Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-08
THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD.
Stcndy Progress During the Past
YeRr-L0rge Land sales I'm
Kansas and Nebraska.

The Union Pacific Railway has steadily
increased in importance during the past
year, and under the management Of
Charles Francis Adams as president, and
s. r. Galloway as general manager, it
has made immense strides forward.
From one end OF the line to the other, a
stretch OF (including its branches) nearly
five thousand miles, nothing but praise
is heard for its liberal and conservative
management. New towns are constantly
springing up along the entire length Of
the road in Kansas, Nebraska and the
other States and Territories farther West.
1t is impossible, with the data at hand,
says the st. Louis Republican, to give the
statistics, but it can be safely said that
the roadbed, bridges, stations and equip
ments are among the best in the entire
country, and are constantly being inn
proved. The car department has been
at work during the past year in placing
disc, stock and flat cars. At the present
time nearly all the rolling stock of the
Union Pacific is equipped in this manner.
This was found necessary on account Of
the demand Of consumers for quick time.
All freight trains are now making as fast
time as was formerly made by passenger
trains, the regular schedule time for
freight trains now being five and one
half days from the Missouri river to the
Pacific coast
Several new branches are in course Of
construction to leading points in Ne.
braska and Kansas. Among them the
most important for the st. Louis trade
is the line now being built from the main
line of the Union Pacific southwardly,
through Lincoln, Beatrice, Marysville,
etc., connecting with the Kansas division
at Topeka. This branch will be COM
pleted early in the coming spring and
will make the shortest route from Ne
braska TO st. Louis. 1t will bring that
entire section of the country into close
connection with this city.
The Oregon branch-or properly speak
ing the extensionAof the main line, is
614 miles in length, extending from
Granger on the main line, to Huntington,
where it connects with the Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation Company's lines for
Portland. 1t is the shortest line from st.
Louis to Portland by 24S miles. The
business of the Oregon Short Line has
shown continual increase, and during
the past three months emigrant and
Pullman sleepers have been run through
both from Omaha and Kansas City to
Oregon.
During the past year large number
of cars have been built expressly for the
California fast freight line, to be used In
the California business, An organiza-
ton was perfected under the above name
to superintend the moving of cars, and
to facilitate, as far as possible, the inter
est of Pacific coast business.
The local business of the Nebraska
lines has greatly increased the past year.
New mills and manufacturing establish
ments are being continually erected at
leading points. The population shows q
very large increase over previous years.
Both the freight and passenger bust
ness OF the Union Pacific lines in Kansas
have augmented in very unexpected
manner, owing no doubt to the liberal
policy adopted in that State since the
present management took hold In this
connection Traffic Manager Kimball is
entitled to no small credit. His policy
OF placing very competent gentleman in
charge OF freight matters in Kansas, with
authority to act promptly and adjust,
without reference to Omaha, all matters
of interest to merchants and shippers,
was doubtless the cause OF very large
percentage Of the increase in freight
earnings in that State.
The productive area in the States of
Nebraska and Kansas is still extending
Westward, and very large land sales
have been made in both OF these States,
principally in the extreme western parts.
The sales in both States show very
fiattering increase over any previous
year, and the prospects for very heavy
immigration during the coming year are
good.
The passenger department, under the
very able management OF j. w. Morse,
the General Passenger Agent, has during
the past year organized regular course
OF excursions, both first-class and emf
grant, leaving the Missouri river month
ly-the former in special trains OF Pull
man sleepers and the latter in the i'm
proved emigrant or tourist sleepers, built
by the company expressly for this class
OF travel. This fall they have carried to
Los Angeles and San Francisco between
900 and 1000 excursionists, who, were
it not for the low rates and splendid ac-
commodations, would have stayed at
home, or gone to Florida for the winter
instead of Southern California.