Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-11-02
Letter from the West.
BURLINGTON, Iowa, Oct.


Editor Rutland Herald Il have Just
returned from trip through Nebraska to
the western extremity of the Burlingt ton
and Missouri River Railroad, which is
now finished nearly to Fort Kearney. I
send you this letter, not 50 much with the
expectation of writing that which will be
of interest TO the general reader as for the
purpose of giving to those who may de-
sire it, that information which myself
sought before leaving the East. 1t would,
of course, be impossible for me, after 80
from my oa0n hnOa02edge of some of those
things to which l alludo. The facts here
submitted are not only the result of that
observation which I have been enabled
personally tn make, but are also founded,
in a measure, upon the representations
made TO me by the settlers with whom [
have couver-ed.
Upon leaving Burlington I could not
bat notice the perfection in the facilities
and management of the
BURLINGTON AND MISSOURI RIVER RAIL-
ROAD.
This completeness is so uniformly
maintained along its entire line through
Iowa and Nebraska that even now it en-
joys the reputation of being one Of the
finest roads in the country. The officers
in all its departments are gentlemen
whose iufuerca is felt in every railroad
congress in the West. Its rolling stock
is most complete It's bridges, culverts
and the track itself are most substantially
built The iron piers of its bridges are
driven iuto the ground some sixty feet.
1t seems bound to become eventually
most important link in the shortest and
most popular route between the Atlantic
and Pacific. Tapping the Union Pacific
g, Fort Kearney, it must effectualIy cut
eff the patronage of that portion of the
road which ,~uns aleng the first two hun
dre3 miles Of the river Platte and render
it in measure dependant upon local
traffic. At Burlington, its eastern ter
minus, it connects with the Chicago, Bur-
lngton and Quincy, which now runs its
cars into the city over it's magnificent
iron bridge across the Mississippi. Thus
it enjoys the most advantageous connect
lions with Chicago and the points beyond,
which is shown by its immense eastern
1t is even now driven, as
Michael SAID, "beyond its liabilities and
its increasing business calls for a CORES
poading increase in its rolling stock. !
Often the morning and evening trains
from the East bring into the city as many
as fourteen coaches filled with passengers
to be transported over her lines to the diff
ferent points in the West. These things
not only demonstrato the fact that "west-
ward the course of empire takes rs way"
but they also prove most Enthusiastically |
what il the most popular route to the
Wcs5. 1t would seem that there could |
not we'll be { country more naturally
adapted to the construction of a railroad
than this Compared with some other
70 de. It uu.t have been bu 1t with little
expense; for beyond Newton station west
Vard for fourteen and a-hslf miles, and
- u Dorchester to a point thirty -tg2
niles beyond. the track il laid in a direct
inc % straight as an arrow, swerving
.oi+bar 70 ,ba right nor left. After
.1oasa,.+ ride I some ten hours over rich
.ottom-Iand and .'oiiiag prairie, ne arrive
t the Missouri river and age on the west
~ boundaries Of lowe. Crossing Oh the
errv at Plattsmoutb, we IRE IN