The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-03-18
The Panama-Paci Exposition
In Attendance and in Interest 1t E Iipses
all Prior Expositlons. Early History of
the Union Pacific Railway. Sight Seeing
En- Route and in California.

En- Route ana IN California.
Correspondence of The Journal
SAN JOSE, Calf, March, 1915. For
more than two years about all that has
! been thought of and talked about in this
| country has been the Panama-Pacific Ex-
position, and now its opening week has
passed, making a record for attendance
doubling either Chicago or St. Louis and,
according to the report published in Sun
| days paper, having had an attendance of
! 625, 729 or 122, S73 more than the COM
bined attendance of Chicago and St..
Louis in their first week.
To say that it was a credit to San
! Francisco, and to those who had its man.
agement in charge, is a very mild way of
expressing it to those who have been
able to visit the grounds at various stages
of the work; and to those who saw the To-
cation before anything had been done
the work accomplished is looked upon in
the light of miracle, while for those
who have never seen the place before it
is hard to believe that the trees and
shrubbery have not always been there, or
that it was possible to convert such a
barren unsightly spot into such beauti-
full place as is now occupied by the Jewel
City. But it is only one way of showing
what man can accomplish upon California
ground.
The amusem ents along the zone are
varied and in abundance, almost every
thing that can be desired, and too many
IT, be described by letter. The States
are nearly all represented, and in a grand
manner, the gilded dome of Massachu-
sets showing very prominent. Canada
has most beautiful exhibition bul ding
and contents, and it is looked upon by
many as the most attractive and inter-
esting on the grounds. Yellowstone
Park, with its Old Faithful Inn, the
canal, the submarines, the Grand Canon,
ETC., all attract crowds. There are
many fine foreign buildings, and the for
eign exhibits in the various halls are
IuoSL interesting.
While we are celeL rating the opening
of the Panama Canal we should not lose
sight or thought of another great line
that has done so much for California, and
to which is no doubt due the great ad-
vancement made in this State. In look
ing over the Senate document No. 447
we find that in 1886 the first public meet
ing was called to consider project for
Pacific Railway; that in 1912 and 1916
the explorations of Fremont brought
the attention of Congress to it.
In speaking of the line selected along
the forty-second parallel of latitude it
says: This route was made by the buff
falo, next used by the Indians, then by
the fur traders, next by the Mormons,
and then by the overland immigration to
California and Oregon. 1t was knows as
the Great Platte Valley Route. On this
trail, or close to it, was built the Union
and Central Pacific railroads to Cali
fornia, and the Oregon Short Line branch
of the Union Pacific to Oregon" In
1862 President Lincoln advocated bill
being passed, not only as a military
necessity. but as means of holding tine
Pacific coast to the Union, and it was no
doubt from this sentiment that it got the
name of Union Pacific" On Dec. l,
1868, ground was broken at Omaha for
the beginning of the road In 1864 the
Indian troubles began and lasted until
the tracks Joined at Promontory in 1869.
In speaking of the Indian troubles
General Dodge says: eve lost most of
our men and stock while building from
Fort Kearney to Bitter Creek. At that
time every mile of road had to be sur
veyed, graded, tied and bridged under
military protection. From the beginning
to the completion. of the road our sue
cess depended in great measure on the
cordial and active support of the army,
especially its commander-in-chief, Cen
eral Grant; and the commander of the
military division of the west, General
Sherman. The building of this line to
California in those days was an UNDER
taking of hardship and danger; it was
done at time when labor-saving appli-
ances were unknown. They were not
supplied with the comforts for protec-
ton against cold, and were compelled to
fight both Indians and snow, all of which
have given it the name of being the
Historic Road of the West"
In order to handle with safety the
great travel for the Exposition that will
cross the continent this year over 126
million of dollars have already been ex-
pended for double tracks and automatic
electric block safety signals, and every
thing possible is being done to care for
all who come.
There are SO many points of interest
throughout the State that it is expected
a great many people will take advantage
of the extremely low rates to visit Cali
fornia and the Pacific coast this year,
and all the transcontinental lines will
be busy. Everything possible is being
done to enable the tourists to see
tho country. Free side trims are beinp