Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-06-08
The Union Pacific RriIroad.
What has b9en doHc> and ~neh ~ "A'
he finished.

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so much done. The public have vague
idea that railroad is being built from
somewhere in the East to somewhere in
the West where a rail-track has never be-
fore been laid but where it begins or what
rout it follows, or where it is TO end, we
venture to. assert, not one in thousand
can tcl
FSs a dozen years we have heard that
a. great Pacific Railroad acas to be built,
and a dozen names and dozen companies,
and a dozen routes-from the southern
boundary of Texas to the northern boun-
Diary of Lake Superior-have been urged
upon Congress as the greatest and best
for uniting the Atlantic & Pacific shores.
Bubble after bubble was blown, and each
burst in turn when touched by the sharp
point of practical experience. ags,
The absolute necessity for Faciic rail
road to retain, and bind more closely to-
igcther the eastern and western extremes
of the Continent in one great Union and
Pucifc country, the immense cost OF GOV
ernment transportation to its frontier
and Rocky Mountain posts, and the even
greater cost of Indian wars, in a Religion
that nothing but railroad could civilize
and nothing but civilization could pacify,
the great importance efopening road
to the rich gold and silver mines OF the
Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains, so
that the way to the resumption of specie
payments might be made shorter and
easier-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 valueless wonld
be made productive; the tide of business
and travel that now winds tedious and
dangerous way along the borders of two
oceans, would be increased ten-fold; and
how would the fathers in the East strike
hands with their sons and daughters at
the Golden Gate, if they could only be
borEe on the wings ofthe locomotive.
The imperative need of the work was
admitted, but it was too vast for individ-
ual enterprise to attempt.
No combination of private capitalists
was willing to risk hundred million
dollars in the construction of 1000 miles
of railroad through a wilderness As
the undertaking was strictly national so
no power less than that Of the nation
was sufficient to accomplish it; and large
as the cost necessarily would be, the cx-
penditure would save much greater
cost TO the country.* But the Goverr-
ment did not wish to enter upon any
new system of internal Improvements on
its own account and its only alternative
was to grant its aid in the most careful
manner to such responsible individuals
of suitable character and energy as
might be willing to risk a portion OF
their private means in the construction
of the road.
THE CoMPANY7s CHARTER AND ROUTE.
This charter was granted and perfected
by various acts Of Congress, and the
Company comprises men of the highest
reputation for integrity, wealth, and bust.
ness experience. Among the officers are
General John A. Dix, President, Thomas
C. Durant, Vice President, and Hon.
John J. Cisco, late Assistant Treasurer
of the L. S. Treasury.
The Capital authorized. by the Charter
is One Hundred Million Dollars, of which
it is estimated that not exceeding Tween.
ty-fye Millions will be required and OF
which Five Millions have already been
paid in.
Surveying parties were at once pushed
out in various directions across the
continent to find and locate the best
available line between the Missouri Riv-
er and the Pacific Ocean. This was es.
tablished at Omaha, in Nebraska, on the
east, and will finally be at San Francisco
in Californi, on the west-a distance OF
nearly 1900 miles. The Chicago and
North Western Railroad is now compile.
ted 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 numerous
and complete
The general line Of the road from Oma,
ha is, west up the Valley of the Great
Platte, and thence acrossIthe plains dis
tance of 517 miles to the Black Hills, OF
easterly spur of the Rocky Mountains
Col. Seymour, the Consulting Engineer,
reports that tho grade is much more ia
vorable than was anticipated-the maxi
mum to the Rocky Mountains not exceed
ing 80 feet to the mile, and from that
point to the summit, or divide of the con-
timent, it will not exceed so feet to the
mile. From the Rocky Mountains, the
best practicable route will be taken to
the Great Salt Lake City, and thence
by the Valley OF the Humboldt River to
the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains. The Central pacific Railroad
is now being rapidly built east from Sa.
cramento, Cal, and is already completed
about 100 miles, and will connect with
the Union Pacific. ~ s.iI .1qfGlas,'
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND ITS COST
As we remarked before, there has been
very little talk, and a great deal of
work. Almost before the public were
aware. it had been begun. On the Ist of
January, 1867 the Union Pacific Railroad
was finished for 3o5 miles west from
Omaha, and fully equipped with Loco
motives, Rolling Stock, Repair Shops &c.
and the company have on hand Iron,
Ties and other materiefs, sufficient to fin
ish the road to the Rocky Mountains, or
SIT miles from Omaha, by the first of
September, 1867. 1t is expected that the
whole line through to Cal, will be COM
pleted I'm 1879.
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