Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-03-17
Omaha to Salt Lake.
Notes of a Journey over the Union Pa
cifc-The Wonders Of the Neao West.
THE CITY OF OMAHA,

Ou6 LAS UuG d VdS uS iucd VI IulS UCdu'
tiful city of the far west, in visiting,
through Imagination, while seated by
the family hearth in his New England
home. 1t occupies an exceedingly
beautiful situation, covering portion of
the low bottom lands of the Missouri
and extending back on the higher table
land and bluffs, giving it grand, bold
and commanding view. The streets are
regularly laid out, broad, lighted with
gas and we'll provided with street rail-
roads.
In manufactures, Omaha begins to
loom up as one of the principal cities of
the West.
Among the principal buildings is the
beautiful structure belonging to and
used as offices for the Union Pacific !;
the United States court house and post
office, built of Cincinnati freestone,
costing several hundred thousand dol
lars; the State Institution for the deaf
and dumb is also located here Although
some may think Omaha almost at the
end Of emigration, or an out of the way
place. it can boast of nearly thirty
church edifces, and as good public
schools and school system as any city in
New England. 1t has large and beau
tiful high school building, which for
beauty in design and elegance in finish
has but few if any superiors in the coun-
try.
The other eight ward school buildings
are most of them beautiful and commo-
diOus and costing together $l55,00O, so
the whole cost of school building within
the city amounts to the snug little sum
of S4O5,OOO.
These are only few of the many i'm
portant items of enterprise in this far
off city of the plains, and 60 to show us
how vast business has been built in
twenty years from the smooth, unopened
prairie soil, now made rich and active
with the hum of industry. Omaha is
the great, grand gateway through which
the western tide of travel and emigra-
tion is passing in search of what may be
found either for amusement, pleasure OF
profit on these fertile plains in the rich
ore beds of the Rocky Mountains or on
the Pacific coast.
OFF FOR THE NEW WEST.
Having rested and visited the princi-
pal places of interest of this beautiful
city, you will be ready to take fresh
start in your pleasant tour, now entering
in upon this great transcontinentiaI
railroad,-the Union Pacific. Repairing
to the large and splendid depot crossing
Ninth street. you will find one of the
most magnificent trains of cars made uE
by any railroad in the United States
Everything connected with it is frs
class. Pullman sleeping cars are attached
to all express trains and all travellers
know how finely they are furnished
with organ in the centre for the passen
gers to use at their will, in relieving tht
wearisome monotony of the tedious day.
in the journey from ocean to ocean. Th'
grandest of scenery borders its magnif
cent pathway, and along these iron line
of financial intrepidity and daring en-
gineering skill, there Is opened a neV
West, continent of itself, richer il
wealth than the most sanguine of hopes
and hither in so short space of tim
has poured so immense volume of trad
as to change the entire commerce of tn
world.
AS you leave Omaha, whose elevation
is nine hundred and sixty-six feet, tn
first station you reach is Summit Sidne
which is gained BY heavy grade of IL
feet and only little more than thre
miles away thence it is down grad
until you reach Gilmore. Here you will
first see what is called the bottom land
of Nebraska, and as rich as any land o.
the continent. From this station tn
road turns due west, passes over tn
rolling prairie and Papillion creek
through deep cut on the east side q
Elkhorn river, thence down a sligh
grade and you will find yourself in tn
Elkhorn valley. You have now left tn
: rolling prairie behind and south of you
: over beyond the Platte river, which no,
, first comes to view. You are now a
Waterloo, little more than so mile
from Omaha. At this point you ente
the Platte valley, of which so much ha
been written and which occupies sucl
an important place in the history of th
country. The Elkhorn valley is som
200 miles in length, running nearl,
north and south.
THE PLATTE VALLEY,
forming junction with it at this plac
runs due west for distance of NOR
than $50 miles, and varies in width fror
five to fifteen miles and seems to be
perfect level. The bluffs can be seen i
the distance on either side of the valley
Before the iron road made its way acros
these plains, it was the great highwa
of overland travel to Colorado, Utat
Oregon and California. The luxuriar
grasses and the nroYim;tv 70 vate