The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-10-05
THROUGH THE FAR WEST
xVIE.
THE PACIFIC RAILROADS.

The Condition Of the Union and Gen.
trail Pacific BFaRChes-The Road
Bed, Bridges, &C. - The PROMPT
Running Time Made from Omaha
TO SaeFamenfO-The Rates Of Fare
and GhaFges-DO the Roads Pay?-
The Great Value TO the Nation
Attractions Of tho Route for EX-
MISUNDERSTANDING.
| Editorial Correspondence
SACRAMENTO, Cal, Sept. %, 1869:
Having passed over the whole
length of the line from Omaha to
Sacramento, the readers of the Jour
NAL will naturally inquire for my
opinion on that mooted question. the
condition of the two Pacific Rail-
roads. l am not experienced in rail-
road construction, and hence cannot
give the testimony of q professional
expert. Neither have l examined the
road bed, bridges. trestles and eul-
verts, having simply passed over the
Roads as all passengers do. But
all travellers naturally will form
and express opinions in re-
gard to the routes upon which
they travel. My conviction is that
both the Union and Central branches
of the Pacific Road are we'll con-
structed, safe and pleasant routes.
We left Omaha at 9 o'clock AN, and
four days and four hours continuous
travelling, excepting the break in the
trip to Salt Lake), brought us to this
city, exactly on schedule time to the
minute, a distance of seventeen hun
dred and seventy-four miles; and this
is the usual experience. The train is
looked for daily in Sacramento aud
Omaha with more regularity than any
of the trunk lines land passengers in
New York City from Indiana. Our
trip was made over this long line
without any important delay in run
ming out of time, with not a single
alarm or accident, and the passengers
arrive In this city, owing to the com
Portable arrangements on the cars,
without feeling fatigue or WEAKNESS.
The bed upon which the track Is
laid Is by nature one of the best,
throughout almost the whole extent
of the line. 1t is either sand, gravel
or rock all the way, thus having at
hand the best materials for ballasting.
In the haste to push forward and
complete the road some temporary
bridges were erected. but these have
mostly been replaced by strong and
permanent bridges, and the work of
finishing and peTfecting the entire
track has been pushed forward with
vigor all Summer, and is still going
on. During the trip L conversed with
a number of experienced railroad men,
In no way connected with the COM
panies, and L found none who did not
pronounce it to be in excellent condi-
ton for a new road. Passengers who
pass over it feel no more fear of acct
dents than they would In a trip from
Indiana to New York, and not SO
much as By some routes which could
be named.
On the Union Pacific, from Omaha
to PromontoTy, the Pullman palace
sleeping cars are used, and from
Promontory to Sacramento the Cen
trail Pacific use their own cars, of
different style from the Pullman.
made at the Wilmington Car Works
of the pattern used on the New York
and Washington City Line, but they
are all new and elegantly furnished.
The eating houses along the route are
controlled by the railroad companies,
and are much better than one would
expect, off on the mountains and in
the sage brush and alkaii plains. The
expense Of travelling is considerably
in excess of the rates in the States Of
the East and Central West; but we
may reasonably expect that they will
gradually Approximate to them. The
irst-elass fare from Omaha to Sacra-
mento was, when came over, $40 in
greenbacks, which was a material re-
duction over the first rate. and a still
further reduction is promised. The
charges for the sleeping cars, which
are generally used by through passen-
gers, are, to Promontory, IS 90, in
greenbacks, and to Sacramento, So 90