The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-30
/ From the Troy Press.l
NEfsisASix A.
Its Gates Ets RaiIroads-lts Popu-
IatIOn.

Omaha is city Of $4,000 or more nhab-
itants. 1t is on the west bank of the
Missouri opposite Council Bluffs IN Iowa.
and is the initial point of the Union Pacific
railroad in Nebraska These has been
long contest between these two cities. or
rather between Council Bluffs and the
Union Pacific railroad. in regard TO the
starting place of the latter. The L. p.
railroad, it is claimed, was chartered to run
from Council Bluffs westward. 1t started
from Omaha and has always made an extra
charge for transit except on through
tickets across the river. The offices of the
[. F., railroad company are at Omaha.
Council Bluffs has been ambitious of the
prestige that would be secured by being
the beginning of this great enterprise, and
has gone to the courts TO compel the rail
road company 20 include III its line the
bridge between the two cities | am not
aware that decision has yet been reached.
1t certainly would be a great relief to the
traveller TO be rid of this tribute to the
bridge company. Omaha derives its chief
importance as well as business from the
[. i. road. The browning glory of Omaha
its public school which boasts of the best
school buildings in the United States Ne
braska city is also on the west bank Of the
Missouri and about fifty miles below
Omaha. Before the day of railroads west
Of the Missouri this was the place at which
the wagon trains were generally made up
for their journey across the plains. 1t is
the eastern terminus of the Midland Pacific
railroad, is one of the Oldest cities in Ne
braska and has quite an eastern appear
ance. Lincoln, the capital of the state, is
about fifty miles west of the Missouri. some
twenty or more miles south Of the Platte
river and at the junction of three railroads,
the Burlington and Missouri river, the
Midland Pacific and the Atchison and Ne
braska. Lincoln is only seven years from
''thc stump and yet has population of
1000 has the state capitol, the state uni
versity and agricultural college, the state
penitentiary and the state lunatic asylum.
Lincoln has large number of fine resi-
dences, an elegant public school building
and several public blocks that would not
disgrace any eastern city. Lincoln has
curiosity in its flowing artesian well in the
middle of Market Square. 1t sunl: to
the depth of one thousand feet with the
hope of obtaining a supply of water for
the city. 1t disappointed the expectations
OF the people, for instead of yielding fresh
water it pourS out from sX-inch pipe a
stream of highly magnetic salt water So
magnetic is it that common pen-knife
blade being held in it for Il few moments,
becomes so charged that it will pick up
shingle-nal, In the hands of some enter
prisng enthusiastic disciple of Esculapius
it might be utilized as medical agent, and
made to build up a flourishing sanilarium
that would add greatly to the business and
reputation of the city. In the immediate
vicinity of Lincoln there is small lake
that furnishes an abundant supply of salt
water and may be developed so as to be-
come as important to Lincoln as the saline
depOste at Syracuse and Saginaw are to
those cities. Lincoln is surrounded on all
sides by n rich agricultural region, and with
the advantage which the state business and
institutions give it, must, as the population
increases in density, become a considerable
city.
The city of Kearney has an enviable To-
cation, and is destined ut no distant day to
be an important place. 1t is near the geo.
graphical center of the state, and at the
junction of the Burlington and Missouri
river road with the Union Pacific. The
military post established there has made
the name quite familiar at the east In this
ambitious state there are many other places
that have taken the name of cities and
perhaps at some remote time they may
vindicate their right to be so called.
Nebraska has nearly twelve hundred
miles of railroad-amongst them the Union
Pacific and the Burlington & Missouri river
are chief. The Burlington & Missouri
river road has appended to its name by way
of distinction in this state, in Nebraska"
The Union Pacific runs through this state
from east to west, following the Platte
river on the north side. Its length in Ne
braska is nearly five hundred miles. The
Burlington q Missouri river in Nebraska
is the continuation of the b. Il NJ. road
which runs in connection with the Chicago,
Burlington Il Quincy road, thus making
continuous line from Chicago to kearney
city, where it unites with the L. p. Its
length in Nebraska is one hundred and
ninety-one miles. This company operates
also branch road from Gratis to Beatria, II
distance of same thirty miles.
The Midland Pacific road extends from
Nebraska city, on the Missouri river, west
ward through Lincoln, as far as Seivaro, Il
distance of eighfy-three miles, and con-
templates junction with the Union Pa
ctic at some point east of kearney city.
The Atchison & Nebraska road runs from
Atchison, Kansas, to Lincoln, Nebraska, a
distance of one hundred and forty-seven
miles, nearly one hundred of which are III
Nebraska. This road gives both an east
OF yia
one through Kansas and Texas to the Gulf
of Mexico and rigorous efforts are made TO
divert the trade of that western country to
Galveston.
The st. Joe & Denver boat runs from st.
Joe, Missouri, to Hastings its point OF
union with the Burlington & Missouri river
road forty miles east of Kansas City. Its
entire length is 225 miles, nearly 100 of
which lie in Nebraska The Omaha &
North Western runs from Omaha in north
westerly direction about 100 miles to plain
called Vissner.
Other roads are contemplated and in pro-
gress The influence of railroads in the
settlement and development of this as we'll
as other western states cannot be over
estimated. In the absence of navgable
streams it would be long years before the
country could be settled and population
sustained in it for railroads. These and
the Inhabitants sustain a relation of mutu-
al dependence and interest and he is no
friend to either who fosters spirit of hos
tility between them as though they were
antagonistic to each other. The settler
when he looks for homestead wants to be
as near as possible to railroad and the
parts of the country remote from a rail
road or from the prospect of one in the flu
ture, will be settled only after the increase
Of nomination along the eXstng lines of