Year: 1867

| So


How the Union. Pacific Railroad is built


An Intelligent correspondent Of the


Cincinnati Gazette has written very
interesting letter, showing the manner


in which this last wonder Of the century


is being completed. He says: sa..


ss'.There is nothing connected with the
Union Pacific Railroad that is not won


delful. The possibility Of constructing


such a road at some future day has long


loomed up as one Of the events Of .


grandcr future which all believed was to


come for the land To look upon so


much of it accomplished, to watch the


marvellous progress of each day, aud
feel sure that the great enterprise which


We had consigned to the future of our
dreams, is to he a reality for US, makes
one pronder OF the noble days in which


We live. 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 q reality much faster
than the people know. One year ago,
but forty miles were finished; this morn
ing, we look back from our train over a
days rapid run, and forward sixty miles.
Tonight, three additional miles of rail
will mark the track of the days advance.
sour party left the depot at Omaha
at Q o'clock on the morning of the Sd


inst. The station house, :nd the COM


mon passenger cars, were better than
those on the road from Washington to


New York those who have been SO un-
fortunate as to make the latter trip will
all hope they are very much better, if the


love of country be in their hearts.


1.-THE train, which was made up for


the excursionists, consisted Of cars as
elegant as any that can be found east Of
the Missouri. 1t was very difficult to


look at them and realize that before


night they would be roaring along over


plains from which hostile Indians, deer


and antelope have not been driven yet
as VALLEY OF THE Platte


"Long before the valley is reached, it
spreads before the eye like vast bay
opening out into an ocean, whittier the
track appears to lead. It is forty miles


from the low, rolling hills on the no, th,
to the opposite and similar range on the
south. Between, the surface is almost
perfectly fat, 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 falters in its at
tempt to estimate the future of such a
valley, or its inmense capabilities. The


grain fields of Europe are mere garden
patches beside the green oceans which
roll from Colorado to Indiana The val
| ley widens with the advance. The hills


behind sink into the plain until the hori-
| zon there is perfect Those on either
side grow fainter, till through the heat
| ed air they take on The appearance of


low islands seen across many miles Of
| water. - f
I Much Of the land at the mouth of


the valley is under cultivation, and the
deep black OF the freshly turned loan,
| the dark green of the wheat, the lighter


grass, the deeper shades, and the brown
of that which the fires of the autumn
spared, make up the wide expanse mo-
sale which nature alone could color, and


the prairics only find room to display.
Further on, huge plows, drawn by eight
| oxen, Iaborcd slowly along, each furrow
| being an added ripple to the tide which
| is sweeping up over all these rich re-


gions-a tide whose ebb the youngest
will never know"
After a rapid run of $50 miles, we
stopped for an excellent dinner at G rand
Island.


A CONTINENTAL MILESTONE. r.
"The common mile posts seem to
measure insignificant distances upon the


wide plains. Only each five miles are


noted on this road, and when one has
passed between two of these, the step


taken hardly appears like an advance.
But there is one point marked in man.


ner to suggest the distance which has


been overcome, and the gigantic charac


ter OF the work. Alta point in the plain


which otherwise seems as indeterminate


as the position Of floating log a; sea,


wide, arched sign between two strong
set posts, bears this inscription: '10Oth


meridian-247 miles from Omaha. Here


was the terminus Of the road only last


September. Now it is complete to point


near the I02d meridian, and the distance


from Omaha is 365 miles. Thus the
work moves On, measuring its distance
hy thu hOur eirc1oa ~