars.
One day the Indians surprise, shoot, and scalp
party of labOrers, the next day, alter bury
ing the dead, their comrades lay mile and a
quarter of the great road. 1t is grand And
the large Drained and larger-hearted men who
have put over five millions of dollars, the
| earnings OF lives of labor into this enter
prise, should be grandly sustained 1t is
enough that they peril fortunes in public
work from which the greatest good can be de-
rived by the public. 1t is not just, it is not
| creditable that, in addition to the natural
difficulties of their gigantic undertaking,
| there should be imposed on them the harass-
| ing and costly necessity OF fighting an Indian
| war. In all civilized States OF Europe war
| is the prerogatlve, and defensive war the du-
| ty of the State. This Company has to fight
| the enemies of the country; has to enforce
with arms an act of Congress providing for
| cheaper and more rapid communi-
| the Rocky Mountains and the Atlantic
| States; has to carry on war to fulfill its con-
| tract with the nation to furnish it railroad
across the continent. 1t is not just, it is not
| creditabe it is not polite, to put on them this
necessity. The authorities at Washington
| should from this hour to the completion OF
the work guard it thoroughly from Interrupt
| ton by hostile Indians. They should do this
as measure of policy as well as in the dis
charge of public duty to protect commerce,
| travel, and internal improvements. For ev-
| ery mile of this Kansas Pacific Railway COM
| pleted doubles or quadruples the worth OF the
| Government lands on the line. Every 40 miles
| of il completed saves the cost of regiment o
| infantry on the Plains, being 81 zoo, 900 year
| The road as it progresses supercedes the ne
cessity of forts and military posts, saves the
enormous cost of commercial and military
transportation to and through the Rocky
Mountains by OK and mule trains, and eiiec
tualy and forever settles the vexed lnaniu 1ni
question for that much of territory. IN ih'
lighting, tomahawkins, and scaipmg, g.o;ah, ;ah,
place ahead of the track. Behihu, she Z, .
and passenger trains are peace anu ,;oran,,
marching into Middle and Western i,1 kansas ,5'
to make it a paradise OF agriculture, anu ;aS ;n'
sprnging up in days time ofseediins c''les