Year: 1879

Messrs. Editors In accordance with
Your wish that I should note and write some
Of my observations and impressions of my
western trip, you will allow me to step across
the easterly part of the route and introduce
you TO transfer grounds on the westerly
border of Iowa. These grounds are two
miles west from Council Bluffs and half a
mile east of Missouri river bridge. This
place is the connecting link between the
great East and the broad and growing West.
Here all passengers, baggage, express and
mails arriving from the east change to the
cars of the Union Pacific. Here the Union
Company have erected a large fine building,
the Union Pacific depot and hotel, which
affords ample accommodations for passen-
gers, and for the transaction of all kinds of
business connected with the transfer. On
the eastern side of this building, side by
side terminate the tracks of four eastern
competing railroads, all of which make daily
connections between the Overland and Chi
cago. These are some of the principal
channels through which flow much of the
business that passes over this great trunk
line to the Pacific coast


UNION DEPOT


is a model of convenience. Besides its hotel
accommodations it has commodious waiting
rooms, ticket, telegraph and express offices,
baggage and news rooms, etc. Parties en-
route for Pacific coast who have not bought
their tickets east will buy them here also
their tickets for berth in Pullman sleeping
car. First-class tickets from Transfer station
to San Francisco cost 300, second-class S75
third or emigrant class, $40. Sleeping car
and stop-over privileges are not allowed on
second-class tickets. For sleepers from Trans
fer to Ogden IS from Ogden Sc. AT Ogden
is the division between the Union and Cen
tral companies. From Union depot west we
have fine view of


OMAHA AND THE BRIDGE.


The former is on an elevation extending
back from the westerly bank of the river
young city of a few years growth but now
claiming a population of twenty-four thou
sand. The extensive repair shops of the
Union Pacific railroad are located here The
bridge is fine structure, one-half mile in
length-with the approaches, one mile. The
bridge rests on cast iron columns, and
is fifty feet above high water mark. The
river that passes under this bridge was far
below my expectation-not so large in vol
ume, a restless, changeable stream, carrying
along in its wake much sand and dirt, Civ
ing it very roily appearance. Soon after
leaving the bridge we are in


OMAHA DEPOT,


large building with one span overhead
with six tracks running through it from end
toend The train stops here thirty minutes
preliminaries are arranged and the train,
consisting of the baggage, one mall three
coach and three Pullman cars, moves from
the depot and we are


EN- ROUTE FOR THE PACIFIC COAST.


For the first five hundred miles our course
was through Nebraska. On leaving Omaha
we are at once in good farming lands, show.
ing evidences Of large crops and productive
soil. The face of the country at first is
slightly rolling; but we soon pass into





eight or ten miles wide, which seemed to be
rich with the growth of vegetation. The
valley was skrted on the right aud left with
bluffs adding much to its already inviting
appearance. As we leave the Elk Valley
we pass into the


PLATTE VALLEY,


which is no less interesting, for the valley
takes wider form. The bluffs that skirt it
border take higher range, giving then
at distance the appearance of hills anc
mountains. Our course for two hundred
miles is through this same rich valley of th'
Platte river. The first fifty miles from
Omaha, on the line Of the railroad, the laud
appear to be nearly all improved, but as W
pass into the interior they are less so, excep
near towns and stations, which are not un
frequent. Fremont, forty-seven miles iron
Omaha, has the appearance OF thrift and Ell
terprise. At this place the Sioux City an
Pacific railroad connects with the Unio
Pacific. All through this valley, where tn
lands had not been broken and cultivated
there was heavy growth of uncut ha,
The valley is so broad and acreage SO grea
that, although mowing-machines are tryin
to make some impression, still there mus
large per cent Of it go uncut. Judgin
from what can see in making hasty pa
sage through this valley of the richness {
the soil from the growth of vegetation, an
the beautiful view of its surroundings, col
slider it one of the richest sections passe
through.


We have now left the Platte in the rea
and are ascending the mountain side su
rounded by broad swells of prairie farr
ing lands, on which were numbers of larl
herds of cattle, accompanied by the herd
men. So it continued until we gradual
ascended the mountain. The swels gre
less broad and more abrupt. We are now


CHEYENNE.


Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming, e
waited six thousand feet. Its buildings, bo
public and private, are an ornament TO al
town or city. This is the halfway stati
between Omaha and Ogden, five hundr
and sixteen miles apart. Here the Deny
road makes a junction with the Uni
Pacific. The growing of cattle and maxi
beef by ranchmen is the chief business
these localities. No field or garden is C
tivated, the season being too short and co
From here our ascent is much more rap
and we are now hlgn IN the mountains
advancing into wild, rugged region.
either side may be seen high, bold masses
rock, piled one upon another in wild c.
fusion, Up still higher, drawn by the TO
of two powerful engines, and we are now


SHERMAN,


the summit of the Rocky Mountains,
hundred and forty-nine miles west OF Oma
So broad has been the mountain range q
gradual the ascent thst one does not real
he is eight thousand two hundred and FOL
two feet above the level of the sea. From h
we pass along winding our way throl
gorges and on the mountain side, at til
making curves so short as apparently TO N
our own or an approaching train. As we
passing along the summit the surround
country is opened 10 our view. And II
as the Black Hills are pointed out to us
away in the north, the Utah Mountains
the west, we can in measure realize
are high up in the mountains. In Ii
ing far away through space across


vast country the eye rests on the d
form Of those hills stretching far a
TO the north. We soon begin to MAX