Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-27
DECADE E'SRAIL WAY PROGRESS
Closing Years Of Nineteenth Century
Marked by Great Improvement,
INFLUENCE or OMAHA IS INCREASED
Tributary Territory Enlarged by
Numerous Extensions aud the
City's Commercial Prestige
Thereby Greatly Enhanced.

Ten years is comparatively a short time
Yet the closing decade OF the nineteenth
century was time sufficient TO permit the ac-
complishment Of wonderful Improvement In
the railways Of Omaha and add much TO the
influence Of this city as a railroad me-
tropols.
improvements in train service have ia
ciitatcd the transportation affairs OF this
city and extensions of the systems conterlng
here have done much In widening the circle
Of the territory tributary TO and dependent
upon Omaha as a commercial metropolis
perspective Of the achievements OF the
last ten years and an invitation to dosig-
nate that which has been most important
TO Omaha would bring forth ideas and an
Bwers widely at variance. For the well
fare OF the city at large and because Of
the spirit Of civic pride euRendcred as It's
result the most popular achievement un.
doubtcdly was the relogation TO oblivion
OF the inadequate depot facilities and the
erection IN the stead Of tho so-called cow
sheds" Of two handsome passenger stations.
Another marked advantage which the last
decade brought to Omaha was the exten-
sion into this city of the Illinois Central,
adding 10 SIS field Of commerce the vast
territory north east and south tapped by
the far reaching tines of that great system.
The completion Of the bridge across the
Missouri river and the extensive trackago
facilities Of the Omaha Bridge and Terminal
company was also an epoch OF the last
decade in the railroad history Of this city.
Contribution is General
without single exception all OF the
railroads OF Omaha have Ia a measure con
tributed TO the growth, influence and pros-
perty of this city during the decade that
came to an end with the close Of the nine
tcenth century. Tho omaha Il St Louis
inEratiatcd itself with the commercial Gle.
ments Of Omaha when it abolished the
bridge arbitrary generally condemned as
unreasonable and unjust The Northwest
ern and its allied incs--the Elkhorn Omaha
ana Sioux CITY q Pacinc-has added to tho
city's commercial prestige by important
extensions and improvements in service,
and the same may be said OF the Milwaukee,
Rock Island and Missouri Pacific.
Closely associated with the growth OF
Omaha has been the development Of tho
Union Pacific and the Burlington univer-
sally considered products OF Omaha and
the west-kccping pace in their progress
and expansion with the advancement of the
great transmissouri region. with the Bur.
lington the years intervening between 1890
and 1900 witnessed improvements, eXton-
slons and changes almost without number.
oil Of which have been OF marked benefit
TO Omaha and to Nebraska.
Ten years ago the terminal facilities in
this city were such that an Omaha person
felt no JOY in welcoming n guest from an
Other city Today one may point with pride
20 the structure that several we'll known
writer's have described as THE hand
soonest railway station In the United
States" Tho Burlington opened its new
station in Omaha on July 4. 1895. The cost
Of the structure complete exclusive OF i'm
provcmcnts in track and platform was $780,
900 The marble and mosaic work alone cost
$4,000. The station Is 3l6 feet long, 1l2
feet wide and seventy feet high,
The large Office building at Tenth and
Farnam streets, Omaha popularity known
rs "B. & NJ. headquarters" has during
the last year been remodeed and rebuilt
inside. The improvements cost about SlO0
poo. and the work has been carried on with
sur interrupting the routine of any OF the
departments
Extensions Are Numerous.
within the last ten years numerous ex-
tensions have been made by the Burlington
railroad until its mileage now amounts to
S.06i miles. OF this mileage 3,SO5 miles
form tho Burlington a Missouri River
Railroad in Nebraska. Ten years ago tho
Burlington did not reach Dcadwood, s. D..
other points in the Black Hills, while
Billings, Mont, the present terminus OF It's
northwest line. was several hundred miles
tlon OF its Billings line, extending S92 miles
through northwestern Nebraska. South
Dakota Wyoming and Montana the Bur
lington opened up n new and valuable ter
ritory for the trade of this section. The
cattle markets of South Omaha as well as
the jobbing interests Of Omaha have re-
ceiyed the benefits incident to the opening
OF this field.
Within the state OF Nebraska extensions
CO
numerous as to bring the mileage OF the
company in this state up to 1900 miles, and
A. Is growing greater all the while. Within
the last year two important branches of
the Burlington have been built from ALI
ance, Neb. one of these extends along the
north bank OF the North Platte river as far
as Guernsey, Wyo., where vast deposits OF
iron are waiting TO be mined Another im-
portant branch constructed within the last
year connects Alliance. on the Billings line
with Brush, Colo, on the Omaha Denver
line distance Of $50 miles. The new line
penetratos n section OF Nebraska hereto
fore remote from any railroad and will
doubtless prove an important factor in the
development OF the western portion OF the
state
Another branch line of the Burlington now
nearing completion extends into the Big
Horn basin OF Wyoming, which Is being
rapidly settled by Mormons from Utah and
immigrants from the east. The new line
IS 1870 miles long, and extends from Toluca.
Mont, on the Billings line, southwark TO
Cody Wyo., the most important town in
northwestern Wyoming,
Additions 10 the train service of the Bur
lngton to and from Omaha within the last
1ecade have been numerous and important.
IN 1891 one train with fairly good sched-
ale and one train with a slow schedule
between Omaha and Chicago were sufficient
10 accommodate the passenger trafhc. In
1901 the Burlington runs every day four
trains from Omaha to Chicago and three
Of them are flyers Then a person going
20 Chicago had to leave at a certain hour,
now one can almost select the time most
convenient and find Chicago train leav-
ing the Burlington station not far from
that time.
Demand for Fast Trains.
During the Trausmssissppi Exposition
Of 1898 tho Burlington placed a ST. Louis
flyer In service, leaving Omaha late In the
afternoon and arriving in st, Louis early
the next morning. Tho experiment was
such success that this train has made