Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-08-06
DAY AND NIGHT.
The Union Pacific Construction Forces
Working Toward Las Vegas and
Taos Valley.

Ifanybody doubts that the Union Pacific
railroad-that pioneer of the Rockies
hasn't entered New Mexico in earnest, its
only because he doesn't know what is
really going ON up in Colfax county.
Through Longs canon, across Ration
range and into the Red river valley the
new road is gradually crawling southwest
and west from Trinidad.
The entire task of building this road
including the bridge work and laying of
the iron, has been placed in the hands of
Mr.. j. K. DeRemer, who is counted
among the leading railroad contractors of
Colorado. Commencing at Maxwell, his
contract calls for the construction of
thirty-three miles of road. Work was be-
gun February Is, and will be completed
about October |. The force employed
averages about go men and $50 mules
and horses; using 100 scrapers, thirty
carts and twenty wagons.
The company is having the track laid
OF the best material, using extra heavy
steel rails and an extra number of ties on
the heavy grades. The total weight of
the rails will be 6,336, 900 pounds, and
between %, 900 and 100000 ties will be
used.
On each side of the range the work is
light and easy, but the three miles across
the range is exceedingly heavy work,
most of it being solid rock. In blasting
this there will be used 5000 pounds of
Giant, and over 100000 pounds OF black
powder.
This loose rock is hauled into an i'm
mense ravine where fill ninety-one feet
high must be made. The road down this
incline is veritable rocky road to Dublin
In places it is at an angle of almost forty
five degrees and is a terror to horses,
mules and drivers. AT one point, on
climbing Ration range, a sclid wall
OF rock was encountered which neces-
STATED a cut over sixty feet deep,
from which Il 200 cubic yards of rock
must be taken. Forging ahead the
line, still climbing skyward, by many
compound and reverse curve; over gull
lies and ravines through solid rock cuts
and dense timber patches; the road
reaches the summit of the Raton range.
Here another cut is made through an
immense bed OF solid rock requiring
an excavation of $4,000 yards, and
emerges beyond into one of the most
beautiful valleys the eye of man ever be-
held.
At this point the new town of Catskill
is located, and here will be the junction
of the two lines. One turning east will
follow Red river on its way to Las Vegas,
the other going westward into the Ver-
fn
bethtown with its wealth OF iron and
precious stones.
The road was to have been completed
August 5, but though the contract was
let February it was May before the
line was finally located over the divide.
This, and the rains which have come
every day without an intermssion for
the past five weeks, have greatly delayed
the work. However, the road will he
completed to Catskill and in running
order sometime between the 18th and
25th inst.
From the summit, far beyond the Red
river is an immense body of the finest
yellow pine and red spruce, more than
can be cut in generation. 1t is estima
ted that within radius of five miles from
Catskill there is standing not less than
800, 900 900 feet of merChantable timber.
Red river valley is broad and free from
timber or under brush and is wonderfully
fertile soil while radiating from it on
either side at short intervals are many
smaller valleys, equally beautiful.
The men work ten hours {. day for
which they are paid ST. Night shifts are
worked in the rock cuts and as many
men as can be induced to do so, work
every Sunday. Which means that the
work is being crowded with the utmost
possible dispatch,