The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-09-10
THE SOUTHERN BRANCH RAILROAD.

In company with Messrs. Sharp and
Shaw we took flying trip along the
| line of the Southern Branch, on Tues
day evening last. Starting at late
hour from here, it was nearly midnight
before the party reached the headquar-
| tiers of the contractors, distant about
eighteen miles. Here the hospitallties
of the Oshkosh" were rendered for the
night. Next morning bright and early,
start was made for trip along the
works. We found five different camps
averaging in all five hundred men, and
the usual complement of teams, imple-
ments, &C., all busy as nailers, and
pushing the work on as rapidly as pos
sible. Moving in this direction we en-
countered the force of Mr.. Couse-not
less energetic-laying the track. Couse
closely follows the heels of the graders,
and is doing his work in the best man.
ner. Leaving this party we next turn
ed our faces toward Junction City, and
along the line of the track now finish
ed. Speaking of the grading of Sharp,
Shaw & Co., no better evidence of the
superior manner in which the work is
done can be afforded than the COM
mendations of those who follow-the
trackiayers. Indeed, so great is the
feeling manifested between these two
branches, that no difference how well
the preceding party do their work, the
followers who lay the iron and ties
are bound to find fault, and place the
burden of any discrepancy in the
straightness of the track or connection
of joints, to the road bed finishers. Not
so in this case however. The tracklay-
ers are unanimous in their praise of the
manner in which the work is done, and
many Ofthe most experienced declare 1t
to be as good q piece of work as they
ever saw. A glance at the track will
satisfy any practical eye on the subject.
Trains can with safety be run at speed
of thirty miles an hour, without the
slightest ballast under or around the
ties, but simply lying there on the ordl-
nary bed, and the rails spiked down. In
time it will be one of the best tracks in
the country, as fine opportunity is at
forded for ballast by the numerous rock
and gravel beds along the line. Messrs.
Sharp, Shaw & Co., promise to have the
work finished to Council Grove in less
than thirty days. They have gangs to
work the length of the road to EmpO-
ria, and all that men, means and imple-
ments can do, is being done to connect
us with our neighbors below. We can
even now almost shake hands with
Council Grove, and it will be but few
days before we can greet each other
heartily, and offer congratulations on
the future Sf this portion of our State
in generel and of the NeOsho Valley in
particular, in which Junction City and
Council Grove have Il common interest.
Emporia, too, will answer to her name
in our hearing before long, end so on to
each city and town throughout the
whole country, until our connections
with the gulf on the south and the
Mississippi on the east are perfect.
But to return to the contractors. We
must say that they are entitled to much
credit for the energetic manner in
which they are pushing the work, and
that too, while laboring against some
embarrassments which have of late
overtaken them, but which were entitle-
" beyond their cOntrol.-JunctiOn city
Union.