Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-17
The Pacific Railroad Ia Winter

HFOHl Lne alta AdlltOrnla.I
The impression has got abroad in the Atlantic
states thar the Union and Central Pacific rail
road lines have been retarded by snow this win
ter. When or how this report originated cannot
be ascertained, but one point is certain, there
is not one word of truth in it. The report in-
jured the Union Pacific road materially, be-
cause it has little to depend on but the through
traffic, while the local or way traffic of the Cen
trail Pacific road constitutes sixty-ive to seventy
per cent. of its total buSin 9ss. Newspapers in
the Atlantic states which are friendly to the
Union Pacific line, and which wish TO have the
truth known, should let the public there under
stand that trains on the Pacific railroad lines,
between Omaha and San Francisco Bay, have
not once this winter arrived at either end ofthe
roads twenty minutes behind time, although
some extremely severe snow storms have occur
red within month, which blockaded nearly all
of the western and northwestern railroads east
of Omaha
The Pacific railroad, by the Central route, has
now been in operation two winters, and snow
has proven an easily conquered obstacle. Snow
was once great bugaboo but it is quite time it
were known that it is so no longer. The snow
sheds and fences on the Union Pacific road are
completed, while the snow-sheds on the Central
Pacific line have long been so. These, with the
occasional use of q snow-plough, render daily
travel as regular in the winter as in the summer
season. And it should be remembered, too,
that the trip asross the continent, so far as re-
CARDS warmth, can be made with as great COM
tort in the depth of winter as at any other time.
All of the passenger cars are heated, and have
double windows, out OF which the passengers
can look with perfect complacency, and with
perfect comfort, on the bowling snow-Storms,
winter desolations and lonely grandeur of the
mountains and plains. Indeed, the terrors of
these without but add to the cheerfulness and
comfort of the cars within.
Cars run with N Ich greater ease and with
much less jar over track that is smoothed by
snow and frost than they do in the summer sea-
son, when the latter are absent. Because of the
smoothness which the cold weather causes, the
cars now come down the mountains as though
the wheels were running on velvet, and with the
additional covering provided in winter in the
sleeping cars, much better sleep can be enjoyed
then than in the dusty summer. In addition to
being thoroughly protected against delays from
snow, the tracks, bridges, culverts and other
equipments of both the Central and Union Pa
clfc roads were never in such good condition as
at present.
By far the most pleasant time to make the
overland trip is in the early spring, after the
season of extreme cold and before the dust of
the plains becomes annoying in the cars; es-
pecially is that the most pleasant time for At
lantic tourists. California is literally land of
flowers in spring, while, because of our lon 9 dry
season it becomes land of dust and apparent
barrenness in summer. Mr.. Hutchings says
that Yosemite is never SO beautiful as late in
April and during the month of NAV.
If Atlantic papers would pay more attention
to the facts contained in San Francisco papers
relative to the Pacific railroad and Pacific coast
matters generally, they would serve the cause
of truth and justice much more than hey now
do when speaking of this coast.