Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-07-19
From the New York Times. !

Cities OF the Plains, etCs
From the New York TimeE.l
Five years ago, or perhaps at more
recent period, the idea Of going by rail
more than two-thirds of the distance be-
tween New York and San Francisco, out
into the almost boundless and compare
lively unknown regions Of the great
| West, beyond the far-off Rocky Noun
tains, would have been regarded as Ito
plan. except to the most enthusiastic Of
railroad men. Wild and criminal as the
notion may have appeared, it has been
carried into practical effect. Omaha, the
most easterly city Of Nebraska, on the
swift and muddy Missouri river, is no
longer the remote West! The Union
Pacific Railroad has spanned the vast
regions beyond it for an area Of 7OO
miles toward the setting sun, opening up
new territory through the valley OF
the broad and shallow Platte, dOtting
the plains with settlements aud inviting
the hidden treasures Of the Black Hills
and Rocky Mountains to reveal them
selves to those who shall prove enter
prising enough to seek them.
From taking this marvellous journey
/ | have lust returned, after an absence of
only two weeks having traversed during
twelve days of that time distance by
rail of about 1900 miles, passing from
/ the Gath meridian of longitude to the
il07th, and back. entering the very heart
Of the newly created Territory of Wy
oming, and, witnessing the laying Of
/ the rails on the Pacific slope of the
Black Hills The fact is bewildering
to contemplate, and scarcely less amaz-
/ ing is it to find oneself alive after this
hurried trip, and in any condition to at
tempt a description of 1t.
! Under the auspices of the Chicago
and Northwestern Railroad Company, a
party of fifty ladies and gentlemen left
this city on the evening of the lst inst,
via the New Jersey Central and Penn
sylvania Railroad, on the newly in
vented. sumptuous palace cars which
more than anything else have contrib
uted to the comfort and ease of the
journey, reaching Chicago on the morn
ING of the 9th. Remaining at that city
until 10 o'clock am. Of the 9Th, in order
that the directors of the road, in the in
terval, might choose officers for the en-
suing year. the result of which election
is doubtless already known in this city
the excursionists-Bhose numbers had
been augmented at Chicago by at least d
hundred more--set out for the vague
and underlined terminus of the Union
Pacific Railroad
The special train which conveyed the
party was composed of six Of Pullman +,
Palace Cars, the DelmOnico dining car
two frst-class coaches. and two commits
sary cars. If cost be any criterion 0.
comfort. and in this instance the two
went hand in hand. some idea of the eX
cellent way in which the excursionist'
were provided for may be obtained by
the simple statement that this magnlti
cent train of moving palaces cost no les
than $4,000. As this train was the
temporary home Of the travellers, moth
ing was spared to render the outfit al
that could be desired In this respec
the excursion has demonstrated one thin!
beyond doubt-that a trip across the
continent. in such cars as Mr.. Pullman
has succeeded in constructing, may b
made with far less physical wearines
than an ordinary voyage Of the SAM
length on ship-board.
Four hundred and ninety miles from
Chicago to Council Bluffs, Iowa, on th
Missouri river Without detailing tn
pleasant incidents which gave zest 4
this portion of the route across the fer
tile prairies of Illinois and Iowa, onl.
mentioning the reluctance which wa
felt at having to leave our train in con
sequence of the swollen state Of tn
Missouri, which precluded the passag
Of the ears as was originally intended
a reluctance which was not, however, O
long duration, as We took up our quar-
ters in cars scarcely less sumptuou'
D which had been provided by the Unio
Pacific Railroad Company at the Omah
! Landing-we started fairly on the even
ing Of Saturday. the Sth, on our journe
e westward For a hundred miles We
8 from Omaha the land is rich, and fe
years more will see it fully settled Br
: from that point west to Salt Lake tn
country is an arid waste-an alkah de-
s ert, without sign of vegetation, save th
e blue grass of the plains. On Sunda
morning We found ourselves traversin
. the Valley Of the Platte. and had an OF
! portunity of examining kearney St'
ton, one Of the many military pos
= which guard the road at intervals abol
:; twenty miles apart \ description
/, one Of these stations suffces for al
They are merely halting places in Il
: desert for the purpose Of supplying Il
II engines with wood and water; each b;
: a siding leading from the main trac
. TO admit of the passing of meeting train
and the sole inhabitants are the sechC
.e superintendent and his workmen, al
. eight or ten soldiers. The life of the
? men seems desOlate enough. They hav
ic in every instance, exhausted their ing
e nuity in making their posts proof again
0 IRE and assault by the Indians, by bull
d ing turf stockades with loOphOles f
! musketry, into which, in case of attae
n. they can end refuge by an undergrouI
b. passage from their ordinary quarter
le 1t seems surprising that the Indians a
., not more aggressive Miles of the tra'
: : are left exposed to their forays, but on
III in one instance have they interfer,
d, with the trains or the rails This @
G CURED about a year ago, at static
D. called Plum Greek, 247 miles west
! ite Omaha. Here they threw train fro
q the track and took the scalps of the e
gineer and two other employees Tn
seem since to have had comfortat
dread Of the repeating-riAes which we
n brought to bear upon them on that {
q casion, or else a supernatural fear of t
re locomotive protects it from their rai'
A A in the same way that the telegraph ov,
- awes them by its long talks, the Pl
A losophy of which they cannot und'
D. stand. Certainly the rails and the te
20 graph are both at their mercy and witt
4; their power to destroy, if they only kn
Of the fact
,c Sneakino Of the Indians. the feell