Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-13

qucIOr SHERWOOD, nau TAKEN q dram
| too much, and had allowed their
| fires in the engines 1--WE had three
attached to the train to go out.
There was just force enough left in
them to draw us into the deepest
| part of the bank and let US stay
there. Three cars were pushed out,
one by one, but the remainder of
the train was left there, and the
consequence was that the wind blew
the snow and packed it solid against
the train.
Another thing that must not be
forgotten is the daily rations We
received, not so much to keep us
alive as to reward us for our good
conduct and hard work. In the
morning we were allowed to have
an ordinary tin cup of coffee (pro-
vided We brought an oyster can or
| something else to put it il J, one bis
cult and about two or three good
mouthfuls of boiled meat. In the
afternoon this was repeated, with
the exception of beef soup being
substituted for coffee, Cooks had
fried oysters and doughnuts).
After partaking of this fare for
two days, about so of lis concluded
that we could fare no worse and
perhaps be treated better, by taking
the "walker" line, and accordingly
next morning we started for a nice
little walk of 80 miles, which we ac-
complished in four days. A few
had frost bitten and blistered feet,
but the majority were all right. 1t
may be also well to state that it
either showed or blowed all the
time, and at no time was the Tiers
mometer above the freezing point
and one day it was for a while 50
degrees below zero. At last we
reached the city of Laramie, and
took the cars that evening for Oma-
ha, at which place we were all glad
to buy some clean shirts and under
clothing and take good bath. Most
of US are much the worse for wear,
and we think it will be long time
before we take another ride over the
mountains on the Union Pacific rail-
road.
In consequence of the delay
at Rawlings, and expenses in
Cured otherwise, the trip cost
the passengers an average of
$I25 each more than they
would have been required to
pay if they had come direct through.
Many of the railroad officials and
employees manifested much ill-will
towards the gentlemen who had for
warded the Geographic message,
and at some points along the line
retaliation was threatened, but they
were all well armed and were not
molested.
Some sixty of the passengers
undertook the walk two miles east
of Percy. The first day they &C
complished twenty-one miles, the
second day hirty-eight miles, the
third day eleven miles, and the
fourth day eighteen miles. They
stopped at station each night.
The names Of those through which
they passed were Carbon, Medicine
Bow, Como, Rock Creek, Aliser,
Lookout, Cooper Lake, Wyoming,
Laramie. Considering the severe
weather, and the fact that many
were unaccustOmed to pedestrian
ism, they made remarkably good
time, and displayed great energy
and perseverance. They com
plain of high charges for pro-
visions along the road, having to
pay in some cases the sum of 81 %
for a small piece of bread with mo-
lasses. The officers in charge of
the road refused to entertain any
proposition to refund money for
extra expenses incurred by the pas
sengers. Their baggage was all left
behind with the train, which at last
accounts had proceeded seven miles
further eastward, taking two days
to make this distance.
At Rawlings they were RECALLED
on antelope as long as it lasted, and
the board bills of each man there
averaged nearly 81 per diem. All
were very unfavorably impressed
with the character of the accomma-
tons along the route, and declared
that it would be a long time before
they would undertake the overland
trip again. Those who walked are
sick of the journey, and pretty well
used up" Their account does not
speak we'll for the conduct OF the
railroad officials, and what the lat
ter may have to state in their de-
fence we know not. The foregoing
narrative is made up from the state
ments of gentlemen who endured
the perils and disappointments in
cident to the trip, and we cannot
blame them, if they are not, under
all the circumstances, in a very ami
able mood. We shall probably hear
more Of the matter soon from 9th
| er sources.
We learn that there is now but
200 miles of track to be laid between
the extreme western point of the
Union Pacific and the extreme east
ern point of the Central Pacific, and
that the whole will be put down in
seven or eight weeks from the pres
ent time Coming eastward and
gong westward, stages are taken
some distance before arriving at
the end of the track.
In less than three months it is
predicted that the roads will be
united and in running order the en-
tire distances. Louis Dispatch,
| March Z.
i