Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-14
AWAKENING OF THE WEST
Part Played by Railroad Builders In
EARLY Days and Present
Conditions.

At the close OF the cvif war the west
was practically without settlers, and was
known chiefly through it's mineral output.
Since then nearly 100000 people have
made 1t their home. They and the railroads
have won the west. As Sidney Dillon
pointed out in 1891. this latter asency has
proved something more than a mere means
of physical transportation. 1t has changed
the western climate and the character OF
the soil. Irrigation has made the desert
to bloom. The farmer has planted trees,
which. checking the bitter winds, have else
caused increased rainfall. In short, as a
result of the advent of the western roll
roads, the climate has become milder. the
rainfall greater and the cold less severe.
The west as it was first won was COM
paratively ~unproductive of freight. or
the present vast local traffic there was
practically nothing. The west as 1t Is
being won anew today is a storehouse for
freight, and this new condition, together
with the realization of the commercial
possibilities of the west have brought
about this new winning OF It with the
Western Pacific.
To understand this, consider the con-
struction of such a road as this latest of the
Pacific group. Compare, for instance. the
$1,000 tons Of freight which represented
the movement from the Missouri river in
the year 1860 to the Santa Fe district land
there was no eastward movement them
with the millions Of carloads OF freight
which originate in or are shipped to the
single state Of California. And one must
consider not only the actualities, enormous
as they are, but also the even greater pos
sibilities.
Much OF the first support Of the early
lines came from the belief, of which Presi-
dent Lincoln was an adherent, that they
were military necessities. Those who con-
sldered them as commercial possibilities
did SO in the hope of an increased oriental
trade. No one gave a thought to local
traffic, perhaps naturally enough. And
yet today this local traffic furnishes So pei
cent Of the total, and through traffic, only
s per cent. 1t was a costly mistake, thii
early theory, and It resulted in sub
seauent expense to roads and stockholderi
Of hundreds of millions Of dollars. In many
cases II meant bankruptcy.
Even today there is still being spent An
nually an enormous sum to overcome the
result Of this great "get-there-any-way'
policy that marked the old winning OF the
west. The millions upon millions which
Hartman used in remodeling his Pacific
lines to bring them up 70 the requirement.
of the new methods are still fresh In mind
It has been estimated that these early mis-
takes constitute a continual tax on the
pocketbooks of the stockholders exceed
ing 500, COO, 600 annually. Few persons re-
alize nowadays that when these early roads
were constructed. engineers preferred run
nlng the track aroun a bowlder TO blast.
ing II out. The largest trees we're actually
left standing while the road curved around
them. Grades were-well. what they were
Two and even 8 per cent grades are ever
today nothing h might
have been done is instanced by the fac
that the new Western Pacific, stretching
out across the richest section OF the ives
from Salt Lake City TO San Francisco. ii
no case exceeds / per cent; that is, a eliml
of only fifty-two and eight-tenths feet Il
the mile. For so per cent OF it's length, Oh
roughly, 75 miles. the grade on the maiI
line does not exceed four-tenths OF PEI
cent, or a fraction over twenty-one feet 4
the mile. As a result. this gives to tn
locomotives on this western road in tn
most mountainous part OF the country
hauling power equal to that obtained OF
such a road in the east as the Lake shor,
and Michigan Southern. II is a wonderful
achievement, wen more wonderful when 1
is known that the maximum grade, ives
bound, is only eight-tenths Of 1 per cent