Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-06-05
Cir laailroao Qntslion.


OMAHA, NEBRASKA.
q W.at mas OeeH oone' oRa "1eH % vH be finished.
40 great enterprise was ever ncgun ABOUT whch
40 little has been said aud so much has been done.
], lhe public have vague ldea that railroad Us bee
ing built from somewhere in the East 10 somewhere
M iarther West than rai-tracS has ever before
y becn laidi hut where u begins or what route %
iloWs' or where % rs % cnd we venture 20 assert
not one in q thousand can tell.
For a. dozen years W. have heard that great
faahc tailroad was 20 be built aud dozen names
ana q luh'n companies anl dozen rOutes-irum
] the southern boundary of lrSas 90 the northern
boundary OF Lake superior have been urged upon
congress a the greatest and best means for uniting
the Atlantic and Pacific shores. Bubble after hub-
BILE was blown, and each burst in turn when touched
10y the sharp point OF practical experience.
The absolute necessity Tor Pacific kulroad 20
retain and bind more closely together the eastern
I and western extremes Of the continent in one
great tnt9n 0hh ffcutf country, tine Immense
cost OF government trnlsp1ration to its frontier
and Rocky Mountain posts, and the even greater
cost of Indian wars. tni region that nothing but
railroad estli cyilize sud nothing bat clvIzi-
{ ton could pacliy-the great Importance OF open
ing q road 60 the rich gold and silver mines of tho
Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains. so thai tte
way to the resumption OF specie payments might
Doe made shorter and easier.-ll these prpiepiqi
rea-ous dnaly pressel with $40 10 weight upon Com
gress, that il determined that the roai shJud be
made. There were. indeed, many others. two
thousand miles OF additional territory would be
open lorsettlement; vast bodies Of land now value
less would be male productive; the tide of bl,i-
ness that now winds d tedious aud dangerous way
along the borders o two oceans, would be- increased
teu-l0ldi aud how would the fathers in the East
strike hands with their SONS and daughters at tAe
Golden Gate If they couId only be borne the
wings Of the locom tive
The Imperative need Of the work was admitted.
but 10 was too vast for individual enterprise to at
tempt 40 combination of private capitalists was
willing 20 risk hundred million dollars ia the
construction OF 2,OlJ mikes Of railroad through
th. wilderness AS the undertaking was strictly
national. so no power loss than that of the nation
was suti ignt TO accomplish it; aud large as the
cost necessarily would be-, he expenditure would
save m1rh greater cost 90 tne country But
the Governments di1 NOT wish t1 enter upon any
new system of Internal Improvements ON it's owu
account; aud iti orly alternative Co grant iis
aid ln the most careful mtnner to sush responsible
iui'vd1a's of su.tihl. character and energy as
might bee willing Co risk a. portion of their private
mea4s 10 the construction ol Oh road.
rlE cJMrASNs CHARTER ANp ROUTE.
This charter w3, granted and perfected by vari-
Gus acts of Congress. and Oh Company comprises
men OF the highest rsputauu for gritty. wealth.
and business experience Among the officers are
General John A. Dix, President Thomas q. Du-
rant, Nee-presleut, aud Hon. John j. Cico
late Assistant Treasurer oi ths u S., Treasurer
The Capital authorized by the Charter Is One
Hundred Million dlllirs, OF which IL Is estimated
that not exceeding Twenty-Five Millions will he
required. and OF which Five Millions have already
: been paid in
Surveying parties we're at once pushed ou, in
various directions across tlo continent TO dad and
locate the brst available line between the Missouri
River aud the Pacific Ocean. This wa, established
at Omaha, in Nebraska, the east and viii final
ly be NJ san Francisco. ia California on the west
- distance OF nearly l,9jJ miles. The Chicago
and North Western Railroad is now completed
from Chicago 90 Omaha, a distance OF 4J1 mles;
and several other rotis are rapidly building To
unite with the Union Paciih'at the point; so
thlr its eastern connections will be numerous and
complete
Tue general line Of the road from Omaha is
west up the Naileyoi tue Great Platte, and thence
across che plains distance OF 3lI miles, 10 the
Black Hills, or elsterly spur OF the Rocky Noun
talns. C5l. Seymour, the Consulting Engineer
reports that the grade is much more favorable than
was autciplted--the maximum TO the Rocky
Mountains not exceeding BID feet TO the mile, and
: from that point 10 the summit, or divide OF the
I continent it will not exceed 50 feet 10 the mile
From the Rocky Mountains. the best practicable
route will be taken 10 Great Salt Lake City, and
thence by the Valley OF the Humboldt River TO
the eastern base of The Sierra Nevada Mountains.