Omaha daily bee., 1883-12-01
LOCATION oFTHE UNION PACIFIC
Interesting Information From Peter
A. Dey, II FIRST Chief Engineer.
Iowa Cry, November go, 1888,

Iowa Cry, November 90, 1883.
L. Rosewater, Editor OMAHA BEE:
DEAR SIR:-I think in 1862 l attended
the convention in Chicago that formed
the preliminary organization of the Union
Pacific railroad. l went there at the re.
quest of the late Henry Farnam (af,er
whom the principal thoroughfare
in Omaha ia namely, in whose
employ l had been for n number
of years, then the president of
the Chicago Il Rock Island road. His
intention was to interest himself in the
project. AS l had given close at en-
ton to the explorations across the con-
tinent made by the government, Mr..
FarHam desired to avail himself OF any
information chat | might possess. The
policy of the government previous to the
war had been to subsidize two railroads,
a northern and a southern line, and COM
paratively little attention had been paid
to examining a central route. A study
of Stansbury's survey of Salt Lake and
some other disconnected ~recomIoisances
had satisfied me that less difficulties
would be encountered on n line follow
ing the Platte river as lar as practicable
and continuing west i'll about that lati-
tude, than either north or south of it.
At the convention the company was
temporarily organized by the election of
VIM. b. Ogden as president, Henry v.
Poor, secretary, and Thomas w. Olcott,
treasurer. Early in September of the
same year, by direction of Mr.. Farna,n,I
went to Denver, looked for a practicable
crossing of the mountains west of that
place. Failing to find any opening l
went north to the head of Lodge Pole
creek, examined the country, and fixed
regarded as feasible. | then went west
and selected a crossingof the main divide
of the continent and also of the rim Of
the Great Salt Lake basin. The nature
of the country was such that an engineer
had but little difficulty in fixing the route
where the road should 90 if these three
points were determined, the entrance tothe
Salt Lake valley WAS a simple matter. /
returned i'll the..'all and made n iulll eport
with a st remeut of the points where the
road would its greatest diff
~culries and the gradients that would prob.
ably be encountered. While my report
waBmo,efavorable and the project seemed
easl,r If accomplishment than anricipat-
ed, Mr.. Farnam did not pursue the
matter further and in a short time
went to Europe. Nearly a year
elspsed and noJhlng was done to help The
project along. In August, 1868, Mr..
Thomas Q. Durant telegraphed me to
meet him in New York with such infor.
nation as / had with regard TO the route.
In September, by his directions, l organ
lzed engineering parties, made surveys
from the mouth Of the Platte river, Belle
vue, Omaha aud Florence over into the
Platte valley near Fremont. | also sent
a party to run a line from Lodge Pole
creek INTO the Laramie plains, and also
over the main divide, l think through
Bridger Pass. l a 30 sent a geologist to
examine the strata ut the mountains aud
along Bitter creek and Green river, To
ascertain the extent and value of the coal
measures, and ascertain whether iron
could be found in quantities to warrant
working.
About the fist Of November I went
with Mr., Durant, MI. Carter, a gov
eminent director, and the Hon.
John Kasson, to Washington. While
We were there President Lincoln
fixed the terminus of the road
at Omaha. The certificate, which he
framed himself, limited the point TO any
place in the section in which the city of
Omaha was located. My own judgment.
at the lime, was that ether Bellevue or
Childs' Mill was the proper point. This
wad bnsrd upon the fact that it seemed
easier to bridge the NJ ssouri river there,
and the grades to the Platte river would
he better than further north. | never
knew the reason for fixing the point at
Omaha, but supposed that it was regarded
AZ more practicable to bring the Iowa
roads together there than AT any point
further north or south. Daring the year
1864 surveys were made from o naha ~
Kearney, from Lodge Pile creek cnnsecu.
lively, 10 the opening of Weber river in
to Salt Lake valley. A survey was also
made through the Laramie canyon
During the same year considerable grad
ing was done from Omahaw st, and ar
rangerments were made for procuring ties
and timber. Considering the difficulty
Of securing labor and supplies, St. Jo-
seph being the nearest point reached by
rail, very much was accomplish,d The
entire route WAS practically determined
and n reasonable start wat made towards
con 'truction. On tho lst If January.
1865, my relations with the road termi-