Omaha daily bee., 1883-12-01
THE u
Some Interesting InCidcnts Obtained
from Andrew Rosrwnier, Who
Was Que of tire Survey ora.

employed on the line of the Union Pa
cite railroad" said q Bee representative
to Mr.. Andrew R,sewater, who is nov
the city engineer Of Omaha.
Eyes, l was n member OF ono of the
surveying parties" replied he.
"Can you give me some facts and in.
cidents concerning the early survsysl"
Eyes, but in n rather disconnected
manner. You'll have to dress them W
to suit yourself"
"Ne,er mind that. Give us some
facts; well take care Of the dressing"
"Thc frat survey of the Union Pa
citic," said Mr.. II sswater, was u direct
line west from Omaha to the Elkhorn
river, through the Griffin farm. In
the winter of 1864, after a confer.
ence with Silas Seymour, consulting en-
gin, err, ord ,rs were issued for surveys IL
he made by the way OF Mud creek,
which limo was nine miles longer than
the direct route or Dcy line to the L k.
horn, j. E House. assistant engineer,
made the first survey over this route.
The engineer corps camped out,
as the aiuter was quito open UNI
til the first part OF January, when
there was u heavy snow fall; but the
work on this line was steadily prosecuted
on the Mud creek route The adoption
If this survey, against the protests of
Peter A DEFY, the chief engineer, was
the cause of that gentlemans resignation
the next spring. His place was filled
oy j.. E. House, who was known rs tho
acting chief engineer for some time.
Over 500, 900 had been expended on tho
Dey line, when it WAS abandoned. O..e
IF the amusing incidents connected with
tho work on that liue was the emllo
m,ent Of n lot Of Indian squaws as grad
ers, but this experiment soon proved u
failure. The first locomotive that arrived
here was called the General Sherman.
1t VA brought here by steamer from st.
Joe early in 1865, and it was tested on
three hundred yards of the frat track
laid down ON tho river bottom. The
e. Henry, of Davenport, and his wife.
Henry was the first superintendent of the
Union Pacific, A large crowd Of people
witnessed this little eXcursir N of the first
locomotive. | can't remember the name
of the engineer. The second locomotive
was named Mcpherson, and WAS also
transported by steamer from st. Joe. l
drove the stakes for the first round house
and the main shops. i'll connection with
Assistant Engineer Shotwell.
''ilow about the HARVEST surveys, Mr..
Rnsewater2'
AT this time all the division eneineers
were out OF survey up the Platte valley
and across the Rocky mountains James
Evans, division engineer, started from
Omaha on April 10Th, 1864, to make a
survey fromthe foot of the Black Hills, and
at the same time f. NJ. Case was making
surveys south towards Denver, and
Percy y. Brown was surveying across the
plains, this side of The Rocky mountains
One hundred thousand dollars were
spent that year for engineering, the
money being advanced by Thomas G
Durant. 1t took us one month to reach
the foot of the Rocky mountains. We
had three teams and IA men. Among
our party there were Wiley Dixon, Andy
McAusland and Fred Boegel. When we
reached the mountains we we're visited
by an old Indian chief, who had a Mex
lean. who cou,d talk English. as an ,ntsr-
~nreter This chief had 81 medal which
he had received while on a VISIT To Wash
ingt IN from President Franklin Pierce.
When informed by the surveyors of the
intention of running n railroad through
that country he sheok his head and said
it would be impossible to construct a rail-
road throuyh ~ region that had neither
aras, nor wafer This WA on the bank
If Lode. pole creek. Ihree years after.
w,rd tho raj, road reached that min. w.
laid nut tbn Giro If Cheyonna in tba
s,r;nn of 8 baving n~nthinyelse to do
os wa cnuld nrncaad M furt6er ,t that
ti,,a IN account &c arow Three month.
sf~tnrw, 4 in JuIv the railroad roach. I'd
Chc,enro Oar stakes were form nm
and mnd;fad undar the dir.rtion nf Can
/ odye. Union ,hn return of our rnrtv in
tb. fnI wa fnmnd Cb.y.n,n tha & m,oic
c;ty nf the ]ni,;,s 40 il wa. c,II.d a
nls.a IS r Doc "oonIn II wa. Than tho
terminus Of ths road and was one nf th.
Iv.liest bo,d.r towns I ever saw t. was
,he creates, aambl;ng c.nter IN the west
Jts '3nnuIa,;nn was 1,ad. m mnst,y nf
aa,i hlaoLIan, J.e,.radoo. oni od.
Sent,rers and il Sa. ;ndeej n nn;at d,v
whan tynor tLroo mon wara ,nt sbnt
md t;Ijad
r.me,,her duriro tho eorlv ,,r.
v.vs rs mnet;nn lid Rr;5gcr ot F,rt Lar.
mi. Enrt Rrid~er and Br;dgor pa,
w,.re n,wad altar him Fla had come
wait when mere how md
had snont all his Tfa thar