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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1894)
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE- : SUNDAYMAY G , 18D4-TWENTY PAGES. TOE .GOLDEN SPIRE Quarter Cent nial of the Completion of the Pacific Enilroads. \VONDER OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY The At'antio and Pacific Forever Linked by Bands of Steel. OMAHA AND SAN FRANCISCO SHAKE HANDS Night of Flickering Hope Cdntraatod with the Meridian of Realization. WHAT MIND AND MUSCLE WROUGHT Incrptloii anil Completion of tli'j.Htiipomlou * Kntcrprlito mill Kit .tliiriolou * I'riiU- ugo Tlio J'rogrrftttliu Itoimmco of Aiiivrlcim History. Twcnty-flvo years ago next Thursday ( May JO ) the ticking of tlio electric telegraph In a thousand offices over the length and breadth of this country noted the strokes of the ham mer of silver with which the golden spike was driven Into the tie of laurel wood at Promontory , when the junction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads was effected , and the task of building the flrat great transcontinental line was formally completed. Twcnty-flvo years ago , when the projectors of that stupendous work witnessed Its suc cessful termination , they beheld a practical transformation In the geography of thecoun try. New York and San Francisco were picked up from their former position of weeks apart and set down within a few days' distance of each other ; millions of acres of rolling prairie , the undisputed home of the Indian and the buffalo , were placed Invit ingly at the very feet of the civilized hus bandman ; the untold wealth of the nation's ore > Qclds was placed at the mercy or the miner's muscle , and the myriad mysteries of that but little known country between the mad Missouri and the Golden Gate became an open book. The Atlantic and Pacific were joined by bands of steel , and then and there a revolution was accomplished In the com merce of the world. Thirty years ago on the 2nd of last Decem ber the * first spadeful of earth was moved on the Missouri bottom within the old city limits of Omaha , formally in augurating this unprecedented work. On that day the great Union Pacific railway was regarded as very much of a myth even by many of those who en thusiastically participated In the ceremonies attendant on the Initial ground breaking , while the men engaged In and controlling the enterprise were largely regarded as a sot of stock jobbing. Wall street speculators. Five and a third years later Innumerable seemingly Insurmountable obstacles had been overcome ; thousands of miles of road had been constructed In a country destitute of labor , materials and supplies , with nothing but. the dangerous and uncertain navigation of the Missouri river to rely upon during th& summer months' as a base of operations ; trains laden with government stores and pri vate freight sped with the energetic force of steam propuslon toward the western slope of - the continent ; passengers for the Occident v had abandoned the stage coach and ox or mule train for the palace car , and a new era In the history of railroad construction had been successfully Inaugurated. The Union Pacific had been completed and was known and felt to ho a reality. On this occasion of the quarter-centennial of the completion of that gigantic undertak ing The Oeo presents a brief histury of the enterprise- with an account'of the exoiclses that were held In this city at the time of the beginning and completion of the work. It Is Impossible to present the difficult and disheartening circumstances that confiontod the men who Invested their money , and. In Bomo Instances , risked their lives In this enterprise , yet It cannot bo denied that the pushing of the Union Pacific railroad forever over 2,000 miles over trackless plains and over the Hocky mountains and Sierra Nevadas seems more llko a romance than a reality , and no one can lead the history of , the first through transcontinental railway without itdmlrlng the pluck and Indomitable energy of the builders of the great national highway , and the progressive spirit of the ( nation that made that success possible. After the loatlon of the road.had been de termined In favor of Omaha several attempts were jnado to secure a change to other points , but President Lincoln Invariably re plied that the road had been located In con formity with the charter requirements , and that ho had neither the right nor disposition to revoke lite decision. Omaha naturally ex perienced something of a boom as a result of It , and grew rapjdly _ under the stimulus of * the now enterprise. Actlvo building operations were begun In the early spring of 1SC1 , contracts being lot for work to a point 100 miles west In the Platte valley , from which surveys were con tinued to the igOth meridian. After $100,000 had been expended on the course duo west- 'orly ' It was abandoned on the ground that It would be Impossible to complete lee miles of road through such hilly country In tlmo to BOVQ the charter , which required that much to be completed between the Missouri river tend the 100th meridian within three years from the filing of the company's assentto the organic act , Juno 27 , 1863. TWO nqw routes were at once surveyed ; one north and thence west , and the other south nearly to Uclluvuo , and ' thcnco northwest and west. TID ! latter was called the "ox-bow , " and was. the route chosen by the company , notwithstanding the violent opposition of the people of Omaha , "Nvho entertained great fears that the com pany Intended to cross the river at Dellcvuo and leave Omaha out In the cold. The greatest anxiety existed In Omaha at this tlmo. but everything was finally harmoni ously settled , oven after an order had actually been promulgated directing tlio starting of the line from Dcllcvuc , and after that Idea was abandoned the Omahans breathed easy once more. Grading was pushed rapidly forward on the "ox-bow" route , and track laying fol lowed almost as fast. The ties for the road from Omaha to the Platte were obtained from the Missouri bottom lands , and being of cottonwood , were put through the "burnellzlng process , " which made thorn Impervious to water , as well ns to animal or vcgetablo parasites. The tics for the re. malnder of the road were of hard wood and wer * obtained from Pennsylvania. Michigan and other distant states , and frequently am as high as $3.50 pw tlo laid down In Omaha. Some Idea ut the difficulty of constructing the road may bo obtained from a knowledge of the fact that there was a break of 133 miles In railroad communication between Ucs Molnes and Omaha , and that everything . had to be transported by team from that jxjlnt , or by steamboat up Uio Missouri. The company employed six largo steamers on - the river , a well an hundreds of teams be- twrecn Omaha and the Iowa capital. The Omaha shops were started soon after Ch work of building the road was com- uunwJ , and they were completed In the fill of 1SSS , The neventy-flvo horse power ttitlnv tor tlio shops was hauled nverland train I > Molnei by wagon * . The com pletion of the urit fifteen miles of track * ccUbratnl by an excursion from Omaha. M C , Uurant , who got up the excur- | / > vk Iwmiotlva and Hat car and 'l t fy prominent gentlemen to go { * UJU Mia an tfc n t luipectlon trip to the * H < ) 4 * k * l/Mk at 8llnK'i grove , u was M ) * tjtv.i < l ittr. ami ai the commit- 4 i/r M t it in well supplied the Jv ; 4 tbm lvi. Among the / llmi. A J. i'oppleloti anil Tfe fatUr gentleman. * ky WM vtHut r/ts/n tar a * pcti , related * u > wpHrta * * tit jlukiMtf Mimal thoiaand dollars year * before In California In an effort lo start the Pacific railroad. He re viewed the dream of other days , and con cluded with the expression of a hope that ho might lire to see the day , though he said It could scarcely bo expected nt his age , when the two oceans would bo united by a complete Pacific railroad. Contrary to his expectations , ho did live to nee the day , and In less than four years from that day at Snllng's grove he went over tiio complete road , traveling by rail from ocean to ocean. Hvery twenty miles of completed road was duly Inspected by properly appointed parties and numerous excursions were made to the end of the line as It was moved from time to time. Fifty miles of the road was com pleted and In running order March 13 , 186(1 ( , and an April 15 the commissioners of the government , General S. II. Curtis , Colonel J. H. Simpson and W. M. White , came to Omaha , going over the road the next day and accepting the work. In July It was an nounced that 135 inlloi were ready for tire cars. The grading continued very rapidly and the Casement llrothors , who had the contract for track laying , frequently put down the rolls at the rate of five miles n day. day.They had completed 2CO miles during I860 , 240 miles In 18G7 , and a total of 055 miles from the 1st of January , 1863 , to May 10 , 1869 , when the road was completed and con nection made with the Central Pacific. In the construction of the Union Pacific there were used 300,000 tons of rails , 1,700,000 fish plates , 6,800.000 bolts. 6,126,375 lie * and 23- 505,500 spikes. Meantime the Central Pacific had been pushed with equal rapidity , and had crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains , being a mar velous triumph of engineering skill. There was n lively race between the Union Pacific and Central Pacific to see which should build the greater number of miles , and a danger ous rivalry sprang up , which seemed likely to Involve both roads In unpleasant and se rious difficulties , which , however , were averted April 0 , 1869 , by the rallroail com mittee of the house of representatives agree ing to ask the passage of a joint resolution declaring that no bonds bo Issued to cither corporation for the eighty-mile section be tween Ogden and Monument Point , until congress arranged a plan for the junction of the roads. Soon after that the represen tatives of the two roads met and agreed that the place of junction should bo at Promontory Point , and there the roads were united on the 10th of May , 1869. The celebration at Omaha In honor of the Completion ot the Union Pacific and Us Junc- itlon with the Central Pacific was a. grand and enthusiastic affair. U was n general holiday for everybody , and both public and private buildings were In gala decoration flags , festoons , banners , mottoes and bunt- Ing. A telegraph line was run to a build ing on Capitol hill , and direct connection was made with Promontory , where the golden spike , at the junction of the roads , was being driven Into Its laurel wood restIng - Ing place. When the last blow was struck at Promontory It was Instantly known In Omaha , where 100 guns were fired In rapid succession when the announcement was made. A procession was formed on Farnam street In the afternoon , and with flags and banners flying , the citizens marched to Capitol square , where the meeting was presided over by Governor Saunders. Eloquent speeches were made by General Clinton B. Fisk of Missouri and General Manderson and Judge Wakeley of this city , amid the most unbounded enthu siasm. The Illumination In the evening was a brilliant spectacle. The city was ono blaze of light , while the display of pyrotech nics was exceedingly beautiful. It was the grandest day ever recorded In the history of Omaha , and the jubilation did not end with the rising of the next morning's sun. HISTORY OF THE ENTERPRISE. In 1S61 congress chartered the Pacific tele graph , ot which Edward Crelghton of Omaha was the projector and builder , and who , upon Us completion , July 1. 1862 , located Its terminus In this city. The Pacific telegraph was the forerunner of the Pacific railway , which followed closely upon the heels of the former , as the railroad bill was pending In congress while the telegraph was under con struction , and It was only four days before the electric spark flashed across the con tinent In one continuous circuit that the Pacific railroad act was signed by President 'Lincoln. The first Pacific railroad bill' was Intro- disced In congress In 1850 by Senator Oenton of Missouri. Such a project had , however , been discussed at times for several years prior to the Introduction of the Initial bill. In 1851 Hon. S. Duller King submitted n plan which was universally approved , It-was to the effect that the government should guarantee to any company or persons who would undertake and complete the road a net dividend of 5 per cent for fifty or 100 years ; the road to bo constructed under the supervision of an engineer appointed by the government , the cost of the road not to ex ceed n certain sum , and the guaranty not to begin until the road was completed and equipped for operation. In 1853-54 nine routes were surveyed across the continent under the supervision of Jefferson Davis , then secretary of war. Incidentally It may bo remarked that had not the war of the rebellion occurred the first transcontinental railway would very likely have' been by a southern route. With each succeeding session of congress the benefits and peculiarities of the various routes were submitted , and the results were summarized In the Interests of the extreme southern line. Finally It was demonstrated that the route along the north side of the Platte river was the most practicable , and In Juno , 1857 , a number of'dlsllngiilslied gen tlemen from the various portions of the United States visited Omaha and confer ) ed with parties having In view the construc tion of the Pacific road by way of the Platte valley and South Pass. The visiting party consisted of Colonel Orr of South Carolina , General Robinson , John Covode and Mr. Tiradshaw of Pennsylvania , Judge Barber of Wisconsin. Colonel Curtis of Iowa , Mr. Hos- mor of Ohio , Mr. Pierce of Indiana and others. They united In a recommendation to congress that such a reasonable grant of land and other aid bo contributed as would prove a sufficient lmlifu.icnt ; to build the road , and they also recommended the Platte valley route. The project of a Pacific rail road was also agitated at every session of the Nebraska territorial legislature , and It became one of the cherished hopes of this then new country. A Pacific railroad committee was appointed during the besslon ot the Thirty-sixth con gress , mid on the 20th of January , 1858 , that committee , through Senator Owln of Cali fornia , reported a bill which proposed tp lo cate the eastern terminus ot the road at some point between the Dig Sioux and Kansas rivers. The bill provided for the donation ot alternate sections on each side of the road , and 512,500 per mile , the same to be ad vanced on the completion of each twenty- five miles , until $25,000,000 should be reached. The amounts Hum advanced were to be re turned In mall service and the transporta tion of men and munitions of war. Five per cent of the stock was to be Issued , and the president ot the United States was to re ceive bids and locate the road. This bill was killed In the senate. Another effort was made during the session of 1859-60 , when a new bill was Introduced by Mr. Curtis ot Iowa , It met with more favorable considera tion , but with no better results. X mass meeting of the citizens of Omaha was held at the Pioneer block on the evenIng - Ing of January 29 , 1S59 , at which a memorial was adopted that had been prepared at a previous meeting by a committee- consisting of William A. Gwyer , G. C. Monell and A. I ) . Jones. This memorial was forwarded to Washington and there the matter rested until February 6 , 1862 , when Mr. Rollins of Missouri , by unanimous consent. Introduced a bill to aid In constructing n railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri rtvor to the Pacific ocean. It was subUantlally the tame as that Introduced by General Curtis at the previous session and was referred to the Pacific railroad committee , The bill , with various amendments , passed the house May C , 1862 , by a vote cf 79 to 49 , and went to the sonata for concurrence. In the upper house decisive action was delayed until Juno 20 , when the bill was passed by a vote of 35 to S. Uy a vote of 104 * to 21 the house adopted the bill as amended by the senate and July 1 It was approved by the president and became a law. THE COMPANY ORGANIZED Among other things the bill provided that quite a number ot persons , whose name : ) were Riven , should be created Into a body corporate and politic In law and deed , by the name of the Union Pacific Railroad company , These persons were from all sections of the north , the south being then In rebellion. Those from Nebraska were Qllnert C. Monell. Augustus Kountze , T. M. Marquetto. W. II. Taylor and Alvln Saunders. Mr. Koi'"lzo ' afterward became on" of the government directors of the road. The tlmo of com pletion wna fixed nt 1876 and the land Krant amounted to 12,000,000 acres , or 19,000 square miles , In alternate sections within a breadth of twenty miles on each side of the road and along Its entire length. An amendatory act directed that a mootIng - Ing bo hold In Chicago In September , 18f2 ! , to complete the organization nnd open nub- scrlptlon books. Seventy-three of the com missioners were present nnd the formal or ganization of the convention was effected by the election of W. U , Ogden of Illinois as president nnd II. V. Poor of Now York as secretary. The great project was dis cussed nt length and n co-operative com mittee of thirteen wns appointed. The formal organization ot this national enter prise wni projected at New York , October 29 , 1863. Two government directors were ap pointed and the following board of directors was elected : George Opdyko , John A. Dlx , T. C. Durnnt. E. W. Dunham. P. Clark , E. T. M. Gibson. J. F. D. Louler. 0. T. M. Davis , A. O. Jerome , August Dolmont , L. C. Clark , Charles Tuttle , II. V. Poor nnd George Orlswold , New York city ; J. V. L. Pruyn. Albany ; E. H. Rosckrnns , Glen's Falls ; A. A. Lowe , San Francisco ; W. IJ. Ogden nnd J. F. Tracy , Chicago ; Nathaniel Tlmyer and C. A. Lambard , Iloston ; C. S. Bushnoll , New Haven ; J. H , Scranton. Scran ton ; J. Edgar Thompson , Philadelphia ; nbenezer Cook nnd John E. Henry , Davenport ; II. T. McConcb , Wilmington ; Augustus Kountze , Omaha ; John I. Blair , New Jersey ; S. C. Pomeroy , Kansas. General Dlx was elected president ; T. C. Durant , vice president ; J. J. Cisco , treasurer , nnd H. V. Poor , secretary. OMAHA THE INITIAL POINT. Organization being completed the next step was the selection of the eastern terminus of the road. Omaha at that tlmo had no rail road whatever , but three lines were being built across the state of Iowa toward this point. The 13. & M. wns In operation 100 miles westward from Burlington , the Rock Island had reached Grlnnell and the North western was running to Marshalltown. Owing partly to the favorable location ot Omaha , which was the objective point of these roads , It was decided to make this city the Initial point of the Union Pacific rail road , ami , on the morning of December 2 , 1863 , Chief Englnedr Peter A. Dey received n telegram from New York announcing that the president of the United States had fixed the Initial point of the road on the "western boundary of the state of Iowa , opposite Omaha , " and directing him to formally break ground. This wns a most Important piece of news for the people of Omaha and they determine ! to Inaugurate the great work on that very day and appropriately celebrate the event. It had been rumored on the preceding day that President Lincoln had located the road to start at Omaha , opposite Council Bluffs , nnd that ground would bo broken the next day. The report stirred up Intense excite ment and was the cause of n bis rush on the United States land office to secure land near Omaha. It was Impossible , however , to ob tain land nearer than sixteen miles from the city and property In and-around the city took a sudden rise. It was with the greatest anxiety that the people waited for the confirmation of the rumors nnd when , on the next day. the telegram ordering Engineer Dey to break ground at Omaha was received the greatest excitement and enthusiasm p" evaded through put the little city , which then numbered less than 5,000 Inhabitants. So Important on event could not lie allowed to pas > s In any ordinary manner. It was to be the laying of the cornerstone of the grandest enterprise of the age the great structure that should unite the east nnd the west , the Atlantic nnd the Pacific which would do more to develop the resources of the country than nil other agencies combined , and be come the great transcontinental highway for the transportation of the people nnd mer- chandlso of the various nations of the earth To bo sure , not all the people In Omaha had unbounded faith In the enterprise- , but there were many who had the utmost confidence n Its eventual success , although none be- lloved that It would be completed In such a remarkably short time as n really wns It was not strange then , that with the Intense nterest felt in the undertaking , the celebra tion , although cr.tlrely Impromptu , should be a most enthusiastic success. HOW OMAHA .CELEBRATED. . Within an hour after the receipt of the telegram , the following committee of ar rangements had been appointed : Augustus Kountze , Enos Lowe , John McCornilck A J. Hanscom. B. F Lushbaugh. A. J Popple- ton , John I. Redlck , Ezra Mlllard , Experi ence Estabrook. E. B. Taylor , George M. Mills , W. F. Sapp , Jesse Lowe , 0. P. Hur- ford , Edward Crelghton , J. J. Brown and George B. Blake. This committee hastily arranged n program of exercises , and fixed the hour for the ceremonies for 2 o'clock that afternoon. It was n pleasant winter afternoon , the sun shining brightly and the thermometer indicating degrees nbovo zero ; when a crowd numbering about 1000 people assembled and marched down to 'the spot where the ground was to bo formally broken ns the beginning of actual work on the Union Pacific railroad. This spot was near the ferry landing and the "old telegraph poles , " not far from the location ot the old waterworks plant at the foot of Cass street. This Initial point of the Union Pacific has long since been washed away by the Missouri river , together with about a mile of the first track laid , which was Included In the measurement of the first twenty miles , and for which , as well as for every other mile , the Union Pacific re ceived $10,000 and 12,000 acres of land. A number of prominent men , among them being Edward Crelghton , Governor Alvln Saunders , George Francis Train , Express Superintendent Joseph Shepard and General Stage Agent Atchlson , were conveyed to the scene In a stage coach belonging to the Western Stage company. A. J. Hanscom officiated as master of cere monies , nnd the exercises were opened with prayer by the late Rev. T. B. Lemon , who omitted the prayer for the president of the United States , the reason being that Mr. Lemon was a strong democrat. He after ward changed his politics and became u radi cal republican. The first earth was removed by Governor Saunders , assisted by Mayors B. E. B. Ken nedy and Palmer of Omaha and Council Bluffs , Augustus Kountze , Engineer Dey. George Francis Train , Dr. Atchlson and others. Guns were fired , nnd deafening cheers arose from the assemblage. A brass slx-poundor stationed on the Nebraska bank , and another on the opposite shore of the Missouri , were fired at Intervals during the exercises. Governor Saunders first addressed the crowd and read a telegram , from Colonel John Hay. private secretary to President Lincoln. Mayor Kennedy spoke next , readIng - Ing a message from Mayor Opdyko- Now York. Speeches were also made by Dr. O. C. Monell nnd Hon. A. J. Poppleton of Omaha , Judge A. V. Larimer of Council Bluffs , George B , Blake and George Francis Train. A. J. POPPLKTON'S SPEECH. Mr , Popploton's speech was as follows ; Fellow Citizens of Omaha nnd Council Bluffs : On the 13th of October , 1854. about 7 o'clock In the evening , I was set down by the Western Stage company nt yonder city of Council Bluffs. At the rising of the sun on the following morning I climbed to the summit of ono of thn bluffs which overlooked the prosperous nnd enterprising town , nnd took ono long nnd lingering look ncross the Missouri nt the benutlful sight on which now sets In the full vigor of busi ness , social and religious llfo the youthful but thriving and this day Jubilant city of Omaha. Early In the day I crossed the river , nnd along n narrow path cut by some stalwart man through the tall , rank prnlrlo grass. I wended my way In search of a poatofllco , At length I found an old pioneer neer , seated apparently In sollary rumin ation upon a plecq of hewn timber , nnd I Inquired of him for the postofflco. Ho re plied that ho was the postmaster , and would examine the ofllco for my letters. Thereupon ho removed from his head a hat , to say the least of U somewhat veteran In appearance , nnd drew from Its depths the coveted letters. On that day the wolves and the Omuhas were the almost undisputed lords ut the soil , and the entire postal system was conducted In the crown of this venerable hat. Today , at least 40,000 radiant faces glad den our streets , nnd the postal service , sheltered by a costly edifice , strikes Its Urlarlan anna toward the north , the south , the cast and the west , penetrating regions then unexplored and unknown , and bearing tliu symbols of values then hidden In the mountains and beneath the streams , of which the world In Us wildest vagaries had never dreamed. Then It took sixty days for New York and California to com municate with each other. Today. San Francisco nnd More York , sitting upon the shores of the tin 3,000 miles asunder , hold fnmllar cn\ | erse , Iron and sten and lightning arc dally weaving their Inles more closely with each other and nun with theirs , ns the In toroccanlc city , * ! > so commerce , trade nnd treasure leave jltl i last great navigable stream In their Till ; ratlon from the Atlantic to the Pacific seaboard. U Is natural , therefore , that you nhould lift up your hearts nnd rejoice. And though we have watched for nine long years , dur ing which tlmo our fortunes have been llko Antonio's treasures , "mostly In ex pectancy , " wo at last press the cup In full fruition to our lips. The lines have In deed "fallen to us In pleasant places , " nnd ns I look upojilio ) smiling faces that nrc before mo I Bcltn to i rend In their happy expression the words of the pious poet : "This Is the day we long linvc nought And mourned because wo found It not. All this , however , Is but the personal significance of this great national enterprise to us. To us Its means prosperity ; to the nation and all ot Its people It bears n signifi cance well expressed In n telegram received from Governor Yntes of Illinois , which reads ns follows : Committee of Arrangements , Union Pacific Railroad Sirs : I have regarded the enter prise of building the Union Pacific railroad as of the utmost nallonal Importance. While In congress , when opportunity offered , I urged Its necessity , and It Is with peculiar pleas ure that I learn that the building of the road so long delayed ,1 to become n verity. When completed It will bo an enduring monument of tho. enterprise and patriotism of our common country , firfnly uniting the two extremes of the nation and rendering them Indissoluble for all tlmo to come. I am , re spectfully yours , RICHARD YATES. I esteem myself fortunate In thus being allowed to give expression to this concourse of the greeting of the state ot Illinois through Its chief executive officer. In this hour of sanguinary struggles , when that great and union-loving state , through that most trusted fortunate chieftain , Gen eral Ulysses S. Grant , Is hurling Its vic torious sons Into the very vitals of the so- called confederacy , she still flnds tlmo to turn nsldo for ono brief moment and wish us Godspeed In this' wonderful work upon which wo now enter. When these Iron bands Vvlth which wo hope to gird the continent shall stretch from sea to sea , they stand'perpetual hostages against the terrlblo calamities of national estrange ment , disruption and dismemberment. The act of congress establishing- this great enter prise should have been entitled "An net to promote the preservation of the union , to prevent national dissolution and bind to gether the Atlantic and Pacific coasts by an Indissoluble covenant , to resist and repel foreign aggression. " There Is not on all the Mississippi and its tributaries n citizen so craven but that were the free navigation of that noble stream , from Its source to Its mouth , denied him , he would achelvo It with the sword. So will this highway of the world bo the common boon of every citizen , to bo cherished and defended with special devo- Standlng here , at the Initiation of this stupendous enterprise. In this third year of our civil wlar , let us-dovoutly prny that the hour that witnesses Us Completion may be hold a rebellion overthrown , a union re stored , n constitution unimpaired , civil lib erty and the pursuit ot happiness the In- allenablo birthright of the weakest , the poorest and tlieflowliest citizen In nil of our borders. Then with full hearts and bounding pulses we may renew the strain : "Great God , wo .tjuxnk thec for tills goodly This bounteou-j blrthlnnd of the free , Where wandcrdrBlfrom nfnr may come And breathe iftq < nlr of liberty : Still may Its flowers untrampled spring- , Its harvests wivK and cities rise And long 'til time shall fold ItH wing Remain carth'si loveliest paradise. H may bo rclnar'kcd In patfilns that Mr. Popleton's connection with the Union Pa cific as attorncr began only a few days be fore his speech was delivered , and con tinued until a fe-wJyears ago , he beins gen eral atorney fdr the road at the time of his retirement , nml was the only general officer of the Koad who at that tlmo had continued In 1W sdrvlco from the day that the first spadefuP'of earth was turned on the1" Missouri bottom. . V < K > At the conclusion o. the oxernlsos , the crowd dispersed , highly elated with the oc currences of the nfternoon , a full account of which was telegraphed to the eastern press by Mr. Train nnd Mr. Rosewater. The city wns brilliantly Illuminated in the evenIng - Ing , nnd a grand railroad banquet nnd ball took place at the Herndon house , now a part of the Union Pacific headquarters. About sovonty-nVe ; pouples were In attend ance , and supper was served at 1:30. : Dis patches ot congratulation and encouragement were received n'nd > read from Brlghnm Young , Mayor Stock of Denver , Governor Leland Stanford of California , Governor Yates of Illinois , Hon. William'H. Sewarfl , secretary of war , nnd several other promi nent men In various parts ot the country. In , such a blaze of unprecedented glory ended December 2 , 1863 , ono of the most Important and eventful days In the history of Omaha and Nebraska. SEEKING FINANCIAL AID. How to obtain the necessary funds to carry the stupendous undertaking to n suc cessful completion was a question Hint made more than ono man Ho awake nights before It was satisfactorily solved. The charter granted by congress required that the books should bo kept open for subscription until $100,000,000 should be subscribed nnd paid for. The scheme , hownver , did not succeed , as capitalists looked with suspicion on the plan as a profitable Investment , nnd the plan was abandoned. Thereupon George Francis Train organized the famous Credit Moblller , with n view of obtaining funds with which to build the road. Grent diffi culty wns experienced In securing money , nnd there were times during the period of construction when the company wns finan cially embarrassed In a very critical man ner. Financial aid was sought In vain In Now York , Philadelphia nnd elsewhere , but finally considerable money was secured In Boston , n ml eventually sufficient was ob tained for the completion nnd equipment of the road by the sale of the first mortgage and land grnnt bonds to Boston capitalists. That was In April , 1868 , and as soon as the money was forthcoming the company settle up a largo Indebtedness that had been contracted In Omaha nnd at other points , and pushed the work to completion with marvelous rapidity. THE UNION PACIFIC BRIDGE. . The building of the "Union Pacific bridge was not begun until after the road was completed. It wns found necessary to cross the river to make connection with the east ern roads that made Council Bluffs their terminus. This connection was first made by means of steamboat transfer across the river In the sumnV'r months , nnd by an Ice bridge In * the winter. The Northwestern was the first road.'tp como across the river , the first tralhUnrrlvliiB hero on Sunday , January 17 , 1867. Then caino the Kansas City , St. Joseph & , Council Bluffs , the U. & M. , nml Rock iMahd In 1S68 ; nnd then the Chicago , Burlington & Qtilncy. Although the Initiatory steps were taken In 1866 , when an'act looking to that end passed congress ! the contract for building the brldgo was not awarded until 1S6S. A fight nroso over the location of tlio Htructuro , tha choice seeming to Ho between 1U low brldgo nt the "telegraph poles/1 or a high bridge ut Chllds Mills. Council Bluffs objected to the lo cation at the "telegraph poles , " and both Omaha and the Bluffs opposed Chllda Mills. The location whore the structure was finally erected was ngrflfd upon through the ef forts ot a committee consisting ot Alvln Saunders , Francis Smith , Augustus Kountze , Ezra Mlllard , EnoslLowo nnd 0. P. Hurford , who wont to Now York for that purpose. Chairman KaunddW , ' telegraphed to 'Omaha March 26 , 1868 , "Tho bridge Is located at Train Table. Ortiaha i < * * JKOS the depot grounds and $250,000 ; Council Bluffs pledges $200,000 ; ground and right-of-way will bo condemned , " Omaha voted $250QOO In bonds as aid to the .bridge , In consideration that she should have tbo main transfer depots - pots , general offices , machine shops , etc. Council Bluffs voted $200.000 In bonds , but the company never received them. An organization known as the Missouri River Bridge company , which was claimed to be an Independent Institution , although composed ot Union Pacific stockholders , was perfected under authority of a special act of congress to build the brldgo , and was au thorized to Issue- bonds to the amount ot $3,500,000 , which bonds were Bold In Eng land , The contract was awarded to the Bloomer Bridge company of Chicago September 4 , 1868 , the specified price being $1,089,500 , and the time of completion was fixed for Novem ber 10. 186' ' ) The work was greatly de layed , nnd the first cylinder wan not ready for sinking until March , 1869. In the fol lowing July the Union Pacific took hold ot the work , the contract with the Bloomer company having been annulled , nnd the struc ture wns completed March 25 , 1S73. The oust wns said to bo $1,450,000. The struc ture was 2,750 feet long , consisting of eleven spans , each 2uO feet long , constructed en tirely ot Iron. The superstructure wan Blip- ported by piers , each formed of two Iron pneumatic tubes eight nnd n half feel In diameter , sunk In sections and filled with cement masonry. This bridge wns wrecked In n heavy gale , when two spans were blown Into the river but wan repaired , and was replaced In 1SS1 by the mammoth double track structure that now spans the river at that point. THE FIRST SURVEY. Mr. Andrew Rosewater , now city engineer of Omaha , wan one of the first surveyors employed on the line of the Union Pacific and when asked the other day for nome o ! the facts nnd Incidents connected with the early surveys reverted to occurrences of ono third ot n century ago with n readiness that told how Indelibly the scenes of those ctlrrlni , times had been Impressed upon his mind. "Tho first survey of the Union Pacific , ' said Mr. Rosewater , "was n direct line west from Omahn to the Klldiorn river , through the Griffin fnrtu. In the winter oMSGI , after n conference with Silas Seymour , consulting engineer , orders were Issued for surveys to bo made by the way of Mud creek , whlcl line was nine miles longer than the direct route or Dey line to the Elkliorn. .1. E House , now county surveyor , wns then as sistant engineer nnd made the first survey over this route. The engineer corps cnmpci out , ns the winter was quite open , until the first part of January , when there was a heavy snowfall ; but work was steadily prose cuted on the Mud creek route. The ndoptlot of this survey against the protests of Peter A. Dey , then the chief engineer nnd now ono ot the railroad commissioners for the state of Iowa , wns the cause of that gentle man's resignation the next spring. His plnco was filled by Mr. House , who was known as the acting chief engineer for some tlmo. Over $100,000 had been expended 01 the Dey line before It was abandoned In favor of the Mud crook route. One of the amusing Incidents of the work on that line wns the employment of n lot of Indian squnws ns graders , but the experiment soon proved n failure. The first locomotive that nrrlved hero wns called the Genernl Shcr- mnn. It wns brought hero by stenmer from St. Joe early In 1805 nnd It wns tested on 300 yards of the first trnck laid on the river bottom. The passengers on the locomotive were John E. Henry of Davenport and his wife. Henry was the first superintendent of the Union Pacific. "A largo crowd of people witnessed this little excursion trip of the first locomotive The second locomotive was named McPherson - Phorson nnd was nlso transported by steamer from St. Joo. In connection with Asslstnni Engineer Shotwcll I drove the stnkos for the first round house nnd the main shops. " "How about the far west surveys ? " "At this tlmo all the division engineers wcro out on surveys up the Plntto valloj nnd across the Rocky mountnlns. James Evans , division engineer , started from Omaha April 15 , 1861 , to mnko a survey from the foot of the Black Hills , nnd nt the snme tlmo F. M. Case was making surveys soutl toward Deliver , while Percy T. Brown was surveying across the plains this side of the Rocky mountains. Over $100,000 was spent that year for engineering , the money being advanced by Thomas C. Durant. It took us ono month to reach the foot of the moun tains. Wo had three teams and fourteen men , among them being Wiley Dlxon , Andy McAuslanrt nnd Fred Boegcl. When wo reached the mountains AVO were visited by an old Indian chief , who was nccompanlci by an English talking Mexican as an In terpreter. This chief had a medal which ho had received from President Franklin Pierce while on n visit to Washington When Informed by the surveyors of the In tention of running a railroad through that country ho shook his head and said It would bo Impossible to construct a railroad through a region that had neither grass or water. This was on the bonk of Lodge Pole creek Thrc < 3 years later the railroad reached that point. Wo laid out the 'site of Cheyenne In the spring of 1867 , having nothing else to tlo , as wo could .proceed no further on ac count of the snow. In July , three months later , the railroad reached Cheyenne. Our stakes were torn up nnd modified under the direction ot General G. M. Dodge. Upon the return of our party to Cheyenne In the fall wt | found that town , tlio "Magic City of the Plains , " ns It was called , a place of 6,000 people. "It was then the terminus of the road nnd one of the liveliest border towns I over saw. It was the greatest gambling center In the west. Its population was made up mostly of gamblers , blacklegs , desperadoes and ad venturers , and It was a quiet day Indeed when two or three men were not shot and killed. "I remember during the early surveys of mooting old Brldger at Fort Laramlo. Fort Brldger and Brldger Pass were named after him. Ho had como west when n mere boy and had spent nil the years of his llfo there. When ho discovered Salt Lake ho thought , on tasting the water , that ho had come to the Pacific ocean. Ho wns born In St. Louis , nnd when speaking of the streets ho called them canyons. Ho did not bo- llevo that It was practicable to build a rail road through that country for the same reasons that had been given by the old In dlan chief. "My party wont clear through to Green River. From that point westward the Mir- veylng wns done by a party In charge of S. B. Reed. This was the most difficult part of the whole survey , and great assistance was rendered by Brlgham Young. In the spring of 1865 , when the road was com pleted about thirty miles out , a largo body of Indians wcro Invited to sco n moving train , and they assembled with their fam illea along the track. When the train came along the engineer blew his whistle long and loud , and lot olT steam , causing n terrible racket , frightening the Indians , who turned and fled In great terror. After becoming ac customed to the engine , however , they fre quently nmiised themselves by racing with the trains on their ponies. Talking about Indians reminds mo that they frequently troubled the surveyors as well ns the con- struc'lon parties , and once or twice attacked the trains after the road was completed. Quito n number of surveyors were killed , nmong them being Percy T. Brown. That happened In the mountains In 1867 , and Percy station was named In honor ot him. Mr. Hill , a brother-in-law ot Byron Reed , was kilted the same year , and Hlllsdale was named after him. "A young man named Clark , n relative of Horace F. Clark , afterward president of the road , was nlso killed. Wo frequently had some very narrow escapes from the Indians , who. among other capers , once carried off thirty miles of telegraph wlro. Wo fre quently suffered hardships. In the spring of 1867 wo marched 300 miles through snow two feet deep , and could not cross the mountains on acount of the snow. When wo crossed the plains the buffalo and nntelopo were very plentiful , so that wo had plenty of fresh meat , which helped us out consider ably. The buffalo were so thick that they frequently had to bo driven nwiiy to allow the passage of the ox freight trains that weie then crossing the plains. They were not wild , and at Fort Kearney ( hey were so tame that they would come up to the troughs to drink. Sometimes wo suffered a great deal for lack of water. When we crossed the Red desert wo had to carry n wntor supply for a whole week In barrels. As It was , wo run out before we got through , and were luft In a serious pre dicament. Had It not been for a heavy rain storm one night wo would have died before we could have gotten n new supply. We dug holes In the ground , and thus rol- lucted enough water to carry us through to Bitter Creek. "For awhile 1 wns Inspector of tics and brldgo materials at Omaha. The ties were cither floated down tlio .liver In rafttt or brought up stream on steamers. In the spring of 1866 the river was unusually high , and carried nwuy an Immense number of ties and swept away every portion of the first mile of track. John A. Horbach was ono of the heavy contractors In these days , The chief engineers of the road In the early days were Peter A. Dey , J. E. House , P. B. Reed. General G. M. Dodge and T. E. Sickles. Mr. Bllckonsdorfer , who after wards filled the position , was tlio man se lected by the government to determine what constituted the Rocky mountain division. " TUB FIRST CHIEF ENGINEER. The first chief engineer ot the Union Pa cific. Hon. Peter A. Dey of Iowa City , now and for several years a member of the Iowa railroad commission , gave the following In teresting Information In response to a re quest for fuels an to the location ot the line , "I think In 1862 I attended the convention In Chicago that formed the preliminary or ganization of the Union Paclilo railroad. I went there at the request of the Into Henry W. Fnrnnm ( after whom the principal thoroughfare In Onmlin In named ) , in whoso employ I had been for n number of years , then the president of the Chlcagj & Rock Island road. Ills Intention v > as to Interest himself In the project. As I had Riven close attention to the explorations ncross the continent made by the government , Mr. Fnrnnm desired to avail hlms-lf of any In formation that I might possess. The pjlc | > of the government previous to the war hud been to mibaldlzo two railroads , n northern and n southern line , nnd comparatively Ill- tie attention had been paid to examining n central route. A study of Mr. Stansbury's survey of Snlt Lake nnd some other discon nected rcconnolsances had satisfied mo that less difficulties would ho encountered on n line following the Plnttc river ns tnr ns practicable nnd continuing west In about that latitude , than cither north or south ot It. "At the convention the company wns tem porarily organized by the election of Wil liam B. Ogden us president ; Henry V. Poor secretary , nnd Thomas W. Olcolt , treasurer Early In September of the same year , by direction of Mr. Fnrnnm , I went to Denver looking for a suitable crossing of the moun tnlns west of that place. Fnlllng to fliu any opening , 1 wont ncrth to the head o Lodge Pole creek , examining the country and fixed upon a crossing of the Black Hills that I regarded ns feasible. I then went west and selected n crossing of the mult divide of the continent nnd nlso of the rln of the great Snlt Luke bafcln. The nnture of the country was such Hint an engineer hnd but little difficulty In fixing the route whore the rend shculd go. If these three points were determined the entrance to the Salt l ake valley wns n simple matter. "I returned In the fall nnd made n fill report , with n statement of the iwlnts where the road would enc-unter Its greatest dllll- cultles nnd the gradients that would prob ably bo encountered. While my report wns more favorable nnd the project scemet easier ot accomplishment limn anticipatedMr Fnrnnm did not pursue the matter further and In a short tlmo went to Europe. Ncarlj a year elnpsed nnd nothing wns dona to hell the project nlong. In August , 1863 , Mr Thomas C. Durant telegraphed mo to mee him In Now York with such Information ns I hnd with regard to the route. In Sptem- bor , by his direction , I organl/cd engineering parlies , made surveys from the mouth of the Platte river , Bellevue , Omahn and Florence over Into the Pintle valley , near Fremont I nlso sent a party to run a line from Ledge Polo creek Into the Lurnmlc plains , nnd nlso over the main divide , I think throng ) Brldger pass. I nlbo sent n geologist to ex amine the strata nt the mountnlns nnd nlong Bitter creek nnd Green river to nscertain tin. extent and value of the coal measures am ascertain whether Iron ' could bo found li quantities to warrant working. "About the 1st of November I went will Mr. Durant , Mr. Carter nnd Hon. John Kns- son to Washington. While we were there President Lincoln fixed the terminus of the road nt Omnhn. The ccrtlflcnte , which lit framed himself , limited the point to any place In the section In which the city of Omaha was located. My own judgment ni the tlmo was that clthsr Bellevue or Chllds Mill wns the proper point. This was basei upon the fact that It seemed easier to brldgo the Missouri river there , and the grndes to the Platte river would be better than further north. "I never knew the reason for fixing the point at Omahn , but hiipposed that It was regarded more practicable to bring the Iowa roads together there than nt any point fur ther north or south. During the year 1861 surveys were made from Omaha to Kearney from Ledge Polo creek consecutively to the opening of Weber river inlo Salt Lake val ley. A survey was nlso made through the Lnrnmle canyon. During the same ycnr con siderable grading was done from Omaha west , and arrangements were made for pro curing ties and timber. Considering the difficulty of securing labor nnd supplies. St. Joseph being the nearest point reached by rail , very much was accomplished. The entire - tire route was practically determined , nnd n rensonablo start was made townrd con struction. On the 1st of January , 1803 , my relations with the road terminated. " TALK WITH SURVEYOR HOUSE. County Surveyor J. E. House was callec upon the other day for n statement of his connection with the building of the Union Pnclfic , ns he had charge of the surveys on the cnstern division of Iho rond. MI came lo Omnhn , " ho said , " In October , 1863. Our surveys wore started on the 14th of that month. Wo started a line from the rlvor to the eastward , nnd crossed the Elkhorn - horn river at the present location. Wo were engaged during the winter ot 1863-1 In making surveys between what Is now known ns the Sioux CUy & Pnclfic on the north and the Platte river on the south. AVe really mndo two locations from Omaha to Fremont. Ono was on the Dey line to the Elkhorn river , and the other wns up In the valley ot the Big PapIIIIon by the way ot Elkhorn City and Bell creek. I was In charge of the sur veys and locations , and was thq engineer of construction for the contractors. Peter A. Dey was the chief engineer of the railway company. N. L. Williams ot Syracuse , N. Y. , had charge of the first four miles to the summit , and Lewis Cnrmicliaol had charge of the work beyond. We worked on the grade during the cummer of 1S64. I think It was In January , 1865 , that the Chicago Rock Island wns completed from Grlnnell to Keller , and the entire force of men and tennis were transferred from that road to the Union Pacific , anil right In the midst of this came orders lo change the location of the road to the Mud creek route. Wo did not make the change until the following February , as I had to survey the now roule , but In the meantime I kept the men at work on the Dey line In order to hold them. It was almost Impossible to keep men , and nt times during Iho summer of 1861 our force did not average more than twenty-five men , the trouble being that the freighters kept hiring the men nway from us for toamstern. Chief Ei glncer Doy resigned early In 1865. I was then division engineer In chnrgo of construction for the contractors , nnd when Chief Engineer Reed came ns Doy's suc cessor , In January , 1866 , I wns transferred to the engineer department of the road. In the month of February of that year I located the second 100 miles of the road. Track laying was begun In August , 1865. Wo laid nnd had examined and accepted forty miles of track by January , 1866. From this tlmo work progressed very rapidly. During thn winter of 1866-7 the headquarters of the superintendent , of construction wcro at North Platte , and during tlio winter ot 1867-8 nt Cheyenne. Wo received onlern nt one tlmo to stop work nnd go to Bellevue with n view to locating the road from Unit point , but the orders wore revoked In n few days , and nothing was over done about U. Our head quarters In Omaha were over Cnldwoll & Hamilton's bank until the fall nf 1S < 15 , when the construction department moved Its offices to the little old capital building the first capital of Nebraska on the west sldo of Ninth street , between Furmim nnd Doug las , II wns lorn down a great many years ago. Our offices remained In thai building until 1869. " REMINISCENCES. The most notable , excursion during the construction period of tlio Union Pacific was the Ro-callpd Pacific rallroail excursion from Now York City In October , 1866. The excursion hnd been gotten up by the managers ot Iho great enterprise for the purpose of properly celebrating tlio comple tion of the first division of the load , from the Missouri rlvor to the 100th meridian f longitude , the work having been flnishol within considerably loss than a year of the tlmo required by law. Invitations were ac cordingly extended to the president and members of his cabinet ; also to nil members of congress , foreign ministers , military and naval commanders , and to tlio principal rail road men and leading capltulluls throughout the country , to join In a grand excursion from New York to the great Plnlle vnlley , a distance of about 1,700 miles nnd mort- linn half way across the continent. No rail road excursion of similar character and nagnltudo had over before been projected n this or any other country , nnd the parties most Interested were , ot course , untiring In .heir cfTorUt to make U a complete success. The different lines of connecting railroads , steamboats and stages between Now York and Omaha were at once placed nt the ills- losal of the company by their liberal and mterprlsliiK managers , who seemed to vie with each other In their cltorts to aid the Union Pacific In Its great and somewhat lovcl undertaking. Owing to the fact that General John A. Dlx , president ot the company , was up- minted minister to Franco just previous to he departure of the excursion from New York , the nmnag ment of the affair devolved upon Mr. T. C. Durant , vice president , and ilessra. Sherman , Cook , Dillon , Llmbanl ami Duff , directors , assisted by H. P. Hunker , as sistant secretary , Colonel N , A. Gestner ami I ) . Rlmmonds , from the New York ofllox The parly , consisting cf nbout 100 persons , fully supplied with everything that could bethought thought of to aid to its enjoyment , Icfl the national metropolis Monday evening , October IB. nnd r\iched Chicago Iho folbwItiR Wednesday evening , several accessions being- mad * onranlc , ns well ns nflcr reaching ( lint city. Several ot Iho excursionists preferred to remain there for n day or two and thru proceed with the officers of tinNorlhw trrii lo Donnlsun , nnd llience by singe to Omnhn , but by far the larger number , ncinmpanUil by Die GrentVestrn Light Guard band , went by rail to St. Joseph , when- they were met by H. M. Hoxle , general western ng nt of the Union Pacific , to whose care had been assigned the irnimpcrtnllon on the Missouri , n dlnlnnco of 250 miles by rUer , lo Omnhn. Two of Iho large-si Missouri river packets , the Denver nnd Iho Colorado , with an nd- dlllonnl band of music on board , were In readiness to receive the excursionists nt Hint place , nnd Iho pnrty soon found Itself with bands playing nnd color * llylng steaming up Iho Big Muddy townrd Omahn. The Journey wa.s accomplished In less than forty-eight hours , nnd the tourists reached the easlern lermlnu * of Iho Union Pacific on Monday morning , October 22. having been on Iho wny from New York n. lllllo less limn n Week. The porllon of the party which had crossed Iowa by land Joined Iho olhers llit-re. and wore assigned lo quarters on the company's steamer Elkhoin , which Iny nt the landlnr ncross Iho bow of Iho Denver. U should bo hero recorded , for Iho bonefil of nil fu ture historians , that upon the eventful day and upon the Htenmcr Elkhorn. the famom nnd never-to-be-forgolten Klkhorn club wns duly organized nnd established , the mem bership Including nil the pioneer officers of Iho Union Pacific , nml other local rallroail and stage men. On the ISth of Oclnber , It wns officially nn- nounccd thai lltp excursion hnd reached Chicago cage and might bo expected to nrrlvo In Omahn on the fallowing Monday morning. The mayor Imnndliitcly convened the clly council , mid the president of Iho Board of Trade called that body togclher for Iho pur pose of conferring upon Iho subject nnd making proper nrrangi-ments lo give Iho dis tinguished visitors n proper reception. It was finally determined that the freedom of thn city should bo Iciu. red Hie visitors nnd n grand reception , ball nnd supper given them nt the Hcrndtm house on the evcnlni ! of their nrrlvnl. The authorities of Omaha were on the alert at an early hour on Hie morning of the arrival for the purpose of entertaining Ihu distinguished party. Governor Saundcrs , Secretary Paddock , Mayor Miller nnd Vice. President Patrick of the Board of Trnilo soon made their nppenrnnce on board tin ? steamer nnd welcomed the excursionists , tendering the freedom of the city nnd terri tory nnd Inviting them lo the rccepllon ball In Ihe ovenlnjr. nil of which wns responded to nnd nccepled by Senator Patlurson , Gov ernment Dlreclor Shormnn nnd nlhers ot tjio party. Carriages were In waiting to convey such of the number ns desired to lonvo tha boats , ellhcr about the clly , lo Hie ho'ols , or lo Iho private residences , several of which had been thrown open , nnd the < vc- curslonlsls with their Insignia of ribbons nnd rosettes were soon to bo seen In nil parts ot tottn , du- llghled nnd very evidently astonished nt what they saw In a spot that they biip- posed to be a little beyond the pale ot civilization. But the bnll In the evening HI wns perhaps the grcalesl surprise , the pres ence of General Cooke and staff , Governor Saunders , Chief Justice Kellogg , Secretary Paddock , Senators Tliayer and Tlpton , all of Nebraskn ; the city authorities and pros perous business and professional men ot Omaha , with their families , nil conducing to make It an entertainment that would have done credit to any similar gathering In any city of Iho older and then mora favored east. The eastern excursionists Inspected Iho railroad shops the next morning , and then proceeded lo Ihe excursion train , consisting of nine cnrs drawn by two powerful loco motives. The directors' car was placed in Iho rear , nml devoted lo the use of member. ! of congress nnd other distinguished guesla who felt desirous of making n critical cx- amlnallon of the road and adjacent country , which they were visiting for the first tlmo. The next ear forward was the celebrated government or Lincoln car , the private prop erty of Mr. Durant , and wns therefore de voted principally to his own personal friends and their families. In front of this wcro four fine passenger coaches , put up at the company's shops at Omaha. These were devoted - voted to the excursionists generally , one. however , being almost exclusively occupied by the Elkhorn club. Next came the mem , or cooking car , designed as a tender or companion to the directors' car. In front of this was nn express car fitted up as a refreshment salon , and In front of all , next to the engine , was the baggage and supply car. The enginrs were profusely decked with flags nnd appropriate mottoes , nnd the whole outfit presented nn Imposing nppenr- anco ns It left the Missouri vnlley nnd steamed nway lownrd Iho Rocky mountain * with Us load of representatives of eastern wealth nnd the largo number of Invited guests from Omnhn and vicinity. The Irnln left Omaha just before noon , and traveled slowly , to give tlio excursionists a good opportunity to view the counlry. -/I Shortly after dark they reached Columbus and hailed In front of n brilliantly Illumin ated ennimpment covering several ncres , n short distance north of the station build ings , and sa arranged ns to furnish com fortable accommodations for nil who wished lo leave the cars and enjoy the novelty of n night In camp. Supper was served , and during the evening a largo number ot Pawnco Indians gavr > n war dnnco near the encamp ment , the entertainment proving very novel nnd Interesting lo many of Ihe vlsltoro. Before daylight the next morning thr > ex cursionists wcro aroused by nn Indian sere nade of whoops and yalls , which caused con siderable excitement and fear among tlio more timid ones , until Informed that the Joke wns arranged by Mr. Durant , General Dodge and Sect clary Paddock of the Elk liorn club , when they resumed lliclr slum bers as best they could after their mental perturbation. After breakfast the train proceeded n short distance westward , and halted before the In dian encampment , where a sham Indian bat tle was wltncHicd , nftcr which Mr. Durnnt distributed several hundred dollars worth of presents among the aborigines. The second day's Journey terminated nbout 8 o'clock , nt n point 279 miles west of Omahn , where camp No. 2 , similar to Hint at Colum bus , was eiicounlored. .A military encamp ment had also been established the previous day by Colonel Ml/nor , commander of Fort McPherson , on the opjioslle sldo of the 1'latto , so near tlu > excursionists' camp as to preclude any fenr of the roaming bands of Indians , which were tald to Infest that portion tion of the country. On the following morning the members ot the Elkhorn club marched In a body down ID : hu Plntto and took thnlr matutinal wash. After breakfast an uimmlng program of ex orcises was rendered and n series of re.so- utlons adopted , and nbout 11 o'clock the rain pulled out for the end nf the track , about ten miles away , where snmo tlmo wuu spent wulchlng the track laying under the llrcc'tlon ot Casement Bros. On returning * o camp , which was at the time named Matte Clly , a sumptuous dinner wns served , n the evening a line display of fireworks vas given from the stnnd In the center of lie camp , under direction of Webster Snyder mil Silas Seymour. At u later hour n oon- curl wan given at Bunker hall , followed by lecture pn "Phrenology" by "Prof. " Wells , vho amusingly Illustrated his subject from ho head of George Francis Train. The subsequent growth of the Union Pa cific by extension nnd ncijulremeiit was no ICHS wonderful than the building of Its Ini tial piece of road , becoming within two de cade * the largest rnllnuy ( tystem In the world , embracing 8,000 miles of road and over 1.000 mllca cf watnr MUCH , exceeding 9000 miles In nil. Ilcforo the recent rouro- gallon of it part of the sslem by the courts this system furnished employment to 2:1,415 : persons , the pay roll nmniinllng to river $1,600,000 iinnuiilly. It required 1.02S en gines , 763 passenger cars , 25,593 freight cnrs and considerable other equipment to handle Its IniHlnexs , In doing which Us passenger trains run 3,800,000 miles and Its frolKht trains 0,600,000 m-lts - In n year. All of this vast field Is controlled fium Oinahn , nil of the hranchON rejmrllng lo the headquarters here with the exception ut loss than 500 mllca of Iho Central branch that IK leased to the Missouri Pacific , the entire management being directed from the general offices on tliu very site where the excursion parly of cARlernors was enter tained In the midway clly ct the continent before going westward to Inipcct the first 300 mllui rf the Union Pacific that were opca for travul.