Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-06
CORN CONDITIONS FAIRLY GOOD
Extensive Improvements on Union Pa
cfic-cut-off Across Great Salt
Lake - Lahorers in Demand
Many go to the Dakotas.

otnerWlSe 1T is practically the same
as last week. The soil is generally
dryer than last week, as there have
been no rains, in the eastern portion
OF Nebraska and Kansas, but the cool
weather has given little chance for the
ground to dry out. In the west there
have been numerous showers and the
soil is in excellent condition. The
ranges west of Newcastle are drying
up slightly, but the Toluca-Cody
branch has had rain and the ranges
are in fair condition along the line
there.
The wheat crop in eastern and
southeastern Nebraska and Kansas is
running much lighter than was ex-
pected and the yield is running as low
as ten bushels to the acre and never
over twenty bushels. Going westward
wheat continues to grow better until
it reaches a yield of from twenty to
twenty-five bushels per acre in the
most western counties of the Nebraska
wheat district. Oats are in good con-
dition and, like wheat, shows better
yield further west Generally there
will be a full crop of oats, the north
ern division running as high as forty
bushels to the acre.
Corn Condition is Good.
The ground is little dry for corn,
but it~is not suffering as yet 1t is
hardly anticipated that there will be
full crop because of the floods and the
late planting, but it's condition is gen.
orally good
The pastures and ranges are becom-
ing dry, but are not suffering for
lack of moisture. In the western part
of the state, the Black Hills and east
of Alliance, there has been sufficient
fall of moisture to keep them in ele-
CANT snaps. The second crop of al
falfa is coming along in good shape.
Laborers for the Dakotas.
The last two weeks have seen
considerable outward bound move
ment in harvesters for the Dakota
wheat fields, and the movement at
present has reached total of about
$50 Iaborers day The rates granted
by the railroads have made it possible
for the labor agencies to send the men
to the Dakotas quite cheaply, and the
number handled northward by them
has consequently been large. There
is no special demand for men in the
wheat fields in the north, but the $50
sent out daily are all getting work.
The Lucin cut-off.
The biggest piece of work blocked
out and performed in this undertaking
of making the Union Pacific and South
ern Pacific one of the greatest lines
to the coast was the building of the Lu-
Gin cutoff across Salt Lake, whereby a
straight track with practically no grade
or curves, was built across the lake to
take the place of 146 miles of track
which circled it, This shortens the
time between San Francisco and Og-
den by more than two hours and the
haul by 108 miles. But to do this re-
quired an expenditure Of s13,000,000
and the best engineering skill of the
road and 5000 workmen for twelve
months. The work is not entirely com
pleted yet but the greatest portion is
done and all the difficult tasks are
through. The remainder is merely play
compared with what has been done.
Sink Holes and Rock Mountains.
The Lucin cutoff was built directly
across the lake at it's narrowest point
and was built under the most trying
circumstances. Fourteen miles of it
was filled with mountains of rock. In
two places sinks were found that seem
ed impossible to fill for some time.
AS fast as stone was dumped into the
lake it sank down through the mud
bottom for many feet and eventually
reached solid rock beneath. These two
sinks alone took millions of cubic yards
of rock, but were finally filled in so
that they were as strong and substan-
tial as any other part of the track.
fifteen miles of the distance across the
lake the water was too deep to fill and
the trestle work was built for that dis
lance. After driving piles through the
mud to the solid bottom depth or
more than 100 feet was reached and it
became necessary to splice the piles,
but even this was gotten through with.
Trains will be using the new cutoff
within four months. The next move
on the part of the Harryman interests
on the Southern Pacific is the build
ing of a tunnel through the mountains
for three miles whereby another great
saving in distance and time can be
effected. This will probably be taken
up next year.
Important improvements.
Reports from along the main line
of the Union Pacific show that the i'm
provements and double tracking
planned for 1903 are progressing rapid
ly, and in many instances are prac-
tically completed. Altogether, the i'm.
provemenrs carried out by the Union
Pacific and Southern Pacific this year
will cost the Hartman system about
$20,0O0,000 and, in turn the running
time between Omaha and San Francis.
co, can be reduced by ten hours II de
sired. The bulk of the improvements
on the Union Pacific this year have
been double tracking and the straight
ening out of kinks and the reduction
of grades along the line.
In Nebraska, sixty six miles Of dou.
BILE track have been put in, giving an
almost continuous double track from
Silver Creek to Watson's Ranch. Ii
and about Cheyenne and Laramie in
Wyoming about thirty-fiye miles OF
double track have been laid and NUM-
Der of miles Of track relaid and relo-
Gated with consequent reduction in
grades and curves. Old bridges have
Ia xnrn1a Il -fc