Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-08-19

The Character of the Union Pacilic
Railroad.

The Character of the Union Pacihc
Railroad.
while c~cry person who has followed the pro
eros. of that wonderful undertaking. the Union
Pacific Railroad, has maryellod at the unparallei-
ed rapidity with which IT has been constructed
some have feltskeptcalas to the cHARAcrrRoi inc
work which was being done with such apparently
headong speed. Was it possible to build seven
hundred miles Of railroad in two years, and do
II vellY Could a railroad from New York to
Chicago be well built in two years timer Ana
if not here, where all the appliances needed were
At hand. or could be obtained at a days notice.
then how much less in a region beyond soit''-
mcnt beyond civilization, and where laDorors'
supplies, TOOLS and all else, except the land up
ON which the road was built must be transported
hundreds Of miles before reaching the spot where
they were wanted. In short, the question, as
the road well builty" has been the one for whose
satisfactory solution many have waited before in
yesting their means in the Companys securities,
which are liberal in ther provisions, and safe be-
yond poradyenture if an affirmative answer to
this question can be fully established
Upon this point we must take the testimony OF
personal witnesses, who have been upon the
ground and examined the work. Fortunately,
an opportunity has just been afforded and i'm
proved for full inspection Of the road and It's
belongings, by party of gentlemen who repre-
sent the reading and thinking people. Thirty
gentlemen, representing many Of the leading
Journals of the eastern cities, have just returned
from trip which included over seven hundred
miles Of the Union Pacific Railroad. They had a
special train at their disposal to stop where they
wished to run fast or slow as they might desire,
and which gave them far better opportunity to
see both the good parts of the road, and the bad
oncs-f any exist-thnn the ordinary traveller
| by regular trains These witnesses are men Of
iuds .ent and discrimination, and their personal
characters, as well as the names Of the journals
which they represented are guarantees that they
write only what their convictions dictate Let
us see what some of these gentlemen say Of the
| Union Pacific Railroad;
/ Hon Charles \. Dana, of the New York sun,
late Assistant Secretary Of War, says;
"a party Of thirty gentlemen have Just re-
Union Pacific Railroad at the Rocky Mountains Their
unanimous opinion s that the road constructed la thc
most thorough and solid manner and that IL superior
In frmncss smoothno2 and capacity for rapid running
TO any other road which they have ever seen. Th
Is true Of the parts of the track which laid only tbs
day before the eXcuriun train passed them well
those at the eastern end Of the line which have beer
represents the Judgment with which II Is laid out and
the thoroughness OF s constructions and there nc
part Of which could under the circumstances be bet
Ter than all reports 10 the contrary erroncou
and mistaken
The editor Of the Boston Traveller says
otis built in the best and most substantial mamie
possible, and will compare iayOrahly with any othe
road in the United States. For road, do not re
member ever having Travelled ON is superior.
The road is we'll halasted, and except in seasons Of ex
treme drought must be comparatively free itom dust
Few Of the old roads Of the country are 70 cas-.
to ride over as this new one
= The Editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin say
al so far from imperfect and superficial wofkmansh
minaton that the work done shall he durable
human ingenuity and enterprise can make it. tn
workshops engine houses and other structures at Omaha
Cheyenne, North Platte and Laramie, are all handsom
aud brick edihcc that will last without repair
reconstruction for generations while the road itself
az solidly and SUBSTANTIALLY butt a. any railroad
failed to detect any signs Of hasty or Imperfect consru
G ton"
The editor Of the n. Y Express says
Firm, solid, substantial have now dne a trae
can be found ON almost any road Ia the country Will
the travelling accommodations are full Of ease and con
{ fort. visit to the wilds Of the Rocky Moui
tains will convince the traveller that the Pacific arOa
Is neither myth Brummagon affair, gotten up I,
purely speculative purposes"
The editor OF the Boston Transcript says;
"The Union Pacific 6. a drstclass road finely grades
thoroughly tied well roned and oallAsicd and suhia
The editor Of the Baltimore American says
: the Road;
rides easily than twothrds Of the roads east OF u
4 Mississippi"
Again he speaks in the following unqual6c
. commentator;
81 must reserve for another occasion some relnarl
upon the character Of the ruad, It's financial basis preset
business and future prospects Bat Is proper to -
Just here that the that have been put a0at al Il
It last that the Company Is party Of specuAt0rs puttr
II down rude and poorly constructed road that will
useless or nearly So when completed, sa hsehOod Ia
could only have deliberately and put
Il Ts555d one. ssii and ssddiy laid with hea,
Q rail and twcnty-six hundred erosties 70 the mile, ov
which the cars travel with remarkable snootness, al
the equipments, stati0n-houses anu workshops OF whit
= tom
= The editor Of the New Haven Palladium sa,
u Of the most extensive and difficult bridge up,
. the route
1t at Is constructed with adrrahle skill and il cspal
n ofbearng weight forty times greater than wiz ever
II placed upon IL. careful examination Of u
III magnificent structure convinced every member Of
n party that the marvellous speed with which the road
lc security
The editor of the New York times refers to t
fast running done on portion of the trip, a
says;
"The locomotive tore along at speed Of over 90 mi
o hour and smoothly enough travelled, at Il
H. high rate proving conelusiyely that the Union Pac
:" Railroad Is substantially huilt.'
ms OF the Company's shops at Omaha the sal
nv authority says;
nj "The hrstclass cars manufactured here are equa
u any be found any Of the eastern railroads
10 indeed, the whole rolling stock Of the Company
compare with that Of any other road In the country
nd The editor Of the Philadelphia Age says;
on at might be supposed from the apditY with VII
W the work done That II ola temporary aud per
ch able character. But such is not the case,
he smoothly safely and steadily for FIVE successive days
a rate Of speed varying from twenty to any miles
an hour and between the Old track and that at the
terminus, which had been flushed but an hour
lie. no discrepancy was perceptihe-"
ed The editor of the Philadelphia Bulletin 81
the following spirited description of the way
track is being laid;
he "Track,layng on the Union Pacific is science,
We pundis OF the Far East, stood that embank m,
ICE thousand miles this side Of sunset and backed
ward before that hurrying corps Of sturdy operat
int with mingled feeling of amusement, curiosity and
found respect On they came. light car drawn {
W. single horse gaops up 10 the front with its load Of "a
Twomen seize the end Of rail and start forward the
ofthe gang taking hold by twos, until 1t IS clear Of
II car. Then they come forward at a run At the wor
u. command the rail Is dropped in its place. right side
l. with while the same process goes at the OF
q side Of the Less than thirty seconds 10 rail
of each gang, and so four rails go down 10 the mnut,
VI Quick work, you say, but the fellows the U. ?.
400 tremendously In earnest The moment the car is EN-
Bo II tipped the other side Of the track TO let the
an loaded car pass it, and then il tipped back again,
an IL & sight to It dying back Tor another load
,ial PEELED by horse ut full galop at the end Of sxt
~ eighty feet Of rope ridden by young Jehu, who Dr.
urously. Close behind the first gang come the gaug
spkers, and boilers, and a lively time they make
d IL Il grand Anvil Chorus that those sturdy sedgcs
playing across the plains II Is In triple time, u
me strokes TO spike There ten spikes to rail four
dred rails TO the mile, eight hundred miles TO San
CISCO. That's the sum, what is the quotientl TIVE
one million times are those sedges to be swung-two
million times they to down with their II
punctuation before the great work Of modern Amer,
vas complete
hat These quotations might be greatly extend
afe but all the members OF the editorial party b
,on similar testimony to the thoroughness of the
struction Of the Union Pacific Railroad, and