The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-01-31

or projected, the entire West, Northwest
and Southwest will be opened to the
world with their products and vast wealth
of grain, wood, gold, silver, copper, and
nearly all minerals used in the arts and
with their countless herds of cattle for
the sustenance of innumerabl< people.
In opening up these means q inter-com-
municaion great difficulties we're encoun-
tered especially by men who went out in
to the wilderness.to lay the track Of the
Union Pacific. The country for hun
dreds Of miles over the vast plains was
pcopled by tribes Of Indians, who rcamcd
about in their hunting-grounds and were
bitterly opposed to any such medicine
as railroad. In everypossible way they
interfered with the workmen, who had to
be armed and guarded by sort of sol
diery. At night the engineer had to
form camp and station scntinels the
Indians wherever they could do SO tore
up the rails, bot yet this WIS not the
chief annoyance, since the savages had
not sufficient mechanical ingenuity TO do
much damage ia this way, and if they
had had it, tools were not at their com-
mand. The plains, seeming to be level
are not really so, and Il man half a mile
away from his party often was not in
sight of it, and stragglers Of this sort were
liable. at any moment TO be swooped down
upon by the red devils who longed for
their scalps. Some true and some very
absurd stories arc told Of adventures ar
ising from this state of things, as where
it Is said that a party Of Indians. seeing
a locomotive coming at full speed, at
tempted to lasso it, and did so so sue
cessfully that presently they found them
selves flying through the air in a very
mixed and ludicrous condition. Men
were often set upon and killed, Of course,
but as they had taken their lives in their
hands when they went out to the West
on such an undertaking, it was but wha.
they had to expect. Some of the young
men became quite noted for their bravery
and sirewdness, as, for instance, dash
ing young fellow named Schuyler who
was with the party building the Kansas
Pacific. Many tales of his proves arc
told, and among them is the following:
He was once separated about half a mile
from the rest of his party and saw a line
Of Indians armed with rifles coming to-
wards him. His friends were due east
Of him and the Indians were due north
coming on at such rate as showed him
that ingenuity and dash were the only
means by which he could escape. Should
he ride towards his friends he would be
directly exposed to the fire of all bis en-
emies; he chose wiser course, and drop
ping the bride on his horses nock-the
horse he knew and could trust--he drew
his revolvers and rode directly at the
Indians and through them, bl.zing away
at such rate that two of the red men
reeled dead to the ground and one-as he
learned two years afterwards-was NOR
tally wounded. lie himself escaped un-
harmed. though bullet tore up his
sleeve from wrist to shoulder. Many
such stories are told. The Indians yet
iniest the country through which the
roads pass, but they have grown more
cautious as time has gone on. \ very
short time ago every train that traversed
the plains had to go armed. Engineer,
baggage-man, conductor, and all had
their rifles ever ready for use, and even
now no train starts without being to some
extent prepared to meet the attacks of
the Indians. But of course this state
of affairs will soon pass away rs the great
West becomes more and more cultivated
and civilized.