15he Bondmaa\ A
Conthiiel
Story.
By HALL CAINE.
.
Vx-.X X > lV
CHAPTER VII.
THE GOSPEL OF RENUNCIATION.
I.
What had happened in the great
world during the two years in which
.Michael Sunlocks had been out of it
is vary simple and easily told. Old
Adam Fairbrother had failed at Lon
don as he had failed at Copenhagen ,
and all the good that had come of his
efforts had ended in evil. It was then
that accident helped' him in his des
pair.
pair.The
The relations of England and Den
mark had long been doubtful , for
France seemed to be stepping between
them. Napoleon was getting together
a combination of powers against Eng- '
land , and in order to coerce Denmark
into using her navy a small but effi
cient one on the side of the alliance ,
he threatened to send a force overland.
He counted without the resources of
Neleon , who , with no more ado than
netting sail got across to Copenhagen ,
look possession of every ship of war
that lay in Danish waters , and brought
them home to England in a troop.
When Adam heard of this he saw his
opportunity in a moment , and hurry
ing away to Nelson at Spithead he
asked if among the Danish ships that
had been captured there was a sloop
of war that had lain near two years
off the island of Grimsey. Nelson an
swered , No , but that if there was such
o vessel still at liberty he was not of
v- a mind to leave it to harass him. So
Adam itold why the sloop was there ,
and Nelson , waiting for no further in
structions , despatched an English man-
of-war , with Adam aboard of her , to
do for the last of the Danish fleet what
had been done for the body of it , and
at the same time to recover the En
glish prisoner whom she had been sent
to watch.
Before anything was known of this
final step of Nelson , his former pro
ceeding had made a greatnoise
throughout Europe , where it was loud
ly condemned as against the law of na
tions , by the rascals who found them
selves outwitted. When the report
reached Rekyjavik , Jorgen Jorgensen
saw nothing that could come of it but
instant war between Denmark and
JSngland , and nothing that could come
of war with England but disaster to
Denmark , for he knew the English
navy of old. So to make doubly sure
of his own position in a tumult where
in little tilings would of a certainty
be seized up with the great ones , he
conceived the idea of putting Michael
Sunlocks out of the way , and thus set
tling one harrassing complication.
Then losing no time he made ready a
despatch to the officer in command of
the sloop of war off Grimsey , ordering
him to send a company of men ashore
immediately to execute the prisoner ly
ing in charge of the priest of the isl
and.
and.Now
Now this despatch , whereof the con
tents became known throughout Reyk
javik in less time than Jorgen took to
write and seal it , had to be carried to
Grimsey by two of his bodyguard. But
the men v/ere Danes , and as they did
not know the way across the Bursting-
sand desert , an Icelander guide had to
be found for them. To this end the
two tavern ? ; of the town were beaten
up for a man , who at that season it
was winter , and the snow lay thick
over the lava streams and the sand
would adventure so far from home.
And now it was just at this time ,
after two-and-a-half years in which no
man had seen him or heard him , that
Jason returned to Rekyjavik. Scarce
anyone knew him. He was the wreck
of himself , a worn , torn , pitiful , brok
en ruin of a man. People lifted both
bands at sight of him , but he showed
no self-pity. Day"after day , night
after night , he frequented the taverns.
He drank as he had never before been
known to drink ; he laughed as he had
never been heard to laugh ; he sang
as he had never been heard to sing ,
and to all outward appearance he was
nothing now but a shameless , grace
less , disorderly , abandoned profligate.
Jorgen Jorgensen heard that Jason
had returned , and order his people to
letch him tc Government Houhe. They
did so , and Jorgen and Jason stood
face to face. Jorgen looked at Jason as
one would say , "Dare you forget the
two men whose lives you have taken ? "
And Jason looked back at Jorgen as
one would answer , " "Dare you remem
ber that I spared your own life ? " Then
without a word to Jason , old Jorgen
turned to his people and said , "Take
him away. " So Jason went back to
dissipation and thereafter no man said
yea or nay to him.
But when he heard of the despatch ,
hs was sobered by it in a moment , and
when the guards came on their search
for a guide to the tavern where he was ,
he leapt to his feet and said , "I'll go. "
"You won't pass , my lad. " said one
of the Danes , "for you would be dead
drunk before you crossed the Basket
Slope Hill. "
"Would I ? " said Jason , moodily ,
"who knows ? " And with that he
shambled out But in his heart he
cried , "The hour Bas come at last !
Thank God ! Thank God ! "
Before he was missed he nad gone
from Reykjavik , and made his way to
the desert with his face towards Grim
sey.
sey.The next day the guards found their
guide and set out on their journey.
The day after that a Danish captain
arivcd ? .t Reykjavik from Copenhagen ,
and reported to Jorgen Jorgensen that
off the Westmann Islands he had
sighted a British man-of-war , making
for the northern shores of Iceland.
This news put Jorgen into extreme ag-
itation , for he guessed at its meaning
in an instant. As surely as the war
ship was afloat she was bound for
Grimsey , to capture the sloop that lay
there , and as surely as England knew
of the sloop , she also knew of the pris
oner whom it was sent to watch. Brit
ish sea-captains , from Drake down
wards , had been a race of pirates and
cut-throats , and if the captain of this
ship , on landing at Grimsey , found Mi-
chael Sunlocks dead , he would follow
on to Reykjavik , and never take rest
until he had strung up the Governor
and his people to the nearest yardarm.
So thinking in the wild turmoil of his
hot old head , wherein everything he
had thought before was turned topsy
turvy , Jorgen Jorgensen decided to
countermand his order for the execu
tion of Sunlocks. But his despatch
was then a day gone on its way. Ice
land guides were a tribe of lazy vaga
bonds , not a man or boy about his per-
son was to be trusted , and so Jorgen
concluded that nothing would serve
but that he should set out after the
guards himself. Perhaps he would
find them at Thingvelir , perhaps he
would cross them on the desert , but
at least he would overtake them before
they took boat at Husavik. Twelve
hours a day he would ride , old as he
was , if only these skulking Iceland gi
ants could be made to ride after him.
Thus were four several companies
at the same time on their way to
Grimsey : the English , man-of-war from
Spithead to take possession of the Dan
ish sloop ; the guards of the Governor
tc order the execution of Michael Sun-
iocks ; Jorgen Jorgenseu to counter
mand the order ; and Red Jason on , his
own errand known to.no man.
The first to reach was Jason.
When Jason set little Michael from
his knee to the floor , and rose to his
I'oet as Greeba entered , he was dirty ,
budragglec1. , and unKempt ; his face was
jaded and old-looking , his skin shoes
were splashed with snow , and torn ,
and his feet were bleeding ; his neck-
wa ? bare , and his sheepskin coat was
Hanging to his back only by the wool
len scrafe that was tied about his
waist. Partly from shock at this
change , and partly from a ; confused
memory of other scenes the marriage
tefctlval at Government House , the
night trial in the little chamber of the
senate , the jail , the mines , and the
Mount of Laws Greeba staggered at
sight of Jason and would have cried
aloud and fallen. But he caught her
in his arms in a moment , and.whis
pered her in a low voice at her ear
to be silent , for that he had something
to say that must be heard by no one
beside herself.
She recovered herself instantly , drew
tack as if his touch had stung her , and
i'sked with a look of dread if he had
known she was there.
"Yes , " he answered. .
"Where have you come from ? "
"Reykjavik. "
She glanced down at his bleeding
leet , and said , "on foot ? "
"On foot , " he answered.
"When did you leave ? "
"Five days ago. "
"Then you have walked night and
day across the desert ? "
"Night and day. "
"Alone ? "
"Yes , alone. "
She had become more eager at every
question , and now she cried , "What
has happened ? What is going to hap
pen ? Do not keep it from own."I
tear it , for I have borne many things.
Tell me why have you come ? "
"To save your husband , " said Jason.
-'Hush ! Listen ! "
And thon he told her , with many
gentle protests against her ghastly
looks of fear , of the guards that were
coming with the order for the execu
tion of Michael Sanlocks. Hearing
that , she vaited for no more , but fell
to a great outburst of weeping. And
until her bout was spent he stood si
lent and helpless beside her , with a
strong man's faint at sight of a wo
man's tears.
"How she loves ! " he thought , and
again and again the word rang in the
empty placo of his heart.
But when she had recovered herself
he smiled as he was able for the great
drops that stni rolled down his own
haggard faces and protested once more
that there was nothing to fear , for he
nfmself had come to forestall the dan
ger , and things were not yet so far
past help but there was still a way to
compass it.
"What way' " she asked.
"The way of escape , " he answered.
"Impossible , " she said. "There is a
war ship outside , and every path to the
shore is watched. "
He laughed at that , and said if every
goat track were guarded , yet he would
make his way to the sea. And as for
the warship outside , there was a boat
within the harbor , the same that he
nad come by , a Shetland smack that
had made pretence to put in for had
dock , and would sail at any moment
that he gavo it warning.
She listened eagerly , ana , though
sLe saw but little likelihood of escape ,
she clutched at the chance of it.
"When will you make the attempt ? "
she asked.
"Two hours before dawn to-mor-
tow , " he answered. *
"Why so late ? "
"Because the nights are moonlight. "
"I'll be ready , " she whispered.
"Make the child 'ready , also , " he
said.
"Indeed , yes , " she whispered.
"Say nothing to anyone , and if any-
cne questions you , answer as you may.
Whatever yuu hear , whatever you see ,
whatever 1 may do or pretend to do ,
ppcak not a word , give not a sign ,
change not a feature. Do you prom
ise ? "
"Yes , " she whispered , "yes , yes. "
And then suddenly a new thought
smote her.
"But Jascn. " she said , with her eyes
aside , and her fingers running through
the hair of little Michael , "but , Jason , "
she faltered , "you will not betray me ? "
"Betray you ? " he said , and laughed
a little.
"Because , " she added , quietly ,
"though I am here , my husband does
not know me for his wife. He is
blind , and cannot see me , and for my
own reasons I have never spoken to
him since I came. "
"You have never spoken to him ? * '
said Jason.
"Never. "
"And how long have you lived in
this house ? "
"Two years. "
Then Jason remembered what Sun-
locks had told him at the mines , and
in another moment he had read Gree-
ba's secret by the light of his own.
"I understand , " he said , sadly ; "I
think I understand. "
She caught the look of sorrow in his
eyes and said , "But , Jason , what of
yourself ? "
At that he laughed again , and tried
to carry himself off with a brave
gayety
"Where have ou been ? " she asked.
"At Akuyeri , Husavik , Reykjavik ,
the desert everywhere , nowhere , " he
answered.
"What have you been doing ? "
"Drinking , gaining , going to tho
devil everything , " nothing. "
And at that he laughted once more ,
loudly and noisily , forgetting his own
warning.
( To Be Continued. )
Pardonable Evasions. ,
Some evasions of the inheritance
tax law can hardly be regarded as
wholly unpardonable. General Di
Ceanola , of the New York Metropoli
tan Museum of Art , says that 'Mr.
Charles R. Curtis informed him some
time ago that he had made provision
in his will for a bequest of $10,000
to the museum. Lately Mr. Curtis
called again and said : "General , I
don't think I will leave you that $10-
000. I will give it to you in cash. The
inheritance tax will take up $1,500 or
$2,000 of it , and you will-not get the
benefit of the whole amount if I leave
it to you in my will. " And he handed
over the cash.
Tweed Responsible for the Tiger.
The origin of the tiger as an em
blem of Tammany is said by W. C.
Montayne , a coffee and spice dealer
in New York , to date from the' time
when William M. Tweed , then fore
man of "Bis Six" fire company , took
a fancy to a picture of a royal Bengal
tiger in his father's store in the ' 50s.
Tweed adopted the emblem ior . the
Americus club , and it soon was accept
ed ! > y all Tammany. Tweed had the
tiger's fctiad woven in the center of the
pailor cjuret , of the Americus club in
"
its sporty"club house at Greenwich ,
Conn. , and it was painted on the old
hand engine of Big Six.
Tremendous Bridge Traffic.
Twenty years ago it was estimated
that 200,000 persons crossed London
bridge daily , 130,000 on foot and the
rest in vehicles. With the growth of
population these numbers have almost"
doubled , in spite of the relief afforded
by the building of the tower bridge ,
half a mile downstream. It has there
fore become an urgent matter to in
crease the capacity of the older bridge ,
and it has now been decided to ac
complish this by means--of granite
corbels which will carry the footway
as projections over the water on each
side of the bridge.
The Czar Isn't a Reader.
The czar of Russia does not read
newspapers regularly , and seldom
looks at a book. While attending to
his official business in the morning he
sips one cup of tea after another , oc
casionally eats a caviare sandwich.
The hours from 1 to 4 p. m. he gives
to his family and family affairs. From
4 he works again till dinner time , .at
7. His typhoid fever has left him
stronger than he was before. His
face is full and round , and he has
had none of the headaches and epilep
tic fits that used to attack him before
his > recent illness.
Salt Baths at Home.
Persons desiring to take salt-water
baths at home should first learn the
quantity of salt to use in the tubs ,
Victor Smith suggests. An ordinary
bath contains from ninety to 100 gal
lons of water , into which a thoughtless
person will dissolve a pint or two of
sea salt , so-called , and imagine him
self disporting in the ocean. If he
followed nature he would use twenty-
five or thirty pounds of salt to the 100
gallons , and this , if purified , would
cost him 70 cents. Hewould have
about four baths to each. 700 pounds of
salt.
To Raise Tea in South Carolina.
A new tea company , influenced by
Dr. Shepard's success , has just bought
6,000 acres of land in Colleton county ,
S. C. , intending to raise tea for the
market. The company paid $20,000 for
the land , and will plant but 100 acres
this season , as it is now rather late
to begin the preparation of the
grounds. Next year over 5,000 acres
will be planted , and the output is ex
pected to exceed 300,000 pouuds.
> Constructively in Sight. > -
A queer will case has just been de
cide by the courts of Minnesota. The
witnesses stepped through a doorway
into the adjoining room and affixed
their signatures at a table about ten
feet from the testator , just out of his
sight , but while he was seated on the
side of his bed and could have seen
them by stepping forward two or three
feet. The attestation and subscription
of the will under these circumstances
are sustained.
Sanscrit. Frmcrlt and
India has hundreds of dialects
which may all be classed under three
great heads the Sansscrlt , Pracrit and
Magadhi. The Sanscrit IB the funda
mental language and that of the Ve-
das ; the Pracrit the vernacular lan
guage in many dialects , and the Maga
dhi or Misra is that of Ceylon and the
islands.
For an " .Eli" Window at Wrexham ,
A number of Yale graduates have
completed the subscription list for the
placing of a memorial window for
Elihu Yale in the church at Wrexham ,
Wales , near which Yale lies buried ,
and work on the window will be be
gun at once.
A Governor's Pet.
Governor Odell , of New York , has a
pet water spaniel of which he is very
fond. The dog js well trained , and
among other tricks will pounce upon
a lighted match and extinguish the
flame by blowing on "it as a man does.
Road In the Hl h Alps.
A road is being built in the high
Alps , which pastas the Great St. Ber
nard and also the hospice of that name.
This great engineering feat will be fin
ished and opened to traffic in July of
next year.
Commoner Comment *
I Extracts from W. J. Bryan's Paper.
A Word to the Disappointed.
In accordance with a call issued im
mediately after the Ohio convention ,
a number of democrats met at Colum
bus last week and registered a protest
againbt the action of the Ohio demo
crats in refusing- endorse the Kan
sas City platform. A platform was
adopted and a ticket headed by Dr.
Reemelin of Cincinnati wasplacedin the
field. As the gentlemen who attended
this meeting are political friends and
supporters , the editor of The Common
er feels that he should submit some
observations with regard to the action
taken.
They have ample reason to feel dis
appointed at the course . pursued by
the regular convention. If it had been
necessary to fight the campaign en-
t.ireiy on state issues , no reference
would have been made to national
questions. The fact that the platform
devoted more space to national than
to local subjects was proof that the ex
cuse given for a refusal to endorse the
Kansas City platform was shallow and
insincere. The fact that the conven
tion avoided other subjects of present
and great importance showed that the
silver plank was not the only plank in
th'e Kansas City platform which was
objectionable to the men who dominat
ed the resolutions committee. The
friends of the Reemelin ticket can be
excused for entertaining a suspicion
that the men who objected so strenu
ously to the Kansas City platform
would object as strenuously to any
definite and positive political remedy.
But the question which confronts the.
loyal democrats of Ohio is how best to
correct the mistakes made by the con
vention and thus rescue the democratic
party from the control of those who
would republicnnize it. The fact that
the platform contains much that is
good , together with the further fact
that the candidates nominated , from
Mr. Kilbourne down through the en
tire list , have been supporters of the
party ticket in recent campaigns ,
would make it impossible to organize
a bolt with any promise of success.
The first effect of a bolting ticket
"would be , therefore , to augment the
chances of republican success this fall ,
The second effect would be to lessen
the influence of the bolting democrats
in future party contests. It is not fair
to assume that the convention spoke
for the rank and file in repudiating the
Kansas City platform and those who
leave the party at this time weaken
the reform element of the part } ' and
give to the gold and corporation ele
ment greater proportionate influence
in the party management.
Whether the Ohio democracy is to
take its position on the Grover Cleve
land side of public issues is a question
yet to be determined a question to be
determined at the'primaries after the
people understand the issues presented.
To leave the party at this time is to
assume the battle lost , and , by assum
ing it lost , help the enemy. When the
fight was made between 1893 and 189G
we had an administration to fight as
well as all the banks and railroads ;
now , many who were against us then
act openly with the enemy and those
who have returned after a temporary
sojourn in the camp of the enemy are
handicapped by the record they have
made.
There is no evidence that the demo
cratic voters of Ohio favor-
- a non-com
mittal , evasive , and ambiguous plat
form , such as the democratic party
promulgated when the Wall street , in
fluences were in control , and no one
should assume the existence of such
sentiment without positive proof.
Let the democrats of Ohio commend
the good parts of the Ohio platform
and condemn the weak parts , but let
them support the ticket. Then they
should begin on the day after election
to so organize the democratic party of
that state as to make it impossible for
another convention to give as much
encouragement to the republicans as
the last one did.
In his canvass for re-election to the
T > nited States senate , Mr. Mason of
Illinois is embarrassed by the frequent
references which his opponents make
to Mr. Mason's speeches on the ques
tion of imperialism. Those speeches
were the best delivered by the elo
quent senator from Illinois. They
contained truth when they were utter
ed and they contain no less of unan
swerable truth today. It is to be
hoped that Mr. Ma'son will not apolo
gize for those splendid speeches. And
yet there are indications that Mr. Ma
son would be willing to have his anti-
imperialism speeches stricken from the
record.
Better stand by your guns Mr. Ma
son. One of your speeches protesting
against the administration's policy of
imperialism is better than a dozen
terms in the United States senate ,
where your real convictions must be
sacrificed.
Dr. Eeemelin of Cincinnati , who was
nominated by the progressive demo
crats of Ohio for governor , declines to
ke a candidate.
The country will never believe that
Admiral Cervera would have towed his
vessels out with port holes closed ,
if Crowninshielc had been in command
of Santiago Bar.
The democratic party stands for defi
nite , positive principles , and the Kan
sas City platform is the party creed
until another national platform is
written.
Admiral Schley might quiet his tra-
ducers by signing an agreement never
to stand as a candidate for president.
Fusion , Open and Secret.
In the last campaign the republican
papers denounced democrats and pop
ulists for co-operating against the
common enemy. Both parties were ac
cused of sacrificing principle to "get
office. " The subject is mentioned at
this time because D. Clem Deaver , a
Nebraska politician who had charge o
the middle-of-the-road populist cam
paign in the west , has recently re
ceived at the hands of President Mc-
Kinley a substantial reward for oppos
ing fusion. A reptiblican by the name
of Dickson severely criticised Mr.
Deaver's" appointment on the ground
that Mr. Deaver was not a republican.
In reply Mr. Deaver gave this explana
tion of his appointment :
"I have no desire personally to an
swer the strictures of Dr. Dickson , but
as a matter of record I wish to say
that my application for appointment
to this office was indorsed by Govern
or Dietrich and every other republican
state officer , also by R. B. Schneider ,
republican . national committeeman ,
and the leaders of every faction of the
republican party in this state.
"Further , upon the promotion of
Governor Dietrich to the senate , he
t6ok up my case and enlisted the sup
port of Senator Millard , who had never
met me prior to the time of his elec
tion , March 28.
"In view of the fact , " continued Mr.
Deaver , "that the party leaders were a
unit in supporting my application ,
Senator Millard's assent was cheer
fully given. I have about perfected
my bond and expect to assume the du
ties of the office August 1. "
Duting the last presidential cam
paign Mr. Deaver went up and down
the country urging the populists to
have nothing to do with the democrats
and the republican newspapers spoke
of Mr. Deaver as a populist who "stood
by his principles. " Bxit now all the
republican leaders ask for and secure a
valuable appointment for him. This
proves , if indeed proof was necessary ,
that there was secret fusion between
the republicans and the middle-of-the-
road populists. In 1890 the republicans
and gold democrats denounced fusion
between democrats and populists , and
yet when the election \ z& ovar promi
nent democrats like Bynum and Irish
applied for and received appointments
from the administration , showing that
there was a secret understanding be
tween the republicans and those who
were in charge of the Palmer and
Buckner movement.
The cry of "down with fusion" does
not come with good grace from popu
list and gold , democrats who have been
affiliating with republicans. With
even poorer grace does the cry come
from republicans who have made use
of the two extremes , gold democrats on
hand and middle-of-the-road
the one - - -
populists on the other.
Honest co-operation between the re
form-forces is natural and necessary ,
and such co-operation will be advocat
ed by those who are earnest in their
effort to overthrow republican policies.
Secret and dishonest co-operation will
still be indulged in by those who de-
no uce fair and open methods.
How times have changed ! The re
publican papers used to abuse the dem
ocratic party outrageously , but now
they are so-friendly that they are will
ing to-tell the democrats how to win.
Strange that they should be so gener
ous to the reorganizers.
The republican farmers have voted
so much money fnto the pockets of the
corporations that dominate the repub
lican party that the.heads of the cor
porations will be able to get along for
awhile even though the drouth is a lit
tle severe on the farmei * .
People who figure on the loss sus
tained by the steel trust because of
the strike should remember that the
steel trust has the last say. The peo
ple should begin figuring how much
the strike will cost them , in the way ol
increased prices.
How does it happen that so many
republicans entered into the contest
for homesteads in the Indian territory ?
Republicans ought to be giving away
land instead of hunting for it , if the
country is half as prosperous as they
say it is.
It has been decided by the Taft com
mission that judges appointed in the
Philippines need not take oath to sup
port the constitution of the United
States. The constitution is in the
'also was" class for a time.
The sympathy expressed for Senator
McLaurin by t"he republican organs is
truly touching and certainly solaces
the feelings of the gentleman engaged
in the hopeless task of republicanizing
the southern democracy.
The government has plenty of oppor-
tunitiesto _ keep up the land lottery
business. All it needs to do is to di
vert a few millions from the conquest
of foreign peoples to the conquest of
western arid lands.
The tinplate trust is a lusty infant.
It has waxed so strong on Uncle Sam's
baby food that it can stand up and
knock 840,000,000 a year out of the gen
eral public and never start a perspira
tion.
If the Younger brothers decide to re-
enter the bank robbing industry they
will not be so foolish as to begin the
work from the outside.
Boer hunting has so exhausted John
Bull that he is not in fitcondition to
indulge in any bear baiting just now.
UNIQUE UNION PACIFIC EXCURSION.
The Delightful Scenery Afforded by
Trolley Klde Acrois the Bockle * .
A unique excursion was recently ar
ranged by the Union Pacific Railroad
company. About sixty newspaper
men , representing the leading metro
politan journals of the co-.ntry. were
Invited to meet at the Brown Palace
hotel , Denver , Colo. , for a trip on the
Wyoming division , "The Overland
Route , " for the purpose of viewing the
stupendous engineering achievements
recently made on that line.
The train was made up of two pri
vate cars , three Pullman palace sleep
ers , a dining car , drawn by one of the
new compound engines , with an obser
vation car constructed on the same
plan as a trolley car ahead of the
engine.
No more striking example is afford
ed of the progress of today than the
stupendous undertaking of the Union
Pacific. ,
One hundred and fifty-eight and
four-tenths miles of new track laid ,
reducing the mileage between Omaha
and Ogden by 30.47 miles , and reduc
ing gradients which varied from 45.4
to 97.68 feet to the mile to a maxi
mum of 43.3 feet , and curves from G-
to 4 degrees , while a great deal of bad
curvature has been eliminated en
tirely.
A mountain removed and lost Into
a chasm-huge holes bored hundreds
of feet through solid granite ; an under
ground river encountered and over
come ; an army of men. with all sorts
of mechanical aids , engaged in the
work for nearly a year ; the great Un
ion Pacific track between Omaha and
Ogden made shorter , heavy grades
eliminated , old scenery changed for
new , and the business of the great
Overland route flowing through a new
channel , without the slightest inter
ruption.
Millions of money have been spent
to reduce the grades and shorten the
distance.
This reduction is the result of
straightening unnecessary curves , and
tho construction of several cutoffs be
tween Buford and Bear river , Utah.
Buford is on the eastern slope of the
Black Hills , 545 miles west of Coun
cil Bluffs and twenty-seven miles west
of Cheyenne. The cutoffs required the
construction of 158 miles , of which
29.63 miles are between Buford and
Laramie , 15.34 miles between Howell
and Hutton , saving 3.11 oniles ; 3.9
miles on the Laramie plains between
Cooper's Lake and Lookout , saving'.35
oi a mile ; 25.94 miles between Look-
cut and Madioine Bow , still further
west , saving 12.03 mil-.s ; 8 Jo miles
between Allen Junction and Duna , sav
ing 3.87 miles ; 42.83 miles between
Rawlins and Tipton , saving 1.44
miles ; 10.64 miles between Green River
and Bryan , saving .45 of a mile , and
21.56 miles between Leroy and Bear
River , saving 9.56 miles.
The curvature saved Is about one-
half , the grading about the same ,
while the angles are reduced nearly
two-thirds.
The superiority of these changes is
apparent to the practical railroad en
gineer. It is also apparent to the op
erating department in the reduction in
operating expenses , and to the trav
eler in the increased speed the trains
can make. The change in alignment
of the line is marked. West of Bu
ford the track ran northwestward to
the Ames monument , near Sherman ,
and then took a sharp turn to the
southwest over Dale creek , crossing
it by a bridge 135 feet high an ele
vation trying to the nerves and from
thence due.north . to Laramie. The
new line runs due west from Buford ,
avoiding the high hnls and eighty-
eight-foot grade from Cheyenne , and
piercing through cuts and the big tun
nel , crosses the Black Hills at a grade
of less than one-half (43.3 feet ) over
mountain altitudes. From Leroy the
country is literally a coal bed. Here
the new line makes another reduction
and enters the Bear river valley on an
easy grade.
F.rom a constructive standpoint the
line is remarkable for the amount'
material required in the construction .
of immense embankments and the
building of large tunnels through
solid rock. The construction of the
new line between Buford and Laramie
alone has involved the excavation of
500,000 cubic yards of material , one-
third of which ( exclusive of the tunnel
excavation ) has been solid rock , or
something over 160,000 cubic yards per
mile.
Some of the embankments of the
new roadbed have been remarkable
for their height and the large quan
tities . of material to construct the
same over seemingly short distances.
The two most difficult embankments
were at Dale creek , southwest of Sher
man , and across the Sherman branch
of the Lone Tree creek , southeast of
Sherman. The embankment at the
crossing of Dale creek is 120 feet
high , 900 feet long , and involved the
handling of 500,000 cubic yards. At'
the crossing of the Sherman branch
of Lone Tree creek the embankment
is 125 feet high , at its point of great
est heighth and involved the handling
of over 290,000 cubic yards.
Too much credit for this work can
not be given to Horace G. Burt , pres
ident of the Union Pacific railroad ,
for boldness -conception of these im
provements ; for ability to convince
the company of the wisdom of the out
lay , and following the necessary ap
propriation by the company , for the
execution of the work in 2. phenome
nally short time. Deputizing his lieu
tenants , Mr. E. Dickinson , general
manager , and Mr. J. B. Berry , chief
engineer , to commence and complete
the work , under their direction the
contractors assembled a large army of
laborers and gathered a vast array of.
modern , machinery , much of which
was used for the first time in railroad
building. Thus , without stopping for
a day the ceaseless flow of an e.nor-
mous traffic , the Union Pacific offi
cials in less than two years completed
a great "work which ordinarily would
have required five years.
The excursion was replete with
many interesting incidents , and the
splendid hospitality of the Union Pa
cific officials was a revelation. The
newspaper men evinced .ueir appre
ciation in many ways , particularly in
a resolution of thanks to the Union
Pacific officials while , the train was
stopping near the Devil's Slide in pie
turesaue Weber canyon.
