Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-30
north Platte.

The city Of North Platte is fortunately
located at the forks OF the Platte river,
about equal distance from Omaha and Den
yer. IL contains a population Of 5000 and
stands unrivaled as the largest city In the
state west OF Kearney.
1t contains a United States weather
bureau In a governm mt building. a United
States land office, and three miles to the
south of the city Is located the state Ex-
pertinent farm Of L92O acres. which is
managed by Superintendent Snyder, under
the direction OF the state university re-
gents
It is the end Of the first passenger d.
vision of the Union Pacific railroad. Here
the railroad company maintains extensive
repair ships ana the largest railroad ICING
plant in the world where all refrigerator
cars are reiced. A train of thirty-five cars
can be reiced two tons to the car. in ten
minutes.
The Union Pacific operates seven passen-
ger trains day each way between North
Platte and Omaha and six trains each way
west OF North Platte. The Union Pacific
has completed almost 100 miles OF their
North Platte valley branch, extending west
from North Platte
The intention Of the company is to con-
~
Bridgeport up the North Platte valley, and
from thence up the Pumpkin Seed valley
and through the Laramie mountains to a
connection with the main line at Medicine
Bow, with a view Of making this the main
line between North Platte and Medicine
Bow, as It will be forty-hve miles shorter
than the present main line and avoid the
climb of Sherman hill.
Tho u &. baart engaged during
the last month in securing a right-of-way
through North Platte for its new transcon-
tinental line from Omaha and Lincoln to
the Pacific coast The survey for this line
starts on the east at Newark in Kearney
county and extends to North Platte, and
thence up the North Platte river to North
port. where It connects with Guernsey
line. which is to be extended to Ogden
the coming season.
The program is to make North Platte the
division terminal for the B. & NJ. railroad
and locate repair shops there. The site
for the passenger depot has been secured
right in the heart of the city, only one
block from the court house. on the main
business street. and over 100000 has al
ready been expended for land for depot
right-of-way, shops and railroad yards In
the city and vicinity. The B. & M. rail-
road expects to have this line in operation
through North Platte during the coming
season.
The advent of the p. & NJ. in North
Platte has caused a mild boom for all
kinds of real property and property is
changing hands daily at considerable ad-
vance over former values. 1t is confidently
predicted by men high in authority in rail-
road circles that North Platte is destined
to be the third city Of the state in popula-
ton, ranking next to Omaha and Lincoln.
with the marvellous development Of the
surrounding country as n farming and
stock raising country North Platte is pros
pering, and the only break to its growth
is the scarcity of labor in the building
trades. Every contractor in the city has
been overwhelmed with work that they
have teen unable to complete, and plenty
of offers Of contracts have been turned
down because OF scarcity Of labor.
North Platte is located in the center OF
the greatest sugar beet and alfalfa dis
/ trct in the state this county raising more
sugar beets than any other three counties
in the state At present the beets are
shipped to the Grand Island and Ames
sugar factories This Is probably the best
unoccupied field 10 the United States for
new sugar beet factory and there will
/. probably be one erected during the coming
, season. ,s
one Of the pressing needs of North Platte