The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-12

Missouri river. a farmer wouldn't
give five cents for million acres ofth g
land thereabouts.
The end of the track from which 1
write is over so miles northwest OF
Laramie, and is in region of country
that is utterly worthless. Nothing
grows here bat a shrub called sage
bush. The water Is unfit, for man or
beast on account OF its alkaline proper
ties; but Notwithstanding the workmen
are compelled to use it. The effects of
drinking the water here is plainly visi-
cutitle of the face, particularly of the
nose, to slough of; hence every man
who has been here a several weeks has
scaly face. The outer skin cracks
and curls up, giving to the individual
very unsightly appearance.
This alkaline water is used here in
the construction engines, because no
other can be had, but it causes great
trouble; it foamS and corrodes the boil
er. The water of the condensed steam
falling upon the engine evaporates and
leaves the iron horse incrusted in a
white salt which they here call sala-
ratus. There are about two hundred
men and seyenty-five mule teams en-
ployed here in laying the ties and rails.
The ties are cedar and are obtained
on the mountain sides and hauled over
the plains, a distance of twenty or
thirty miles, TO the road Mt points east
of here. They are loaded on cars and
run forward 10 the end of the track.
They are then loaded on wagons and
hauled half mile ahead where gang
OF men lay them on the rOad-bed. The
rails are transferred, near the terminus
to trucks, to each of which horse Is at
tached il the grade is up hill. AS Soon
as the truck is drawn TO the end of the
track, eight men seize rail on each
side, draw them forward and drop them
as near the right place as possible; thew
are then quickly adjusted and Spiked
at the ends. The horse, walking at the
the truck moved forward the length of
rail. 1t is followed by two men
whose business it is to drop the spikes,
Then come gang of spikers who drive
the spikes home with tap and onIv
two strokes of their iron mauls.
The whole thing is well systematiZed
and the work goes on as regularly and
perfectly as machinery. Every man
has his particular part to perform IN
the process and he does nothing more,
The men all handle themselves RAPIDLY.
You would think they were running a
race with gang OF hands on parallel
road, which is partially true. This
company is rushing ahead in order to
complete as much of the road as possi-
BILE before meeting the California Com
pany. The length OF road each builds
II will own; hence the haste. Over fOur
miles have been laid in day, but the
average is between two and three
miles. 1t is expected to get one hun
dred and fifty miles beyond Salt Lake
this yeur and to complete the whole
road by this fall year. or course
grading is going on rapidly,
hundreds of miles u head. 1 cannot
say much for the manner it which the
road is being made just here. The
country here Is more broken and irreg-
ular than in Platte Valley or Laramie
Plains, and the road is being made to
avoid cuts, and consequently is very
crooked and has many steep grades.
My opinion is that this Pacific Railroad
will never amount to much. 1t is cold
enough here to-day for an overcoat,
and huge patches of snow lie within
five hundred yards of the track. Its
local business will never pay, and it
will certainly be showed up during
much of the winter. But that makes
no difference, I presume, TO the COM
pany, as the subsidy received from the
Government has been more than suf-
ticient TO build the road, independent
of the enormous land grants.
More anon, ]. n. b.