Year: 1867




cinnaG Gazette has written very inter
csting letter, showing the manner in which
this last wonder of the century is being
completed. He says:


"There Is nothing connected with the
Union Pacific Railroad that is not wonder
full The possibility Of constructing such
a road AZ some future day has long loemed
up as one OF the events of grander future
which all believed was to come for the
land. To look upon so much of it accom-
plished. TO watch the marvellous progress
of each day, and feel sure that the great
enterprise which we had consigned TO the
future of our dreams, is to be a reality for
us makes one prouler of the noble davs in
which VIC i've. In one sense the road is
as great an achievement as the war. and as
grand triumph to those who have seen
much Of the former and looked from this
point upon the unfoldings of the latter,
/ they appear equally impressive What the
country has dreamed about for many years
is becoming a reality much faster than the
people know. One year ago, but forty
miles were finished; this morning, we look
back from our train overa days rapid run,
and forward sixty miles. To-night three
additional miles of rail will mark the track
of the days advance.


"Our party left the depot at Omaha at 9
O clock on the morning of the Sd inst
The station house, and the common pas
songer cars, were better than those on the
road from Washington TO New York; those
who have been so unfortunate as make the
latter trip will all hope they are very much
better, if the love of country be in their
hearts.


'Ths train, which was made up for the
excursiOnisis. consisted of cars as elegant
as any that can be found east Of the Mis-
souri, II was very difficult to- look at
them and realize that before night they
would he roaring along over the plains
from which hostile indians, deer and an
telope have not yet been driven.


VALLEY OF THE PLATTE


"Long before the valley is reached, it
spreads hefOr the eve like Il vast bay open
ing out into an ocean, whittier the track
appears 20 lead. Ii is forty miles from the
low, rolling hills on the north. to the OPP
posite and similar range on the south
Between, the surface is almost perfectly
flat, though its regular ascent toward the
west. Of about ten feet to the mile, gives
ample drainage. The soil is very rich, and
the mind lalters in its attempt 10 estimate
the future of such valley, or its immense
capabilities The grain fields of Europe
are mere garden patches beside the green
oceans which roll from Colorado to Indi-
ana. The valley widens with the advance.
The hills behind sink into the plain until
the horizon there is perfect. Those on
either side grow fainter. till through the
heated air they take on the appearance of
1.N-s- Ic mi Of
ter.


much Of the land at the mouth Of the
valley is under cultivation and tn, deep
black OF the freshly turned loan, the dark
green of the wheat. the tighter grass, the
deeper shades, and the brown Of that
which the fires of autumn spared. make up
tho wide expansc mosaic which nature
alone could color, and the prairies only
find room to display. Further on, huge
plows, drawn by eight oxen, laborcd slow
ly along. each furrow being sn added rip
pie To the iidc which is sweeping up over
all those rich regions-a tide whose ebb
the youngest will never know


After rapid ruin of lj0 miles, we step
for an excellent dinner at Grand Island,


A CONTINENTAL MILESTONE,


"The common mile posts seem 10 meas
ure insignificant distances upon the wide
plains, Only each five miles are noted on
this road, and when one has passed be-
tween two OF these, the step taken hardly
appears like an advance. But there is one
point marked in manner to suggest the
distance which has been overcome, and
the gigantic character of the work. AT a
point in the plain which otherwise seems
as indeterminate as the position of float
ing log ut sea, a wide, arched sign between
two strong posts, bears this inscription
'lOGth merdian-2i7 miles from Omaha.
Here was the terminus of The road only
last September. Nov it > complete to a
point near the l02d meridian, and the dis
lance from Omaha is 800 miles. Thus the
work moves on, measuring its distance by
the hour circles.


A FRONTIER CITY.


Crossing the North Platte on a bridge
about three thousand feet long. the train
soon stopped at North Platte station, which
can probably, for time be regarded rs a
frontier town. Last fall there was no
building here. Now the Railroad Compa-
nv have fine brick car houses, there is q
good hotel, where excellent fare is provi-
ded and on the main street fronting the
track are thirtysix buildings. The depot
and warehouses are overlooking with stores
of all kinds.


within twenty miles Of the end Of the
track few OF the party rode OH the cow
catcher 1t seemed marvellous to drive on
at the rate OF twenty miles an hour over
rails that had only been down for ten days
But the perfection with which the work is
done allows il, and makes it safe. 1t was
exhilerating in the extreme, thus under the
flags which strcamed on either side, to rush
over these prairies so lately bound with
links of iron to the empire of the East


Three hundred and twenty-five miles
out. construction train of eighty cars
stood on side track. 1t was loaded with
iron, ties, spikes, and chains, in exactly
such proportions as were needed. 1t look
ed the very embodiment OF system, and
was one key to the rapidity with which
the work progresses. A little farther on
stood similar train, and next we stopped
| in the rear of one where the trackiayers
resided. Seventy-six hours swift riding
had brought us to this goal. The hills of
Colorado were IN plain sight. San Fran
cisco was nearer than Boston.


The road had been a constant wonder
| from the start. Its depots, its car-shops,
| its equipment, its remarkable smoothness,
its high rate of speed, its long bridges, and
its well-Ordercd eating houses, had attract
ed constant attention to it as railroad
! alone.


Every step trod revealed new wonders.
The great achievement grew upward to-
ward its real proportions with every throb
of the engine. But all we saw was com
monplace and natural beside the scene
that awaited us where the track was being
laid. If the rest had excited amazement
this new wonder took all the attributes of
magic Fictions Of the East must be re-
written to match the realities of this West
HOW TIE ROAD Is BUILT.


"The plain fact will reveal the magni
tude of the work. There is really little
known by the people Of the character Of
the enterprise. Most think that compa-
ny of capitalists are hastily putting down a
rude track, over which cars can be moved
r q = IL II.