The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-06-13
I fFrom tho New York ohseryer.l
The Union Pacific Railroad
FROM OMAHA, NEBRASKA.
What has been done, and ,Ohen
It aUiM be finished.

u tOtt Oc ItHtSftGus
No great enterprise was ever be-
gun about which so little has been
said and so much been done. The
public have vague idea that "a
railroad is being built from some
where in the East to somewhere in
farther West than q rail track
has ever before been laid but
where it begins, or what route it
follows, or where it is 10 ond, we
venture to assert, not ono in
thousand can tell.
For dozen years we have heard
that great Pacific Railroad paS
to be built, and a dozen names and
dozen companies, and q dozen
routes-from the southern bound
airy of Texas to the northern bound
airy Of Lake Superior have been
urged upon Congress as the great
est and best means of uniting the
Atlantic and Pacific shores. Bubble
after bubble was blown, and each
burstin turn whom touched by the
shapr point ofpractical experience.
The absolute necessity for Pa
cific Railroad to retain and bind
more closely together the eastern
and western extremes of the conti-
nent in one great United and Pa.
cfc country, the immense cost of
government transportation TO its
fronticrand Rocky Mountain posts,
and even the greater cost of In
dian wars, in region that nothing
but q railroad could civilize, and
nothing but civilization could pac-
'fy,-the great importance of open
ing road to the rich gold and
silver mines of tho Rocky aud
Sierra Nevada Mountains, so that
the way to the resumption of specie
payment might be made shorter
aud easier,-all these prudential
reasons finally pressed with such
weight upon Congress, that it de-
tcrmined that the road should be
made. There were, indeed, many
others two thousand miles of ad-
ditional territory would be open
for settlement; vast bodies of land
now yalueless would be made pro-
ductive; the tide Of business and
travel that now winds q tedious
and dangerous way along the bor-
ders of two oceans, would increase
ten.fold; and how would the faith
era in the East strike hands with
their sons and daughters at tho
Golden Gate, if they could only be
borne on the wings Of the locomo-
tivel
The imperative need of the work
was admitted, but it was too vast
for individual enterprise to at.
tempt. No combination of private
capitalists was willing TO risk a
hundred million dollars in the con.
struction Of 1000 miles of railroad
through wilderness. AS the un-
dertaking was strictly national. sc
no power less than that of the ma
ton was sufficient to accomplish it
and large as tho 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 Improvement or
its own account; and its only al
formative was 10 grant its aid il
the most careful manner, TO sucl
Responsible individuals of suitabl,
chafaeter and energy as might b,
willing to risk a portion of theil
private means in the construction
of the road.
THE COMPANY'S CHARTET
AND ROUTE.
This charter was granted anC
perfected by various acts of Con
gress, and the Company comprise
men of the highest reputation foi
integrity, wealth, and business ex
perience. Among the officers ar,
General John A. Dix, President
Thomas G. Durant, Vice President
and Hon. John J, Cisco, late AS
sistant Treasurer Of the U. S
Treasurer.
The Capital authorized by tn
Charter is One Hundred Million
Dollars, Of which it is estimate,
that note exceeding Twcnty-fv
millions will be required, and q
which Five Millions have alread,
been paid in.
Surveying parties wero pusbe
across tho continent 10 find and lc
cate the best available line betwee
the Missouri River and the Pacifl
Ocean. This was established a
Omaha, in Nebraska, on the cas-
. II ...iI cn~1l.. L. - c.. H., /.