The Portland daily press., 1869-07-03
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Saturday Morning, July 8, 1859.
Republican Nominations.
FOR GOVERNOR
JOSHUA L. CHAMBERLAIN,
OF BRUNSWICK.
OF BRUNSWICK.
The Pacific Railroad.

The Pacific Railroad.
This railroad track across this great conti-
nent has about ceased to excite the wonder
and admiration of the people. When first
started, it was considered stupendous, II not
impossible, but now it is finished, it is almost
Atlantic ocean is. And even the laying of
new one excites no surprise. We wonder if
any enterprise could be accomplished that
would be kept in mind a month after it was
done? II man should sail quite around the
world in balloon--to say nothing of cross
ing the Atlantic in one, or if that machine to
navigate the air now under way in San Fran
cisco prove success but little would be
thought of it in a few days after the feats had
been done. And it would seem that our peo-
pie are prepared to see railroad from earth
to the moon without being surprised at it.
Now 10 keep that great enterprise, the Pa
ci6c Railroad, in the minds of our readers a
short time longer, We make some extracts
from correspondent of the New York Trib-
une who is making his way over it and de-
scribing the scenes he witnessed. We do SO
because we esteem this writer reliable. His
letter has the following caption,
THROUGH TO THE PACIFIC.
SACRAMENTO, CAL, June 12.-From Chey-
enne came to sherman, 80 miles west, up
the first heavy grade upon the road-90 feet
to the mile. All around are bare mountain
tops. The ashen herbage is frightened by
blue lungwort and yellow Arkansas wall-flow-
ers in clusters as large as the palm of ha nd
or the crown Of hat Granite powders of
gray and brown, spotted with yellow moss,
are scattered here and there. One near the
summit is so feet high, and shelters the cattle
of a ranchman, who has fenced in little
space beside it.
Double snow fences of stones, or one of
stones and the other of boards, six or eight
feet high and few yards apart, follow the
north side of the track. Here and over the
Laramie Plains for 200 miles westward, the
winter is most Troublesome. The Chief Engi-
neer and Superintendent are sangune that
after year or two OF experience they can
overcome this enemy, so that no train need
ever be delayed more than "a hours They
will have to build more fences and roof the
cuts, and even then they may find their task
hard. Last winter was unusually mild, but
the drifts proved very Sificult to deal with.
Sherman is the highest railway point in the
WOKu-C,4tV lCCb dUotC tuC otds DUH. III is
not the backbone of the Rocky Mountains.
but only of the Black Hills, an outlying east
ern range. The continental divide is 200
| miles further west and 1000 feet lower
Sherman is in Evanss Pass, which bears the
name of its discoverer. He was one of
many martyrs to this great work-a Union
Pacific Surveyor, killed by the Indians. The
pass is in no sense a gorge or canyon--but
looks, geographically, like vast rolling prai-
rie disfgured by rocks and reached by a GEN
tie ascent. Nor are the distant mountains
on the north and south such slender peaks
and pyramids as fanciful artists lepict but
OILY low, irregular, broken ridges.
Sherman has half dozen dwellings. The
landlord OF the little tavern told me that wa
ter thrown upon his porch at midnight, any
night in the year, would freeze before morn
ing A sign in his bar-room bears the pleas
ing legend:
sFresh trout every days" but no trout
came when we did call for them. Running
now-water-abhorrent to their good taste
was pleaded in excuse. They weigh less than
half pound apiece, but are very savory. The
neighborhood also enjoys the company of
beavers, ground-hogs, hares or ~jackass. .rab-
bits" antelopes, few elk, brown and cinna-
mon bears, and a silver-gray bear which is Of
ten taken for the grizzly. The cinnamon
bear is the most formidable; sometimes he is
eight feet long from his nose to his little
stump tail
.ss,er.,ss-y isse other desert stations, has
wmd-mlll some 20 feet in diameter, which
tank beside f The trasR R hue igrnfk aank holds 5000
gallons-the pump fills it in ten hours. When
full, the water lifts little float: that pulls
wire; the wire shuts up the sails OF the wind
mill, dozen yards away, and it instantly
stops. When the tank gets nearly empty, the
tsa ,s;r,,,,, m sse.,a oas vlehS 'ne saifs, ana
inoenious annsrat,,s syI sa, me soss .. @ tne
arPa,a.us ai set up Is about S0OOo.
as,;,'S fs yo eseu W sreat adsrntaee Tor irri-
sIs,nS' snsn9S ~ = one y, thousand instances In
merely ,,s;I;z;n. '',Isy, ,sa ,ly, not Content with
plihes ;,h,,, anem INTO acng tne,r appointed work,
kand m,,.s ~ any ,,,e W " overlook Them or any
nand 70 regulate.
FROM sherman rode down upon a loco
motive three miles, to Dale Creek bridge.
which bears the label, "Siosc trains 10 four
miles an hour In crossing" II is OF tresfle-
work, 1877 feet high, and 500 feet long wen
fio0red, and firmly stayed by wire cables
which are bolted into the rocks at the bottom
of the gorge, where glides the water OF the
narrow stream, dim and almost black Seen
from below and at little distance. the sfr,,c-
ture looks like an exquisite piece of eossa
mer. III l . =
just below lives German "secfion-man -
who has fenced off little patch, set out a
few stalks of cactus and wild flowers and
planted garden seeds. As vet none have
come up. The chief trouble. y he exnlains
with a perplexed look, ssis that IL meyer rains
here except in June.D sBut can't Won water
your garden P, "Well. yesn fhesitatinoIvl
SHow far do Won have to hiring waterpa
.Haif a raile.v What with deseTt soil and
rainless climate. and frosts every mouth ,,i a,J
no water. even for drinking. within half "a .
mile, it is a yery desperate essav at ao,;cn. i,s
turei =
Our train was heavy and late. so we ran
often 40 miles an hour, and made up two
hours during the night. The sleeping car,
though gliding with perfect smQe.ssss'
swayed good deal in passing aroprd curves:
Vvom;ng on5 NIL, ,,J.sssf Is $50 miles wide.
and runs from british America down into
New Mesdco' lne Not,nein t, f,t,,r anu tne 0outn-
cross it. ~
On tne Union racine, coal Is now mined
at nan u uozen points, Carpon, ooo mics from
0mana, oa1 & pemg & .he moss eastern, aod Ecno'