Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 1, 1883, Page 11

is to become a verity, it will be an enduring monument of the euterprise and patriotism of our common oountry, firmly uniting the two extremes of the nation, and renderiog them india woluble for all time to come, 1 am, re- pectfully yours, Riciaun Yarrs FROM THOMAS ¢, DURANT. New York, December 1, To Committer of Arrang:ments, Union Pacific raitroad ¢ The honor of inangurating the greatest onterprise of this age is this day yours with the aid of the government and our patriotic people. Tho work is to he pushed vigorously forward, and the day brate the completion of the road the Missouri river to the Pacific nearer at hand than our most sanguine friends anticipate. Respect- tully yours, Tuomas C. Durant, FROM THE GOVERNOR OF CALIPORNIA, SackaMENTO, Decomber 2, i California_acknowledges with joy the grootings of her sister Nobiaska, and will prove her fratornal regard by het effurts to oxcel her sister in the rapidity with which, carrying the iron bonds of union, she secks a sisterly embrace, Mountain and desert shall soon be over- come LELAND STANPORD, governor. NARIGHAM YOUNG'S MERBAGE, Saur Lake, December 2, 1863. Let the hearts of the honest be united % 2id the great national improvement. Briauam Youxa. THR GRERTING OF DENVER, Drxver, Col., December 2, 1863, Denver sends greeting to Omaha, Qolorado freely pledges her mountains of gold iv aid of your great enterprise. AMOs STECK, mayor. The Bullding of the Road After the lowation of the roal had boon settled in favor of Omaha, several attempts were mado to induce tho Presi- dent of the United States to change it to other points, but the president invari- ably roplied that the road had been lo- outed in confor nity with the require- ments of the charter, and he had r right or disposition to revoke his decis- ion. Omaha, of oourse, now experienced a boom, and proceeded to grow rapidly andor the stimulus given to it by this groat onterprise. larly in the spring of 1864 active worl 3 becun on the construction of the Union Pacific railroad,; contracts having beon let for the work for 100 miles west to a point in the Platte valley, from which surveys were con- tinued to the 100th meridian. After about $100,000 had been spent on the duo west course, it was abandoned, beeause it was claimed that it was too hilly to_allow the road to bo completed for a distance of 100 wmiles to save the chartor, which required that that much of the road should be finished between the Missouri river and the 100th meridian within three years aftor the filing cf the company'’s assent to the organic law, filed June 27, 1863 Two new routes wera then surveyed, one to the north and thence wert; and “¢ho other to the south, nearly to Belle- vue, and thenca northwest and west. The Jatter route was called the *“‘ox-bow,” aud shosen by the company, not withstanding the violent opposition of the poople of Omaha, who had great fears that the company intended to cross the Missouri river at Bellevue, and leave *Owmaha out in the cola. The greatest anxiety existed at Omaha at this time. Everything was finally harmoniously sot- tled however, and upon the aband m- ment of the idea of starting from Bello- vue Omaha breathed easy once again The grading was once more pushed rapidly forward, following the “ox-bow” soute, and the laying of the track fol- lowed almost as fast. The ties for the road from Omaha to the DPlatte valley wero obtained from the Missouri river bottom lands Being of cottonwood they were put through the “‘Burneti process,” which made them impervious to weather, animal or vegetable parasites, Tho ties for the remainder of the road were of hard wood, and were obtained from Michigan, Pennsylvania and other distunt states, and frequently cost as bigh as $2.50 por tie, laid down in O . Some idea of the difliculty and cost of construecting the Union Pacific may be gained from the fact that there was o break in vailroad eommunication hetween | (| miver at Omaha and Des Moines, a 133 miles, and o distance of wsequently everything bad to he transported by teams from that point, or steamboats up the Missou- ri. The company employed six largo steamboats on the Missouri for the trans- portation of material, in addition to hun- dreds of teams between Des Moines and Omaha, The company started their shops in Omaha sooaafter Leginning the work of building the railroad, completing them in tho fall of 1865, The seventy-horse- power engine for the «hopa was trans- ported by wagons from Des Moines, The completion of tho first fifteen miles of tr: he Union Pacific was celobrated by AN EXCURKION from Omaha, Themas C. Durant, who got up the excurrion, took a locomotive and a flat car and invited about 20 prom- wont gentlemen to go with him on the fivst inspection trip to the end of the track at Suling's Grove. Among the ex- oursionists were Gen. Shermanand Hon, A.J. Poppleton. It was an enthusias- tic party, and as the commissary depart- ment was well supplied, the gentlemen eujoyed themselves, GENERAL BHERMAN, who was called upon for a speech, related his ecxperience in minking several thousand dollars, years be- foro in California, in an effort to siart the Pacific ruilroad. He reviewed the dreaw of other days, and concluded with the expression of & hope that he might live to ree the day, but could acarcely expect at bis age, w{un the two oceans would be united by u complete Pacific railroad. General Sherman has, contrary to his expectations, lived to see that day, and has tuveled over the com- plote Pacific railrond uniting the two oceans. Ha weut over tho rosd in Jess than four years from the day he took the trip to Suling's Geove, ory twenty miles of completed road was duly inspected by properly appointed inspoctors, and Bumerous | excursions weore made to the cud of the track was woved from poiut to puint, miles of the road ) 8 it Fifty was completed and in runving order on the 13th of March, 1866, and the commissionara of the gov- ernuent, General 8. R Curtis, Colonel J. H. Simpson and W. M, White, came to Omaha on April 16th, and the next went over the road to Bend, and epted the In July it was anoounced that oy North wor 135 miles were ready for the cars, The gradivg continued very rapidly, and the Oasom Brothers, who had rhe ac for track laying, frequently laid the truck 8t the 1ate of FIVE MILES 4 DAY, Thore were 260 mulea of road built When completed | d 240 miles in 1887, | GGoorg Frane, Train organized tho fam. uring the year 180 Pacific th were used 300,000 rails, 1,700,000 tish plats,6,800,000 bolts, 16,1 ties, and 23,605,600 spikes. Meantime | THE CENTRAL PACIFIC and had crossed the Sierra mountains, being a warvellous triumph of engincering skill. There was a lively race between the Union Pacitic and th number of miles, and a dang: both roads in unpleasant and serious difliculties, which, however, wore settled on April Oth, 1869, by the railroad committee of the house of reoresentatives agreving to ask the passage of a joint resolution declaring that 10 bonda be issued to either corpora tion for the eighty mile section between Ogden and Monument Point, until con- gresy arranged a plan for THE JUNCTION OF THE ROADS, santime the representatives of the two corporatiors met and agreed that the place of junction should be at Promon- tory Poiut. Tt was there that the roads were united, on the 10th of May, 1869, THE CELEBRATION AT OMAHA in honor of the completion of the U Pacific and its junction with the Central Pacitic was a grand and enthusiastic affsir, It was & general |ln|idl\{ for everybody. Private and public buildings wero ornamented with decorations of all kinds—flags, festoous, bauners and mottoes, A telegraph line was run to n building en Capitol hill, and direct com- munication was had with Promonto where the golden spike, at_the junc of the roads, was being driven with n silver hammer into the last tie, which was of laurel wood. When the last blow was given at Promontory it was in- stantly known in Omaba, where one hundred guns were fired in rapid succes- sion when the announcement was made. A procession was formed in the after- noon on Farnam strect, and with flags and banners flying, the citizens marched to Capitol square, where the meeting was presid d over by Governor nuders, Eloquent_speeches were made by Ge Clintm B. Fisk, of Missouri, and Gen. Manderson and Judge Wakely, of Oma ha, amid the most unbounded enthusi- asm. The illumination in_the evening was a brilliant spectacle, The city was one blaze of light, while the diaplay of pyro- technics was very beautiful. It was the grandest. dav ever recorded in the history of Omaha. The result is known to everybody. The Atlantic and Pacific were joned by bands of steel, and a revolution was accomplished in the world’s comme THIE MISSOURI & The Umon Pacitic Bridge, The mext thing necessary after tho completion of the Union Pacific was the construction of a bridgo over the Mis- souri river, to connect with the eastern railroads which had made Council Blufis their terminus, The Chicago & Northwestern was the firat road to reach < ‘maha from the esst, the first train arriving here on Sunday, January 17, 1867. Next camo the St Joe & Council Bluffs road, now known ns the Kansas City, St. Joe & Council Bluff: the DBurlicgton & Missouri, now called the Ch Burlington & Quincy, and the Chicago & Rock Island, ly in 1868; and then came the Chi- cago, Burlington & Quincy, which was then called the Burlington & Missouri. C mnections with the Union Pacitic were made during the summer by means ot transfer steambuats, and during the win- ter the transfer was made over an ice bridge The Uunion Pacific bridge wzs not be- gun_ until after the complotion of the voad, al hough the initintory steps had been taken in 1866 by gotting an act paseed throngh conyress. A fight arose as to its location, whether it should he a low bridge a “Telegraph Poles,” or o permavent hivh brideo down ' the “Childs’ Mills.” Council | Blufls objected to the location at the “ Telegraph Poles,” and both Counci Bluffs and ¢maha opposed ** Childs' Mills.” The location where tho bridye now stands was finally agr upon, through the efforts of a committee com- posed of Alvin ders, Francis Smith, Angustus Kountze, Fzra Millard, Enos Lowe and C. P. Hurferd, who went to New York for that purpose. On March 26, 1868, Mr. Saunders, chairman of the committee, telegraphed to Omaha, ** The bridge is located at Train Table Oma- ha pledges the depot grounds and 825 000; Council Bluffs pledges $200,000; ground and right of way will bo con- demned,” Omaha voted $250,000 in bonds as aid to the bridge, in consideraticn that she should have the main transfer depots, general offices, machine shops, ete. Coun- cil Bluffs voted $200,000 in bonds, but the company never received them. The Missouri River Bridge company, an organizstion which was claimed to be an independent institution,although com- posed of Union Pacific stockholders, was organized under authority of a special act of congress to build the bridge, and they were authorized to issue bonds to the amount of 82,600,000, which bonds were sold in England, The Boomer Bridge company. of Chi- cago, on the 4th of September, 1868, se- cured the contract of building the bridge for §1,089,600, tne time of ita comple- tion to be November 10, 1869. They were geeatly delayed, however, and did not got the first eylinder ready for sink ing until March, 1869, In July follow- ing the Union Pacific took hold of the work, the centract with the Boomer Bridge company having been aniulled The structure was completed on the 26th of March, 1873, Tt is 2,750 feet long— 11 spans of 250 feet each—and is com- posed entirely of iron The superstruc- ture is supported by piers, each formed of two iron pnenmntic tuhes, sunk in sections and filled with c nt masonry, sch tube being eight uud a half feot in Adigmeter This biidge is said to have cost $1,450,000. THE CREDIT MOBILIER, How the Funds W Oblained. The charter of the Union TPacific re quired that the hooks should be kept stion uatil §100,000,000 This open for subs should bo subscribed and paid for, cheme, however did not succe italists looked with suspicion on the en- | A8 Cap- terprise as a profitable iivestment, and tho plan was abandoned. Thersupon tons of | the undertaking, and as o Central Pacific roads to build the greatest | road, by the ous rivalry | land grant bonds of the company to sprung up, which was likely to involve [ ton eapitalists. AR U P NP PN P and from “January Ist, 1863, to May | qua Credit Mobhw'Ts With the view of ob. | Evans, S, 1t Reed and B B. Bragton 10th, 1869, b5 miles were laid, complet . ds witl wiieh to build the |¥ere msocidted with mo in the work ing the road, and_ connecting | tining funds witl Wi ldu during this period; all but the last |with the = Cenmtral TPacifie. In|rond. Great difficury, howaver, was ex- Ly nvioman remnined until the rod was the construction of the — Union | perienced in securing mouey, to complote | crnpleted and added to their pravi consequence there were times during th® period of construction when the con'vahy was | financially embarrassed, and thad teo ina very critieal manner. Financial 1id w.a had been pushed with cqual rapidity, |sought in vainin New York, Philedel Nevada | phia, and elsewhere, but finally in Bos ton considerable money was obtained, nd evontually suflicient was secured for | the completion and equipment of the lo of the tirst morigage and This was in April, 1808 As soon a8 the money was fortheouin the company settled up a largo indebied- ness which it had contracted in Omsha and elsewhere, and pushed thic work to complotion with a tareel lous rupidity. The effect upon Omuha and Nebraska is oo well known to be told again at this time The Pacific railioad, which for many years, was an idoal undertaking, became wn accomplished fact und oue of the greatest enterprises the world has ov seen. It was accomplished too under circumstance which were at times the most difficu/t and dishearteniug, and whon we luok back over the history of the oonstruction of the Union Pacific, we wonder that the gigantic enterprise was ever finished. The men who em- barked in the enterprise and iuvested their money, and in some instances, risked their lives, aro entitled to the wroatest credit as well as to the fortunes that they made out of it, The pushing of the Union Pacifis rail- road for over 2,000 miles over trackloss plains, uninhabited eave by the Indian and the butfalo, and over the Rocky mountaing and the Sierra Nevadus, seoms more like a romance than reality, and no one can read the history of the firat through trauscontinental railway Jine without admiring the pluck und in- domitable energy of the builders of the great national highway. TOCATION OF THE UNION PACIFIO Interesting Infurmation From Peter A, Dey, the First Chief Enginecr. lowa Ciry, November 29, 1883, E. Rosewater, Editor Oxaua Bre: Dear Stu:—1I think in 1862 I attended the convention in Chicago that formed the preliminary organization of the Union Pacific railread. 1 went there at the re- quest of the lute Hemry F whom the wrnam (ufrer prineipal thoroughfare in Omaha is named), in whoto cmploy 1 had been for o number of yenrs, then the president of the Chicago & Rock Island road. His intention was to interest himself in the project. As 1 had given cloco aten- tion to the explorations across the con- tinent made by the government, Mr Farnam desired to avail himself of any information that I might possess. The policy of the government previous to the war had been to subsidize 1wo railronds, 1 and a southern line, and com= little attention had been paid to examining a central route. A study of Stansbury’s rurvey of Salt Lake and sowie other disconnected reconmoisances had satistied e that less difliculties would be encountered on aline follow- ing the Platte river as lur us practicable and continuing west in about that lati- tude, than either north or south of it. At the convention the company was temporarily organized by the election of Wu. B. Ogden as president, Henry V. Poor, secrewry, and Thomas W. Olcott, treasurer. Early in September of the sume year, by direction of Mr. Farnam, 1 went to Denver, looked for a practicable crossing of the mountains west of that place. ~ Failing to find any opening 1 went north to the head of Lodge Pole creck, exumined the conntry, mnd fixed upon a crossing of the Black Hills that T regurded as feamble. 1 then went west and selected a crossingof the main divide of the contivent aud also of the rim of the Great Sale Lake basin, The uature of the country wus ruch that an engineer had but little dificulty in fixing the route where the road should go if these three points were determmed, the entrance Salt Lake valloy was a simple mart rerurned in the]all aud made a full] with a stuement of the points wi road would encounter its greatest difli- caliios and the gradients that would p aoly be enoountered. While my wasmor e favorable and the r oject sec cager of wecomplshment han anticipat- b port, ed, Mr. nam did not pursue the matter further and in a shore time weat to Burope, Newrly a year elspsod and noching was done to help the project along. Lo August, 1803, Mr. Thomas C. Durant telegraphed me to meet him in New Youk with such infor- mation as I had with regard 1o the route. In September, by his directios, I organ- 1zed engineering parties, mwado surveys trom the mouth of the Platte river, Belle- vue, Omaha aud Florenco over into the Plaito valley ncar Fremont. 1 also sent aparty torun aline from Lodge Pole creek mto the Larwnie plaine, and also over the wain divide, 1 think *hrough Bridger Pass. T awo sent a geologist to exawine the strata at the mountsins and along Bitter creek and Green river, to wsocrtain the extent und value of the coul measures, and wscertain whether irou could be found in quantities to warrant working. About the fust of November I went with Mr. Durant, Mr. Carter, a wov- ernment director, and the Hon. Jobn Kasson, to Washington, While we were there President Lincoln ficed the terminus of the road at Omuha. The certificate, which he tramed himeelf, limited the point to any place in the section in which the aty of Omaha was located. My own judgment, at the time, was that vither Bullevue or Childs’ Mill was the proper poiut. This wita baged upon the that it seemed ensier to bridgo the M asouri river there, und the grades to the Platte river would be bewter than further north. I never kuew the reason for tixing the point at Ouwaha, but supposed thatit was regarded a8 more pracucable to bring the lowa rouds together thera than st any point further north orsouth, Daring the yeur 1864 sneveys were wade from O naha to Kearney, from Lodge Pol ok conmecu tively, o the openiug of Weber river in- o Salt Like valicy, A survey wis also made through the Laramie eanyon During the same year cousiderable grad- ing was doue from Omashaw st, aod a rangements were made for procuring ties and timber. Considering the difiiculty of sveuring labor and supplies, St. Jo. seph being the nearest point reached by rail, very much was accomplivhd Tho w practically dotermined lo start was made towards Ou the st of Janoary, sonstruction 180! , wy relations with the road termi- A [and modified under the direction of Gen. WIVTTO AL UV nited, House, James A, Messra J, E high reputations by the ability displayed during the progress of the work Respectfully, Perer A, Dry, THE FIRS SURVEYS, Some Luterestioe T trom Andrew R Was Oue ¢ 8 Obtained er, Who e Burveyors, v “You were one of the first surveyors employed on the line of the Uni citic railrond,” said & Beg ropresents to Mr. Andrew Rosewater, who is now the city engiveer of Omuha. “Yes, T was amember of one of the surveying parties,” replied he. “Can you give me some facts and in. cidenta concerning the early surveys!” ““Yes, but in a rather disconnected manver. You'll have to dress them up to suit yourself.” “Never that. us some facts; wo'll tako care of the drossing The first survey of the Union Pa cific,” said Mr. R sowator, **was a direct line west from Omahs to the Elkhorn viver, through the Gritin farm, In the winter of 1864, after a confer. ence with Silas Seywour, consulting en- gincer, ord rs were issued for survoys to W windo by the way of Mud crock, which line was nine miles longer than the direct route or Dey line to the - horn, J. E House, assistant ougineer, de the ftirst survey over this route. mind Give The engineer ocorps camped out, as the winter was quite open un- tl the first part of Juuuary, whaen thero was o heavy snow fall; but the work on this line was steadily prosocutod on the Mad ereck route The adoption of this survey, azainst the protests of Powr A Dey, the chief enginer, was the o of that gentleman's resiguation the next spring. His place was filled oy J. B, House, who was known as the acting chicf engineer for sowe time. Over $100,000 had been expended on the Dey Iime, when it was abandoned, Ot of the wmusing incidents connested with the work on that_liuo was 1o ey loy- went of alot of Tudian squaws as gr: ers, but this experiment soon proved tatlure. The first locomotive that arrived here was ealled the General Sherman, It waa brought here by steamer from St Jow early in 1865, and it was tested on three hundred yards of the first track laig down on the river bottom, The passen, on the locomotive wero Jl L. Heury, of Davenpoct, and his wife, Heury was the fiest superintondent of the Unien Pacifie. A lurge crowd of poople witnessed this little excursi m of the firse locomotive. L ean’t remember the name of the engineer. The sccond locomoti was named McPherson, and was also transported by stenmer from St Joo. drove the stakes for the first round nouse and the wain shops, in emnection with Ass'stant Eongineer Shotwell, **How about the far-west surveys, Mr. Rosewarer?” “*At this time all the division engineera were out on surveys up the Platte valloy and across the Rocky mountiing — James Fvans, diwision engineer, started from Ounha on April 16th, 1864, to mako a survey fromthe foot of the Black Hills, and at the same time F. M. Case wus making surveys eouth towards Denver, and Perey T. Brown was surveying across the Plaing, thie side of the Rocky mountaing Ouve hundred thousand dollars weve spent that year for engincering, tho money being advanced by Thomas C Durant, It took us one month to reach the foot of the Rocky mountains. We had three teams and 14 men. Among our party there were Wilsy Dixon, Audy McAusland and Fred Boegel. When we reached the mountaing we were visited hy an old Indian chief, who had a Mex- ican,who could tulk Fuglish, ns an inter- preter. This chief had a wedal which hehad received while on a visit to Wash- ington from President Franklin Pierce. When informed by the surveyors of the intention of running a vailroud throngh that country he sheok his head and snid it would be inpossible to eomstru st a rail- road through u region that had neither uraga norwater. ‘Uhis was on the bank of Lodge Pole cre vhree yoars aftor- ward, the rairrond reached that point. We laid out the site of Cheyenne in the spring ad- . ¢ of 1867, having nothingelse to do, as we could proceed 1o further st that i m unt of snow. Three months rds, in July, the railroad recched Cheyeano. Our stakes were torn up 1 odge. Upon che return of our party in the fall we found Cheyenne, the ** nugic city of the piaius,” as it was called. o place of 5,000 people. Tt was then the terminus of the road, and was oue of the liveliest border towns Tever suw. It was the greatest gambling centerin the west, Ita population was wade up mostly of gamblers, blacklegs, desperadoes and ad- venturers, and it was indeed a quict day when two or three wen were uot shot and Killed, L remewber during the early sur- veys of meeting old Bridger at Fort Lar- auwis, Fort Bridger aud Bridger Pass wero numed after him. He had come wost when o mere boy, and had spent all his lifo there, When he discovered Salt Lake, ho thought, upon tasting the water, that he had come so the Pactic ocenn, Ho war Ty UDNUDLDIVIN was named aftor him. A young man named Clark, a relative of Hotaco ¥, Clark, aftorwards pres ident of the road, was also killed, Wa frequently had some very narrow es capes from the Tndians, capera thoy once carriod off thirty miles of telograph wiro.” SOF course you sufferod hardships at times? Fory froquently. 1867 wo marched (X In the spring of D0 miles throu gh snow [two foct d and could not cross {the mountaing on aceomnrt of anow When wo crossed the plains the butfalo and antelopo woro vory thick, and wohad plenty of frosh meat, which helpod us out considerably o buffulocs we thick that frequently they had to be Ariven away to allow the passs ox freight trains that were then crossing the plains. The buffal that they camo np to the tro fort Koarney to drink W wo croseed the Red desert wo had to carry water for a wholo week in barrels, Wo ran ont of water and wore loft in a sori- ous predicament. Had it not boen for a heavy rain storm one night we would have died bofore we could have got wa. tor. Wo dug holes in the ground and thus collected enough wator to carry us through to Bitter Creek.” HCan yeu give us anything olao rogard- ing the early days of tho Union Pacific?” CWell, for n while I was inspector of ties and bridge material at Omaha. The ties wero floated down the river on rafts, and were brought up tho river in stoam- ers. Joln A, Horbach was a heavy con- tractor in those days. In the spring of 1866 the river was unusually high, and carried off an immense number of ties and swopt every portion of the first mile of track. One of the steamboats was also sunk.” *'Who wero the chiof ongineers of the road?" “First eamo Potor AL Day, who was followed by J. E. House, who was act- ing chief engineer until the appointment of P. B, Reod. The next was General Dadye, who wasfollowed by T I Sickles. T'he prosenc chief ongincer, Me. Blick- ensderfe was tho man solected by the government th determine what con- stituted tho Rocky Mountain division.” A Turerviow With “When did LB H ) i surveying fie?” inquirad w spocial Bew oo nmussionor of Me. J. B House, who had charze of thoe first sur- voys on the eastorn division of tho road. “Ioamy horyin Octobor, 1833, Cur surveys were started on the 14th of that mouth. Wo atacted a lino from tho rivor to tho wostwared, anl crossed the E khora river at the present location. Wa wors angagod during the wintor of 186364 in making surveys betwoon what ianow known as the Sioux City & Pa- cifie, on the north, and the Plitto river on the south. Wo really made two loca- tions from Omaha to Fromont. One was on _the Doy line to the Elkhorn river, and tho other was up the valley of the Big Papillion by tho way of Blkhwn City and Boll Creck. T was in charge of tho sucveys and locations, and was the enginoer of construction for the contrac b Petor A Doy was the chiof engi neer of tho raileoad company.’ g “Whan did you begin grading on the Doy line? Y'We bagan grading on the Day line in the spring of 186+ Me N. L. ¥illiams, Syracase, N Y., had chai of the firat four miles to the summit, and Lowis Carmichuel had chargo of the work | yond. Wo worked on the grade during the summer of 1864 Tthink it was in January, 1865, that the Chicago & Rock Island was completod from Geinnoll to Keller, and the entire force of mon and teams was transferred from that road to the Union Pacitie, and right in the midst of this orders ecame to changa the loca- tion of the read (0 the Mud Creek route.” *Whon did you make the changa?” “Not uniil Fobruery, as T had to sur- voy the new ronte; but meantime I kept the men at work on the Dey line in order to hold th-m. By the way, during the summer of 1864 wo worked a very gmall force on the grade, not averaging at times over twenty five mon, the trouble Doing that the freighters men away from us for teamste almost iinpossible to koep men.” “When was the track laying beguu?” | Cla August, 1865, W laid, and had | examined aud accopted, forty milos of track by January, 1866 Feom this time < progressod very rapidly. During the winter of 186 the headquarters of the superintendunt of constraction were at North Platto, and during the winter of 1867-68 at Chayenno. SWhon did Chief Eugineer Doy re- sign (" “In Fobruary, 1865, T was then divi- sion enginver in chiargo of constroction for the contrnctors, Wion Chief Eogineer Rosed came, n9 Doy's suceossor, in Janu- ury, 1866, [ was transforred to the engi- neer dopartment of the rond. 1 located the second 100 miles of the road in the onth of Fobruary that yeur.” “Whers woro your headquarters in Omaha?’ “Over Caldwell & Hamilton’s bank until the fall of 1865, when the construc. tion departmont moved thoir oftices to the littlo old capltol building —the first capitol of Nobraska—on the west side of Ninth street, between Farnam and Douglas. [t was long since tore dewn. Tt was Our oftizes romaimed in that buildlug un- born in St Louis, and when spuakiug of the streets he called then cunyous, He did not believe that it was practica: ble to build a railroad through thut coun. try for the suwe reasons thit had been ®iven by the old Tndan chiof.” “How fur west did you survey(” “My party went through to Green river. From river west- ward the surveying by & party in chargs of 8. B Reod, s wis the wont difficult part of the wholy survey. and yreat assistauce was roudered by Brigham Youny *“When the cars began runuing, what did the Indians think of the iren horse!” “Uu the spring of 1865, when the road was ¢ mploted wbmt 40 miles, & large hody Todiaws wees mvited to soe w woving train, and they assembled with their famihes along the track. When ths train came slong the engineer blew his whistle long and loud, wod lot off using # terrible racl which ed the Todians, who turned and great terror. After beeoming customed o tl howevor, they frequently amused themselves by raciy with the teaing on their ponivs. Talking ahout [ndises, reminds ma that they f qavntly trouhled the surveyors as well us the ehmstracion parties, and once or twice attucked the teaing aftor the road was complored Q uto a namber of wie voyors ware killed, among the number baing Porey 0, Browin. This happensd in 1847, in the mounntaios, snd Percy station wiws named o honor of him. Mr. Hill, a brother-in-law of Byron Reed, | » director, did nog til 1869 " “Did you ever have ordors to stop work, and go to Bellevue with a view of locating the road from that point?” “Wo had such orders, but they wore revoked in fow days,” An Inspoction Trip Over 217 Milesof Teack—A Tributs 1) Thomay C. Duran In Saptemher, 180 directors, Hon, Tadians; Hon. T Hon. Sprinzor Harbaugh, of Pennsyl- vania; and Ia Charlos T. Shorman, of the government Jesso L. Williams, of J. Cavter, of Tlinois; Ohio, accompaniod by Silas Soymour, consulting engineer of the Union Pacilic, mado a trip of inspection over tho com- ploted portion of the road. Hon. George Ashwun, of Massachusetts, wh was slso scompiny the party On the morning of the Llth of Ssptem- ber theso wontlomen, accompanicd by Gen G. M. Dodge, chiof engineer, Major Bont, and Major Choesrwough, took n apocial train, in charge of Mr. 8 B Reol, the goneral supsrintendent, for thaend of the tack, which was then Inid 217 miles westward. Chey arrived wis Killed tho sawo year, sud Hillsdalo oppesite Fort Kearney ot 4 p. m., hay- Among othor | ept hiring our | 1 over 200 miles of road in ing pu oight hotes, hour. Mosary, went at the rate of Harbaugh, Carter and | Sherman, balanee of the complats road, and then roturned es' " rost of the party weut om o » on stward, onver by stago from Fort Kearnoy. I th con noction it may bo atated the above patV camo from Chicago over the Chicwgs & Northwestern road to the end of it track, 400 nsles west of Chicago, and [feom the end of the track they ewmo to Omaha by stige, a distance of ninety | Bofore yrocoeding on' their trip westward from Owaha thoy exined | the extensive shope of the Cnion Pactie, | which had been coustructed within the past paar, Me. doymour and lis compnnions ro- tarned Scom Colorads early 1n October. | Mr. Soymonr in writing an account of his trip said: “The scvne along the road was both interesting and oxeiting. Here | A% line passonger station in cosrse of constructicn; there, a freight or water atation was being put up as if by wagio Now, wo wore halted upon a sido tsack to allow a train of thirty or forty cars Iaden with ties, rails, chairs and apilos for tho track, to pass. And then we would meot a teain laden with stone or other matorml for the foundations or nuperatructureof » distant bridgo. Every thing and everybody scemed full of life and energy; and all working to the same great end, and being directed by the samoe master mind.” Me, Soymour's let- tors to the Now York Zimes concerning this groat onterprise, attracied a groat deal of atteution, and were afterwards published in a little volame entitled **Wostern Incidents.” Inone of his lat- tors ho took cccasion to pay the follow- ing TRIGUTE TO THOMAS O, DURANT: No ono who knows Mre. Thomns C Durant, the vico president of the Union Pacitic rmlroad, and has witnessod his en- tiro devotion to this groat enterprise, and the untiring energy which he has brought to bear in overcoming the many ditlicul- tios in its rapid construction, while acting as the principal exsoutive officer of the company, in tho absence of the president, Gon, Dix (whoso time, daring the late war, was pr ncipilly dovoted w his duties in tho army), will husitate to award to him tho highest honors, both as a railroad managor and public bonofactor. Que year ago, not a mile of rond had boeen acoopted by the governmeat; only twelvo or fifteon milos had been lail west of Omahy; and it was struggling along at tho rato of from one quarter to a half wilo por day. To-day, two hundred and focty milos of teask have boon nsoopted by the government. Soms twelve or fif- toon fmiles additional have been com ploted, and it is stewdily progrossing at the rate of from ono and a haif to two milos per day. Fourteon thousand and two handred foet, or two and seven-tenth mi'es, havo been laid in a single day Ono yoar ago, the foundations were commuuend for the machine shops at the oastorn torminus of the road. To.day, they aro substantially comploted, and m full oporation, with atalls for twenty loco- motives, and machinery for doing the ro- pairs of threo hundred miles of road; also car-shops, manufacturingand turning out, two cara oach day; and the whols giving employment t) thres hundrod and fifty mechanios, One year ago, thero were only three locomotives and twenty platform cars on- gagad in the teansportation of matorials To-day, there are twonty-three loonno- tives, and two hunpred and fifty freight cars omployed in the samo business—tive firat-class passenger cars, with tho neces sary mail and bagzage cars, and two magnificent exeursion and sloeping cars, proparod for their approprinte use. One year ago, passengers for Denver, Salt, Lake, and San Francisco were obliged to ride the whole distance from the Migsouri river in old- ashioned, stago-coaches, hacks or mud-wagons To-duy, thore are no stazes running east of Fort Kearney; and nearly ono half the distance to Donvor may be traveled in ten hours, and in tho most luxurious passengor cars, Ono year ago, every pound of froight, od “vither by the government or in- lividuals, had to bo teansported west of the Missouri, by means of ox or mule teams, at the slow rate of fifteen or twonty miles por day. To-day, cars heavily laden with government stores wd ato freight, destined for the w slope of the continent, are at- tached to the construction traius, and find their way in twenty-four hous to ths end of the t <, many miles west of the one hundredth meridian. One yoar ago tho great Union Pacific raileoad was vegarded as a wyth, and the men eng m and coutrolling it, as a bhing, Wall street specu- ay it is known and felt to boa power and @ reality; and Mr. Du- rant and his associates are bulieved to be in curnost and fully capuble of carrying sut to successful completion the mam- woth work which they have undertuken. When it is remewbered that this tran- u haw bown accomplished in one short y in & country destitute of lubor, muterials and supplies; and with noth- ing but the dungerous and certain navigation of the M rivor to rely upon dwing the summer months us a basis of operations, it must bo admitted that a now cra is dawning, or ruther has ulveady been suce: sfully inaugurtaed, in the history of railroad construc . Bit A MEMORABLYE KEXOURSION, ed Citizens of stwton Take o Arip to the 100th Meridian—Iicn Wado's Spee at Ohi- cag Thoe most notable excursion during the construction period of the Union Pa- cific railroad ocourred in Octooer, 1866, It was called the Pacific railroad excur- sion, and was or4aniz:d in New York city. On Thuralay, the 18:h of October, it was offlcially anmouncol that the excursion had reached Ohicago, aud might be ex- pected to arrive in Omaha on the follow- ing Monday morninz. The wayor immediately convened the city council, and the president of the board of trade callod that body together for the purpose of conferriug upon the subject, and making avcaugoments to give tho distinguished visitors » proper roception. It was finally arranged hat the freedom ot the city should be tendered to the ex- cursionists, and that u grand reception, ball and supper should be given them at ths Hordon Houso, on the evening of their arrival. Tha exeursion was gotten up by the manugors of the groat national enterprise sbrato the complotion of the fiesk ion from the Missouri river to the 100th meridian of longitude, which was finishod within eonsiderably less than o yoar from the time roquired by law, 25 miles an and inspocted the Uportion of the The Invitations were nosordingly extonded to tho president of the United States, and members of | cabinet; also to all the members of congress, foreign minis- ters, military and naval commanders, and to tho principal railrond men and leading capitalists throughout the enun- try, to join ina geand excursion from New York city to the 100th meridian, in tha Great Platte valloy, & distance of about 1,700 miles, and moro than half way across the continent No raneond excursion of similar charae. teramd muogititude had ever been pro- jeeted in this, o Any other country; and the parties most interestod were, of course, antiring in thele efforts to make it a complote suceeas, The different linew of connecting rail- ronds, steamboats arnd stages botween Noew York and Omiw, weee at once placed at the disp mal of the company by their liberal and emterprising managery, whkt seemed Yo vie with ench other i their efforts %o aid the Unioa Pacifier Railroad company in its great and some- what aovel undortaking. Very much to the regret of the exe curaioidsts, as well as the rocepticists along the route, General John A, Bix, tho president of the company, was pro- vented from acoompanying the party, by recoiving from che prosident of tie Uunited States, the appsintment of minise The managery of the road thought this ahould not only be suitadly advertised to tho world, but swisfactorily. verified by the proper officers of the gov- ommont and members of congreas. tor to Franco, just previous to its depart- ure from N York. The cliarge of the exoursion therefore devolved upon Mr. Thomas C Durant, vico presidént, and Mosars, Sherman, Cook, Dillon, Tsvm- bard and Daft, diroctors; assisted by Mr. B. Bunker, asstant socrotary of the company; Oolonel No A Gestner and Mr, E Simmonds, from the New York otfce. Tho party. consisting of about one hundred persons, fully supplicd with everything that coula bo improvised or thought of forits comfort and enjoyment, loft N York on Monday evening, ©o- tober 17k, by way of tho Nuw Jersey and Pennsylvania Couteal railroads, to Pittabury; and the Pittsbarg, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad to Chicago, whore they arrived in high spirits on the following Wednesday eveaning Considerable accessions of invited wuests wero maae to the party on the way to, and at, Chicago, Several of th xcursionists preforred or two at Chicago, and over the Chicago & Northe westorn railroad, in - company with the ofticers of that road, to Dvnnison, and from thence to Omaha by stuge. But by far the Jargost portion, accompanied by the Great Westera Light Guard baud, startod [ri-m Chicag » on Thursday morn- ing, October 18th, by way of the Chicavo, Burlington & Q iinoy, and the Huunibal & Haint Joseph railronds, aud arrived at St. Joseph on the foliowing Friday eve- ning. Hore they were mot by Mr. H. M. Hoxie. the general western agent of the Union Puei Iroad, to whose care had been assivned the transportation on the Missouri river, a distance of two hundred and fitty miles, by river, frons St. Joseph to Omaha; and wiso the sub- sistence of the entire party until its return to Suint Joseph. Two of the largest class M ssourt river packets—tho Denver, Captain Waddoll, and the Colorado, Captain Hooper— with an additional band of music on board, wrere in readiness to receive the party on i 1 at Saint Joseph; and the ex- ts soon found therselves with aying and colors flying steaming up the Mussouri river. The journey from Suint Joseph to Omaha “was accoraplished, without seri- ous accident or detention, in less than forty-eight hours; and the party reached the eastern terminus of the Union Pa- cific railrond on Monday morning, the 220 of October, having been on the way Ir--n;‘ New York a hLttlo less than one week. FORM TON OF THE ELKHORN ©) That portion of the party which had crossed the atate of lowa by land, in- cluding Mr Pervy I Smith, the vice- yesident, and Mr. George L. Dunlap, the general superintendent of the Chicago & Northwentern vailvoud, Messra, Tuiner, Ayer, Bowen, Crerer, and several othe e1s from Chicago, having vejoned the party in the morning, were assigned to Guarters on the railroad company’s stenmer Blkhorn, which lay at the land- ing immedintely across the bows of tho stenmer Denver, 1t should here be recorded for the ben- ofit of all future historiaus, that, on this momorable day, and upon the steaner Elkhorn, the famous, and never-to-be- forgotten Bikhorn clab was dily o1gn- ized and established upon a tirm, wnd it was then hoped an enduring basis. The club meluded in its membership all the pioneer officers of the Union other loeal railroad and stage wen, and it was the Elkhorn club that suyggested the wdea ot a pair of elk-horns as the crest or cout of arms of the Union Pa- cilic, TIE RECKPTION AND BALL, The suthorities of O.naha were on the alert at an early hour for the purpose of welcoming and entertuining the dis- tinguished party. Governor Saiuaders Secretary Padduck, Mayor Miller, and Vice-President Patrick, of the board of tracde, soon mado vieir appearance upon the steamer, and weleomed the excur- sionists in appropriaw spevches, tender- ing them the freedom of the oity and territory, aud inviting them to s reoep- tion ball at the Herndon iu the evening, all of which were duly responded to and uccepted by Seuator Patterson, Govern- ment Director Shorman, and others of the party. Carriages were in waiting, to convey such of the number as desired to leave the boats, either about the town, to the hotels, or to the residences of soveral of the private fawilies, which had been most liberally thrown open for the ocea- sion, The excarsionists, with their insignia of ribbous and rosectes, wers soon to be seen in all parts of the town, and sinoug the extensive workshops of the railroad company, evidently delighted und some- what as onished d thomselves, afwr a werk's joucneying westward from New York, stitd among people of wealth, re- tinement and enterprise, I'he ballin the vvening, however, was perbaps the greatest surprise. The pres- enee of General Paullip St George Covke, commnuding the departwent, with bis favernor Saunders, Cuief-Justice Secrotary Paddock, Senstors Thayer and Tiptou, all of Nevraska; to- wether with the eiry anthorivies, aud the woalihy,outerprising, business aud profes= sioual wen of Omaha, with their fawi lies, all couduced to make it an enter- ta'nment which would have dove credits to any gatheting of a similar characies in Chicago, Washington or Now York, WESTWAKD BOUND, Noxt morning the eastern excursions iatw inspected the railrad shops, wud then prozveded to the e oumsion tinin, cousisting of niue cara drawnp by two e T