The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-27

".
heavy and expensive work upon the road between
Albany and Springfield than upon the whole OF this
There are Two or three places, OF few hundred feet
| embankmenf. not more than two thousand feet Of
bridging told; the rest 10 just the easiest and pref
test railroad building Imaginable and, but for the
distance that materials and supplies tiles, iron and
food must be haued cheaper than the work across
the pains for the earth 10 be moved is little and Of
lust the sort that gives firm, iInmovable bed. The
scraper ana the shovel are all the tools needed
for nve-slxths Of this whole "mountain" Sec
ton. The wonder at the rapid progress OF the
road grows less as we see here how nature had
kindly paved the way. Further on, as the road
passes down the Pacific She OF the mountains into
the salt Lake valley there is work for powder and
pickaxe, and the progress must be slower but for
that section the subsidy Is less, OF the second
gra OF $4,000 mile; and yet do not suppose
this side OF salt Lake at least that has will cost as
much 10 build as the government subsidy and the
first bonds nave furnished cash supplies for.
Beyond this one hundred and fifty mile division
west OF Cheyenne, which have dwelt on at this
length because OF ts various interest," the character
OF the country changes and q real desert plain be-
gins. Alka whitens The SOL anu p0isOns the water,
and the sage bush is the only vegetation that thrves.
The road IL open for puoic use 10 Benton 1894 mi eS
just beyond The crossing OF the north fork OF the
North Platte and here the ashy plain, with not
blade oil grass, much less tree, with the delicate,
poisonous dust Hing tine air and irritating every
sense, ~ most exaggerated and offensive specimen
oil the mushroom town That follows the temporary
terminus OF the road. thousand or two people are
gathered IN tents and cheap board shanes the rail-
road employs bunlred or two; few OF the rest are
cheap storekcepers, but the great bulk are running
"restaurants and 'saloons' or are downright oaers
and SPECTATORS in the vices of themselves and their
fellows. IL is enough TO turn healthy stomach TO
wade through the deep and volatile dust OF bs streets
anu study The prevailing life along them. Purgatory
would be paradise compared TO 1t l0ra weeks resi-
dence. Thirty days hence 1t will move and eVapO
rate, else IL would perish from its pois0ns
OF earth ana ar and humanity. Such an aggrava-
ton OF disagreeableness and Odenslveness can only
long exist Dy frequent changes 1t would rot with
pcrmanence. Meanwhile the railroad people turn
pretty penny by speculation in its temporary oppor
tunitles. Five hundred to thousand dollars are
charged for lot or slanty chat In thirty sixty
days viii be useless Some $4,000 to $4,000 are
SAID TO nave been made thtS by tine monopoly OF
the Location OF Benton and the game Is repeated at
every fresh halt OF the open trace The road is al
ready laid fortyfOur miles hey ond Benton and il 90
ing ahead at the rate OF three miles day. These
mics reach the point where they slope
wards the Pacific regions, and is to be marked by
station called Creston. But 1t Is not so high by
over one thousand feet as the summit of the
Black Hills, where the station bears the name OF
SHERMAN. One hundred miles more from CrestOn
west will bring the road to Green river, and finishes
the btter Greek country" which may be said to be-
gin at the end of the Lamare plains, or say at the
crossing OF the north fork OF the North Platte and
run for $50 miles. 1t s all such as have described
the country about Benton to be-a barren alkali
desert, easy enough to build railway through with
the materials brought forward, but without water
even for the engines through at least one hundred
miles OF 1t, and with nothing but distant mountains
to invite the eye cheer the hope OF travellers A
fine bitumnous coal is found upon it. as also upon
tue Laramie plains and Is already In successful
In the locomotives and good water will probably be
obtained by deep wells; but for the present there
have to be water trains from below, well rail,
and tie and food trains, to keep the work In pro-
gress The afternoon of the day we were at the end
OF the track locomotive used up its water the sup
ply was gone and all work had to be given up till
the next day, before which the next water train
would not come up.
The process O: laying the track s indeed as inter-
estng as has been described. There is no limit TO
its speed, inside Of eight miles day, including the
night except the ability or the road to bring up the
ties and the rails. With the present commercial busI-
ness OF the road the materials for no more than three
miles day be brought up. and this Is about the
average progress. The work is under the charge Of
two brothers Easement, from OHIO, men of wonder
fu energy IN railroad building and great skill In the
organization OF labor. The grading Is kept far In
advance. or the three hundred miles between Cries.
on aud SAT- Lake valley, indeed, fully haH is al
ready finished; and for the track laying picked
orce OF about four hundred men are employed. The
les are carried ahead mile or two from the
supply train by teams, aud lad by special gang;
out the rails are brought forward on Platform
car to the very edge; two are dropped to Their
Places, the car pulled by trained horse them,
and two more dropped, and so on, while the mo-
ment they fail men ADJUST them exactly, Others fol-
low with spikes and Ivets, aud Others stlIl with
snovels ana bars to level and strengthen the whole
work. The moment a Car load OF iron Is exhausted
IL IL tipped OIL the track and sent back and fresh
one pushed to the front, and 80 the round goes on
with the regularity Of clockwork. The lodgings and
boarding houses OF the laborers keep progress with
tile track. long train furnishes kitchen, dining
room and partial lodgings, and carries tents Tor the
rest OF the latter and these are pitched wherever the
night finds them. drove Of cattle follow along
and brouse among the sage brush OF the adjacent hill
locks, to be slaughtered from day TO dag for fresh
beef The contractors furnish the board, which is
excellent, and costs them $50 month Tor each per-
son. though the liborers are charged but $40. We
happened to be at the end OF the track when the
tram moved up with Its dinner, and sat down by in
vitation To share IL. II included boiled beef pork
and beans, tomatoes, peas and potatoes canned
peaches and blackberres bread and butter and tea
and coffee, all OF the very first quality and alto
gcther, TO us, II WINS the best cooked meal we had
found since leaving the Missouri river. Thus II is
rapid work. They pay from IS TO - so n day wages
aud these are the rates for the laborers all along the
line of the work; but not all the contractors feed
their men as well as the Easements.
Last Thursday, the day we were at the end OF the
road, IL reached TO hundred and thirty-eignt
miles from Omaha, or twelve hundred and fifty from
Chicago and was WITHIN two hundred and eighty
eight miles Of Salt Lake valley. The one hundred
aud one mles to Green river VIII be finished before
October /, aud then the public end OF the road Will
be advanced from Benton TO that point but probably
not moved forward at all til that time. IT Is not
Lake valley this year; the probability Is that the
winter end OF the road viii be at Harris Fork, some
Of departure Tor the Montana branch; but there can
be lite LABOR left for the completion of the track TO
sat Lake ,s IN iH es, spring. me hrss Two swo
In dispute between the eastern ana western
both are surveying and locating Il. and
the eastern company are absolutely sure OF control
aug al least one hundred niles OF IL. General bod re-
Their chief engineer, has gone forward To Salt Lake
10 push on the preparations ana maze the final loca
close 10 the northern side OF salt Lake, even gong
on piles over considerable section OF its waters,
ana span the spaces between several islands tlat
narrow IT. northern arm. This will leave Salt LAKE
Al aoOut tairty five niles 10 the SOUTH The LIST OF
iuy next year VIII certainly witness the entire road
inshed ana open 10 public travel from end Ia end.
WHAT great anu glorious Tour years WORK THIS VIII
be
The manner In which the road IL being bnilt has
been subject or some dispute and considerable
anxiety. From oil could see and hear, the cdar-
acter Of the work Is quito up TO tho average
OF other new roais In America better ! should
think, than most Of the Western roads on their
original completion. OF course, with such
temptation to- speed exists thoroughness Is
sacrificed 90 that at first; wide detours are
made to avoid ow cuts; trestle-work takes tho
place Of pier bridges or high embankments and the
track ID not hlle up full and firm; but after getting
ahead, contractors or company go back ana perfect
the line, cutting or unnecessary curves putting III
stone cuverts aud piers, and every way responding
To oil the exactions OF the government cominis-
slOnerS VINO inspect the work. and by whose ap-
nrnAll anlX ALiAln the uANlInInnQt