New-York tribune., 1868-09-15
IN TIE P1AINS AND TIE M0UYTdINS.
FROM NEw-YORK TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
NEBRASKA AND wYoMNG-THEm LANDS
AND CITIEs-UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD PRO
our SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

OMAHA, Neb., August, 1SGS.-JuSt returning
from a trip from New-York to what was. at the time,
the end of the track of the Union Pachc Kailroad
note some of the impressions which are made upon
the traveller who thus journeys two-thirds OF the
way across the continent.
One fact is SO persstently urged upon the traveller
by rail that no could not forget nor ignore it if he
would; that is, that the West is far ahead of the
East in making railroad travel not only comfortable
but luxurious The stage of our journey from Chicago
TO Omaha was made in cars supplied with every com
fort of hotel except the diningroom. The car was
q spacious parlOr, with sofas, easy chairs, alhPie
dressing g-rOOmS. plate glass windows, ana paiioI
organ of excellent tone and power. Al mgst d tnis
paIlOr was transformed into series OF pcu--
rooms as superior to the sO-caled stepiue C"Ie
OF some Of our Eastern roads as hey are 10 teuo-
ment house " "shake-d0wn" These cars run IIoll
Chicago TO Omaha a distance of 800 miles. From
Omaha westward. we had all these appliances OF
hotel. with the addition OF dining room; wneIe Wei
cooked meals embracing widely varied Dill Oh rare,
were served up hot from the kitchen car IN advance,
while the train running 80 miles per hour l am
aware that the idea of dining cars Is neither entIey
new nor peculiar to this road butnO Eastern road has
vet carried it ont attracuyey and successfully as
has been done here
of its principal city, are pleasant After hls long
Iide across Iowa to Missouri Valley Junction, about
- miles from Omaha and the branchng-oti point Ior
Sioux Cityl the road which has. up to TINS point
followed nearly a due west course benGs 70 g IIig
southwark, and rms between the Missouri hlTeI any
Wuts thc capitol building at Omaha has been prom
iuently visible and while vet hall dozen Illles %
away, the whole city Is clearly III Wow Ilslns itf
the rver bottom to the crown OF tne western plIio ms
Closer iuSprcti0n is not Disappointing Iht Guy hqS
a sup.lb site for a handsome and growing town. III
has population of about 700 mostly gained WIN
Inn the past three years The streets are regularly
laid ont with a view to the future growth OF the
place Upon laruham and Douglas-Sts there are DTlcS
Lusiuess- blocks that would adOrn any city, ana
,,ersgurihs houses occupying them whose annual
sales exceed g. 100000 Paragraphs conceived IN maj
ice or utter ignorance have been floating thIOuRh
Eastern journals IN effect that Omaha is uem, neI
business all gone her merchants failing; her STORES
closed, and detection visible throughoHI an her III III
it's There is truth IN such reports. LUIS place. my
aII other new Western towns which have manifest
advantages of position and of communication, mas
Suffered by the speculation fever, and by oveTstOck-
ing the market with clerks. boOkkeepeIS, ana pro-
fcSsional Thus, am told that hity -touT lawyers
are seeking their fortunes IN the courts OF Ohahaa
number absuplly disprOpOrtlonate TO It's require
meuts. Some of these men VINO hnd no support III
their professional calling may declare that Omaha Is
in decne but the fault Is their own, MOI heIs' %
the land agents and real estate specuat0Is, VINO
reaped rich harVesS last year year before may
now depore the fact that property does not double
in price every twenty-four hours ana assert tnai
fbc citvs glory has departed. Bat every suOStantAI
fact dispTOves their assertions The solid legitimate
business Of Omaha Is steadily increasing ana must
do so by the very nature OF heI position ana sur
rouudings This Is and must continue 10 be the
commercial city of Nebraska and the outlet for the
immense harvests which are to he gathered from
Nebrasla's valleys and uplands. AT TINS point VIII
center the Eastern connections Of the UnlOn racine
here Will frelghtS from the west DC udhSIeITtu
TO boats for st. Louis loo miles below or foIt Den,
ION 2OOO miles above The machine and ear-sh0ps OF
the Pacific Railroad here, and Will be extended
as the necessities of the road shall require see no
reason to doubt the steady and satisfactory growth
of Omaha until 1t shall be one OF the most important
of our inland cities.
papers represent the two political parties, each very
eesibly striving to take the lead IN the amount OF
ITS correspondence from all parts of the state re-
spcctng crops, local improvements, pOutcal move
ments, etc. l notice that particular attention has
been given here to planting trees both fOI shade ana
timber. Nebraska has but few trees, and yet IN no
section of our country do they grow more rapidly
and surely when properly planted and cared for than
here Nearly every dwelling in the city of from the
main business streets is surrounded by little grove
of cottonwood, elm, locust, walnut, OF maple AIOI
these flourish well upon Nebraska soil Ihe
subject of treeplantng has been strongyurged upon
the people by Dr. Miller, editor of The Herald who has
made the subject of special study and careful eX
pertinent. He asserts that timber OF the best KIND
can be more cheaply raised here than It can be
brought from abroad, the young trees needing only
the same attention that the farmer would give TO
any other crop. TIee-planting clubs have been
formed in several of the counties OF the State which
are experimenting upon large scale. and hopes are
entertained OF obtaining liberal appropriation from
Congress for the purpose of planting large parts OF
the public lands with those trees which will be most
useful
Tie Railroad COmpanys manufacturing and repair
shops at this point very complete. They now
cover about eight acres of ground of the forty acres
held by the company for depot and mechanlcal pur-
poses. The buildings of brick and very substan-
TALLY constructed. The machinery is of the best,
other great manufacturing points that the breaking
of one machine mi ght delay all operations for days.
The energy shown IN constructing these works de
serves recognition. IL was essential that theSeTepar
shops should De operation soon as the cOnstIuc-
ton of the road from this point westward was begun
AT that time there eastern railroad cOnmunl-
cation with Omaha, and the steam engine which
drives all this machinery was hauled 10 miles by
mules from Des Mones. The brick of which the
buildings are constructed made in Omaha, and
is of excellent quality. All kinds of cars are made
here the passenger bearing the imprint OF their
shops equaiing any which have ever seen in beauty
of finish. About 100 men are employed IN the
fOundeTy, planning mills caT-shOpS painting shop and
repair shops, every species of equipment except the
locomotives being made upon the spot lhe IoeOmO-
tiyeS obtained flOm Taunton, Providence, Pater-
son. Trenton, and other points at present but ultl
mately they Will he manufactured here. The engines
are all adapted TO burn coal but some Of them now
wood upon the Eastern divisions The company
have III locomotives, and we passed ten or dozen
more on a side-tIack at Council Bluffs waiting until
the river which Is very high, should fall sufficiently
10 let them be brought There great need of
the bridge which the Railroad Company Will build
here the contract for which has recently been en-
tered into with Chicago builders.
Nebraska has great future. Agrlculturaly, no
State in the Union can show greater capacity For
2O miles west from the eastern line of the State the
soil is rich and deep that barvests unknown else
where are here the rule rather than the exception,
Years ago, when those who now " old settlers
came into this isolated region-say 10 to IS years
agO-they built their cabins only IN the river bottoms
and rated the uplands worthless. Yet to-day Ne
bTaSka upands are producing 40 bushels of wheat to
the acre. which brings 10 cents bushel premium IN
the St Louis market that of Wisconsin or Iowa
growth The official statistics show that the average
yield of wheat throughout the State in 1867 POI
bushels TO the more than that OF any other State.
Oats grow astOnishngly. have before a sample
bunch of Russian oats grown by f. ii. Stewart at his
farm, about three miles from this CITY, and which
this year average 90 bushels 10 the acre. after being
considerably damaged by the grasshOppers. Such
corn fields as NAV be along the line of the rail-
road for 80 miles west of this point, / have seen
nowhere else in the ride from New-YOrk bay 10 the
Missouri. Not much attention bas yet been given TO