Omaha daily bee., 1883-12-01

:, In, ,s,.'d over 200 miles Of road |
c;s,, -. at the rate of % miles a
. ~ No. Harbaugh, Carter an
!. Sherman, went on All, inspected Tn
/. balance of the comptste portion OF tn
r road, and then roturusd o. ''wSrd, IN
9 rest OF the party went ON &C. o"Her Q
stage from Fort Kearuey. IN IN, COZ
: ncction it may be stated tho sbovs pa, =
came from Chicago over the Chicago 4
{ Northwestern road TO the end of H.
7 track, 400 miles west of Chicago, auC
; fcom the end e tho track they came t.
Omaha by stage, "a distance Of ninety
mics. Before proceeding on, their triy
westward from Omaha they ex tmined
tho extensive SHOPS of the Onion Pdct6c,
which had beon constructed within the
past year.
Mr. seymour aud his companions re.
turned Scom Colorado early In October.
Mr. Seymour III writing an account of
his trip said: THE sceuc along che road
WIS both interesting and exciting Here
was "A fine passenger ststion in course of
construction, there, q freight or water
station was being put up as If by magic,
Now, we were halted upon a aide track
W sii' ~ VI InlTLN OF IOrtY cars
laden with ties, rails, chairs aud spikes
for the track, to pass. And then we
would meet n train laden with stone or
other material for tho foundations or
superstructureo u distant bridge. Every.
thing and everybody seemed full of life
and energy; and all working to tho same
great end, and being directed by the
same master mind" Mr.. Seymour's let
tors to the Now York Times concerning
this great enterprise, attracted n great
deal of attention, and were afterwards
published in n little volume entitled
Western Incidents" In one of his let
ters he took occasion to pay the follow
ing
TRIBUTE TO THOMAS q. DuRANT:
No ono who knows Mr.. Thomas G.
Duraut, tho vice president of the Union
Pacific railroad, and has witnessed his en-
tire devotion to this great enterprise, and
tho untiring energy which he has brought
to bear in overcoming the many difficult
ties i'll its rapid construction, while acting
as the principal executive officer of the
company, in tho absence of the president,
Gen. DIX (whose time, during the late
war, WAS pr ncip lily devoted TO his duties
tt WV ilh J, W u tNlNttIo W aNkTN W
him tho highest honors, both rs u railroad
manager and public benefactor.
One year ago, not u mile Of road had
been accepted by tho govornme 1t; only
twelve or fifteen miles had been laid west
of Omaha; and it was struggling along at
tho rate of from oue gu after to a half
mile per day. To-Day, two hundred and
forty miles of track have been accepted
by the government. Soma twelve or ff-
teen Smiles additional have been com
ploted, aud it is steadily progressing Mt
the rate of from II and u half to two
miles per day. Fourteen thousand and
two hundred feet, or ttUo and seUen tenth
mics, have been laid in II single day.
Ono year ago, the foundations were
commenced for the machine shops at the
eastern terminus of the road. Today,
they are substantially completed, and III
full operation, with stalls for twenty loco.
motives, aud machinery for doing the re-
pairs of three hundred miles of road; also
car.shops, manufacturing and turning out
two cars each day; and the whole giving
employment to three hundred and fifty
mechanics.
One year ago, there were only three
locomotives and twenty platform cars en-
gagged in the raj importation of materials.
To-day, there are twenty-three loopmo-
tives, and two hunpred and fifty freight
cars employed in the same business-tiv
iirst-class passenger cars, with tho neces
sary mail and baggage cars, and two
magnificent excursion and sleeping cars,
prepared for their appropriate use,
One year ago., passengers for Denver,
Salt, Lake, and San Francisco were
Obliged to ride the whole distance from
tho Missouri river in old. ashioued,
stage-coaches, hacks or mud.wagons.
To-day, there are no stages running east
of Fort kearney; and nearly II half the
distance to Denver may be travelled in
ten hours, and in the most luxurious
passenger cars.
One year ago, every pound of freight,
owned either by the government or in
dividutls, had to be transported west of
tho Missouri, by means of OK or mule
teams, at tho slow rate of fifteen or
twenty miles per day. To-day, cars
heavily laden with government stores
aud private freight, destined for the
western slope of the continent, are Mt.
taGhed to the construction trains, and
find their way in twenty-four hours to
the eud of the track, many miles west of
the one hundrcdth meridian.
One year ago tho great Union Pacific
railroad was regarded rs n myth, and the
men engaged III and controlling it, as a
set Of stock-jobbing, Wall street specu-
%lators. To-day it is known and felt to
be Il power and u reality; and Mr.. Du-
rant and his associates are believed to be
in earnest and fully capable of carrying
cut to successful completion the nam
moth work which they have undertaken.
When it is remembered that this tran
sition has been accomplished i'll one short
year, in n country destitute of labor,
materials and supplies; and with moth
ing but tho dangerous and uncer-
certain navigation of the Missouri
river to rely upon during the summer
months US u basis of operations, it must
ba admitted that n new era is da wning,
or rather has already been Succ' rsfully
i~naugur'aed, in the history of railroad
cOnstruc ON.
A MEMORABLE EXCURSION.