The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-11-05
MANY swIMpLEs WERE lN n

History Of the UGien Pacific Up 20
Date
The idea Of uniting the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts by q system of railways
is said to have been given public ex-
preston in the Emigrant, a weekly
paper published at Ann ArbOr, Mich,
from November IS, 1923, to December
u, 1894 The article advocating the
railroad appeared on February 6, 1882,
and it vas eagerly taken up and dis
cussed by various newspapers and per
iOdiesls A. S, Whitney, a merchant Of
New York who had travelled in Europe,
China and Japan considerably, was
most prominent in urging the project.
The aim and object of his life was the
building Of a railway from Lake Michi-
gan, or the Mississippi river to the Pa
oiic coast. He first brought the pro-
ject to the attention Of congress in a
memorial presented by him to the sen
ate aud to the lower house, on January
%, 1845. Whitney spent much time and
al Of his money in furtheFing his
scheme and wound up By selling milk
in the city of Washington for liyeli-
hood.
A bill that passed the United States
senate June 20, 1852, by vote of . to
was the actual starting of the Union
Psoifo. The house passed the bill by
a vote of 1O4 to q and four days later
President Lincoln made it law by af-
fixing his signature. 4 charter for
s1OO,OOO,OO0 was given the corporation
and a land grant of 100000 acres at
tached.
The company was formally charter
ed July 2, 1862, with authority to con
struct a railroad from Omaha to the
eastern boundary of the state Of Cali
fornia.
| The act Incorporating the company
provided for a government subsidy
equal to $4,000 per mile for the por-
ton Of the line between the Missouri
river and the base Of the Rocky noun
tsins; $4,000 per mile for a distance Of
l5O miles through the mountain range;
$4,000 per mile for the distance inter.
mediate between the Rocky and Sierra
Nevada ranges and $4,000 per mile for
a distance of $50 miles through the ST.
ezra Nevada. The company had also
a land grant equalling 1880 acres to
the mile.
The original act provided that the
government subsidy should be first
mortgage on the road, but by amend
ment, this was changed and it was
made a second mortgage, the company
being authorized to issue its own bonds
to an amount equal to the governments
claim as first mortgage on the line.
The whole available capital of the road
that was ultimately to cost $4,000, 900
was only s21s.OOO.
The government had offered in sub
sides more than the cost of the con-
struction of the road and Cakes Ames
Of EastOn, Mass, who was interested
in the building of the road formed
corporation which became known as
"the credit mobilier of America, {"
which was to receive all the profits of
the construction and divide them
among the stockholders in the credit
mobilier. The profits were enormous,
amounting to S43,929,328.
Under the Ames contract alone and
within year, dividends we're paid
amounting to 545 per cent on the cap
ital stock. The matter was investiga-
ted by congress and resulted in the
expulsion of Ames from the house of
representatives, of which he was then
a member. The recommendation for
his expulsion, however, was never car
ried out.
The first eleven miles of the road
we're completed September %, 1865,
and the road was completed with It's
junction with the Central Pacific at
PFOmintOry Point, Utah, May 10, 1859.
The road was operated by its officers
until October 80, 1893, when it passed
into the hands Of receivers. During
! the rsceivership it has dwindled from
q system that comprised 400 miles Of
railroad and 5000 miles of water COM
municstion down to railroad of ,O64
miles consisting chiefly of the main
line from Council Bluffs to Ogden.
The board of regents of the agrioul-
tuFal college has decided to sell of the
thoroughbred cattle on the college
farm and substitute dairy herd and a
dairy school. This is a change which
should have been made long ago. At
such sn institution thoroughbred stock
cannot be prOftsbly raised. The his
tory Of the nerd proves this. It has
never paid its own way, and the results
of breeding have never been the pro-
duetiOn Of as good cattle as those used
for breeding purposes. The dairy herd
can be made TO be profitable and at the
same time students can be given in
struotiOn which will be Of practical
benefit to them on any farm. Another
advantage will be shat so much money