Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-10-23

grade across several miles Of lake the
construction of track across more than
100 miles of desert which is entirely
uninhabited except by now and then a
coyote. and utterly unprOductive; they
witnessed the scene OF untold hard
shirs encountered i'm building the
grade and track across the vast salt
beds, the dead level of which re-
quired the hauling of gravel and ball
last for every inch Of track laid down.
For miles they saw the rails which
had been laid first on strips Of two
inch plank. then the ties and gravel
ballast. they saw the places where IT
was necessary to blast holes i'm the
solid salt with dynamite in order TO
set telegraph poles. fixing them solid
in the salt with cement. They saw
the stretches Of salt plain where the
men during construction and al times
when the "salt storms blew up were
compelled to lie fiat down upon the
earth. like the traveller in the desert
OF Sahara, and cover their faces with
their coats, I'm order TO protect their
eyes and faces from the fierce on
slaught OF the rushing particles Of
plain where the trainmen and others
aver that these winds became SO fierce
that they blew away bodily piles Of
ties stacked near the grade for use
I'm constructing the track. and as proof
OF this rather remarkable phenOm-
enon. pile Of ties stacked
up as they were when they
were blown away Is pointed to at some
considerable distance away from the
track.
The engine drawing the train was a
new one. No. 75 with Engineer j. =.
Clarke al the throttle Assisting him
was H. Jackson fireman In charge OF
the train was J. D. Bayren, conductor.
with Hal Atterbury and Il W. Allen as
brakemen. The train consisted OF one
baggage car, one coach, three standard
Pullmans and a diner The roadbed
rode as smoothly as a rocking chair.
not a jar being noticeable during the
whole length of the journey. The din
ing car was the famous "Pando" be-
longing TO the Denver & Rio Grande.
The car was brought from Denver. "a
distance OF nearly 500 miles. for the
purpose Of serving the one meal-tnc
banquet-scrVed 20 the city officials
Friday This part OF the entertain
ment was ia charge of C. J.. Benton,
inspector of dining car aud hotel de-
partment OF the Denver a Rio
Grande, and j. j. Lyctt, conductor ia
charge Of the serving OF the meal
which one OF the distinguished guests
aboard said was tie best thanksgiving
dinner me had ever eaten.
A feature OF the day was the turning
over of the keys Of the city Of Wend-
over 10 Mayor Bransford upon arrival
OF the train at that place DR. Critch-
low. the company physician, IN cOllu-
sion with a. j. Davis president OF the
city council, put up the Job. and il was
complete surprise to the victim Of
the ceremonial, Mayor Bransford.
Mayor Bransf0rd made a neat little
speech In response. lie said he was
proud 90 be the guest OF the Western
Pacific, which had shown such wonder
ful nerve IN constructing a railroad
through such barren regions.
MESSAGE no JEFFERY
Arrived az Wendover the following
message was dispatched by wire 10
President j.. r. Jenery az New York:
"Wendoyer Special Train. oct. %. Salt
Lake 90 MCndOYer
'E. n. Jeffery. president OF the West
ern Pacific. 1876 Broadway, New York
Clty-Mombers OF tho city council, and
city officials and wives OF salt Lake
city are thoroughly enjoying your
courtesies for which we express our
sincere appreciation. We congratulate
you as president your company, and
salt Lake city on your sagaclty ana
enterprise in adding 10 the material
benefits OF the intermountain country
this great Unconstitutional railroad
system. which we consider superb To
physical condition and construction.
(signodl -. s. BRANSFORD,
Mayor.
"A. j. DAVIS.
President OF city Council"
After inspecting the improvements
az Wendoyer, which include new
elght-stall roundhouse. cOmmodious
machine shop. and coal chute track
and many siding tracks ana other
necessary appurtenancos 60 "a growing
railroad town the train lcft f1r the
return tIlp about 1880.
THE PARTY.