Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-06-08
RAILROAD HISTORY.
Tho Trials and TriLulatiNns of tho Chicago
T. Northwestern.
Railway Gazette, May Z.

the Union IlClAC iuiliOuN COIupully WAS
stra1ning every effort to build its road.
MI its stores had to be carried to Omaha,
its then eastern terminus by river, as
there were no railroads reaching Coun-
Gil Bluffs Omaha from the east. The
Chicago Il Northwestern railway had
been completed to Cedar Rapids in Cen
tral Iowa, where halt was called. 10
stimulate its completion or the compile
ton OF another or any other road to
Council Bluffs, tho Union Pacific offered
large bonus and the whole Of it's traf-
fic to the one that should DO fist fin
ished. Under this pledge Tho Chicago
~ Northwestern railway company
pushed their track-laylng and finally
reached the Missouri river at Council
Bluffs late in the fall of 1866. Winter
coming on early caught the track unbal-
lasted and lily prepared for the enorm-
GUS traffic that was by the Union Pacific
railroad Immediately forced upon it.
Thousands Of heavy laden trains with U.
p. freight were hauled over its unbal-
lasted and unfinished track. The fore
seen was the result and when spring
came tho track was out of line, the rails
were bent and twisted out OF shape and
the track was sunken, washed and pret.
ty nearly ruined. Hard times came.
The U. L. freight was all hauled. The
Chicago " Northwestern company had
not the means to repair its now almost
useless road. The result under the or
ders OF the then management was ine-
vitable. Business fell off and even that
that was offered was not properly, nor
could not be properly taken care Of. The
people stunned the road and its busi-
ness became the laughing stock to it's
more fortunate rivals that had by this
time reached Council Bluffs with their
roads.
When the present management came
into office, say June, 1872, the Chicago g.
Northwestern railway was carrying be-
tween Chicago and Council Bluffs lin
both directions) about 10 per cent of the
freight and about l21l5 to Is per cent of
the passenger traffic. Bear in mind
that it was entitled to carry Mt least 33
per cent of each, and had but recently
carried all of it. The new management
found a lot OF bent, twisted, rust-eaten
rails, rotten ties, wooden and dangerous
bridges on which to run the trains from
Chicago to Council bluffs. A "streak of
rust" was q common designation applied
to its road-bed. Being released from
the thraldom OF joint ownership with a
rival line, the Northwestern company at
once set to work to rebuild its road. At
first it relaid it with new iron and new
ties and rebuilt its wooden bridges. Get
ting. in year or so its road into as fair a
condition as was possible, it determined
to bring it up to the condition Of the very
best road that could be found in Ameri-
GA. Its track was changed in many places
SO as to lessen curves and grades, it's road
was raised from two to ten or twelve feet
i'll place of IRON steel rails were substitut-
cd, three thousand to thirty-four hun.
dred new oak ties were put down on eacl,
mile, iron and steel took the place OF
wood in its bridges, rock masonry took
the place OF rotten pine and rottcner elm
in it's culvcrts, machine crushed rock and
gravel for ballast took the place of prar;e
loan and muck, SO that to-day wo have
between Chicago and Council Bluffs
nearly five hundred miles of as excel.
lently built and constantly improving
track as can be found in the United
States. Its grades are very low-so much
so that on parts of it seventy loaded
freight cars ar ethe usual load for one en-.
gine. 1t is no uncommon feat for it's ell
gines to pull its passenger trains at fifty
miles per hour. The smoothness of its
track has become proverbial and to prove
theitruth of its admirable condition, its
chief engineer short time since on
leaying Chicago placed a goblet filled tc
the top with water on little table be.
tween tho seats that for this occasion
was reserved for this purpose, and with
out any attention or watching or rcflling
on arrival OF the coach at Council Bluffs
the next day it was found that the COB
let had not lost one sixteenth of an incl
of its contents. With these well known
facts it can readily be understood why
this company has not been forced tc
build and run sixteen wheeled cars, thus
loading its engines nearly double that
they should be merely to enable occu
can run light coaches and light hote
and dining cars and yet have its patrons
more comfortable than those roads tina
owing to their imperfect condition hav,
been obliged to adopt the heavy equip
ment that they pretend in their public
advertisements to have been PLACED
on their lines from choice. Th
public is not slow to learn the merits o.
iailrondg. Since the Chicago IL North
western has reached its present enviabl
condition its traffic has increased will
wonderful rapdity, SO much so that
is now carrying between Council bluff
and Chicago more than 40 per cent. q
the freight traffic Gn fact refuses freigh
every day to force its partners in th
Iowa pools it carry their due share) an
it is carrying several per cent. moro tina
a Of the passenger traffic. Some fou
or five years ago it paced Pullman he
tel cans on its California line. These al
tacted much Of the best and first-clas
travel across the continent to them, an
1t has SO constantly flowed in thi
direction that these cal
have become too small to accommodate
Its many patrons. Its management hf
been III doubt how to meet tho wants {
it's patrons. 1t could not OF course resol
againto the wnyside eating house,i coul
not run hotel cars enough to satisfy til
wants OF it's patrons; but one lesourt
was left for it and that was to adol
'dining cars" 1t is now building M
will about the first of June have con
pleted and will begin to run them b
tween Chicago and Council Bluffs. 10,
imperial palace dining cars, that ha,
been very appropriately named Il
"Brunswick," ''Delmonico," Iceland
and "Illinois.' Persons who have Sc,
these cars shy they are the finest, mo
have yet been built. They were built
the oompany's shops and from plans
its own adoption, so that it is bcliev'
that they will fill all Of the Requirement
o. the most particular traveller. Wi
the completion of its new central p,
scngerr station in Chicago, these ne
1mperla! palace dining cars and I
many improvements the Chicago
NsNr 4 Nven not