Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-05-14

Z This :. magnificent enterprise,
spanning tho Jcoatinent for clever.
hundred miles from Omaha, Ne
braska5 to sacfa4ncnto City In, Cal
sforhia, has at last been completed.
On Saturday, the last rail was laid,
md FASTENED with a. tie made OF
California laurel, tipped at each
end, with solid silver, secured with
=. . gold spike, weighing twenty
ounces, with suitable inscripti ons. -
So at last We have railroad grid
ling the vast plains Of the Wcst,
surmounting the sleeps of the
Rocky mountains, and placing us
within few days travel of "the
golden gates Of the Pacific. -
Steam is tho great civilizer, and
Theron horse is the missionary of
n great evangel; the pioner of all
the arts. "Westward the star of
empire takes its way" and amid tho
vast plains, and untold resources of
the far West, that empire is laying
deep and extending wide the foun-
datlons of it's colossal power.
The congratulations with which
the completion of the great work
has been received, have however
been very much abated, by the
startling disclosures of the waste
> full cxtravagance and heavy swim
I" ding Of the contractors, which
have been recently made in the re-
port Of Mr.: Chauncey to snow,
one Of the Government directors,
The contractors it seems, have re-
allied a-net profit of $50, 600, 600,
and after appropriating the im-
mehse " expenditures which have
been laid out upon the road, are
exhibiting an excess Of liabilities
. oyer assets Of .$1s,576,o47.. ..~..
From an exchange we clip the
following instrueting summary of
the charges which are embodied
In Mr.. Shows report, ....4'1
eve expected there would W bo
heavy swindling in the work, but
we. bad pot: supposed that the man
sggeaFs would l find their own interest
IN making m 90. poor q road as they
have understanding, to Mr.. Snow.
,SeEeral months ago the special
commissioners reported:i that the
aasteEn half of the: road was very
imperfect, and that it could not be
put In good condition for less than
Ax'' or seven millions But the
Inanagers Nave paid no 10 attention
to,this report Keeping ti 8! 8 on in the
same Poor. way, and doing, nothing
thoroughly except the work of
Drawing their Government subsides.
6 Ht::will be remembered that the
EoyerRment subsidy was. SIC, 900
mile, with alternate scctions% of
land from Omaha to Cheyenne,
end $4ssaQe- a mile for $50 miles
aapas:the Rocky Mountains, under
tbe' belief that the difficulties of
that section were enormous. Prac-
tcaAyithas cost but little more to
build the road over the mountain
district than elsewhere, Very fit
tie grading has; been done, com M
Raratively. The road followed the
natural q! incline of the route, and
generally upon the original surface.
Mr. Show estimates the, necesssary]
cost for building and weapippin ID
tie rosd from Omaha to Cheyenne,
HzImiles, at $50, ,aao % tnile-op
AS579,0o0; and dor the. 5ss miles,
beyond at $4,000 a mife-or S24 4
4sa W1 This would make the
total necessary cost for l;ieo'mifesi
$a6, 1895, ,ooo:- fhis would be the
vsihe6F ths4oad When; completed
ifasvesstiABg s1ould? remaiti' win
odt ENSptsHaa aatHfon.s obdtg hi fnisppaoai ppaoaint9 rs oof|
fae fhsfes bus BEEN d ID depreciiatiioan JS eeiitiaI
instAsa fohhg stock Of sof @ Sner
csats sh8 oRing t, , ,fbes e bfad eharac-l
tesSf sSS y sshs Eoaabed tbatis worn ,,l opt||