Left Ft. Worth, arrived at Dallas for supper. All aboard. Arrived at Texarkana for breakfast. All aboard. The next place of importance Little Rock. Could see but little as the road ran under the hill. From here for St. Louis. Axle broke on the route. No damage done. Passed through the Iron Mountain Country, a poor-looking country. Arrived at St. Louis for dinner. It was raining. All bustle and noise. Bells ringing and cars running and people jarring and talking. The depot large and the waiting room commodious. Changed cars. Started for Council Bluffs at 8 and some minutes in the night.
Traveled on double quick. Eat breakfast in Maryville, could not stop.
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Traveled over a beautiful country, arrived at Council Bluffs for dinner. Here we had to change cars and recheck our trunks. Took our bedding out of our small trunk and sold it for one dollar (cost $3.50) and at five o'clock started across the Missouri River.
By a decision of the United States Supreme Court the eastern bank of the Missouri River is the terminous of the Union Pacific railroad, known as the transfer grounds. These grounds are about half mile east of the bridge. Here the tracks of the four eastern [rail] roads terminate at the eastern front of this building. Between these [rail] roads are platforms over which passengers pass through the Building. You will find Union Pacific trains waiting on the west side. The Missouri River bridge has hollow Iron columns
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22 in number, two forming a pier. They are cast Iron 1-3/4 inches thick & 8-1/2 feet in diameter, 10 feet long & weigh tons each. They are bolted together and sunk to bed Rock in one case 82 feet below low water mark.
After crossing the River our train stops in the Omaha depot, a large building with one enormous span overhead, built of Iron and glass with 6 tracks running through it from end to end. Omaha is one of the most progressive Cities in the The West. It is related that the first postmaster used his hat for a popst office and while out on the prairie some person would want a letter and chase him for miles until he would overtake the traveling post office and get his letter. Large oaks from little acorns grow is illustrated in this case. It is
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headquarters for 5 Railroads, 23 churches. The City has 430,975 dollars invested in freeschools. The high school is the finest building in the west. It stands on Capital Hill and is the first thing that attracks your attention. About one mile above the bridge the [railroad] company have located their principal shops [and] the lumberyard. Tracks cover about 30 acres of ground. The company manufactures all their own cars.
Our train runs through the southern suburbs of city on an ascending grade 3-2/10 miles to Summit Siding, a flagstation where trains seldom stop. 1,142 feet above the level of the sea. 176 feet higher than Omaha depot. But our rout is now downward for 6-3/10 miles to Gilmore. More next time.
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direct your letters - Eola [note written by a traveling companion, and his handwriting DOES improve for the next several pages]
I commence my journey noting the principal towns on our rout. Valley - this station is where the Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad branches off southwesterly. The next station of importance is Wahoo. Leaving Wahoo the face of the country becomes more rolling and making a run of 8 miles we come to Weston. We are now going up the Platte River & for many miles we pass closely along the North Bank. We come to North Bend near the River bank. Passing on we come to Colum-
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bus situated in a fine looking country & supposed to be the center of the United States. Numerous railroads from here are projected North and South. Passing several stations we stop at Grand Island, a regular eating station. We stop for breakfast. This station is named after Grand Island in Platte River. The next place I will note is North Platte City, elevation 2,789 feet, distance from Omaha 291 miles. Here is the end of the eastern division. Here the company have a round-house of 20 stalls, repair shops all of stone. Leaving here we travel on. We come to Big Springs - derives
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its name from a large Spring running out of the Bluff on the right of the [rail] road. Here is where the Robery took place in 1877. Passing on we come [to] Julesburg, elevation 3,394 feet, from Omaha 377.
Passing on our train gradually rises on the table land. Here we can catch a glimpse of the Black Hills of Wyoming stretching their cold ruggedness far away to the right. Away to the left rises Pike's Peak. Robed in snow, they say on a clear day it can be seen a distance 175 miles. After passing over several cuts & fills the track of the Denver Pacific R.R. can be seen directly ahead.
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The magic city of the plains. Cheyenne (pronounced Shian) which is the capital of Wyoming, the largest town between Omaha & Ogden, just half way to Ogden - 516 to Omaha & 56 to Ogden. We are now ascending the eastern slope of the Black Hills of Wyoming [Laramie Mountains]. 6 miles west of Cheyenne we reach the junction of the Colorado Central railroad - the track turns off to the left.
Otto next, where the passenger trains usually meet. We are now 6,724 feet above the level of the sea. Granite Canyon 5 miles west of Otto & 574 feet higher. Up. Up. Still higher to Sherman, 8,242 feet above the sea.
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I believe I left off at Sherman. It was named after General Sherman. 70 miles southwest is Longs Peak, 165 south is Pike's Peak, both visible. To the northwest about 100 miles is Elk Mountain, another noted peak. From seeing the great amount of snowsheds you would suppose there was a great quantity of snow but it is the drifting of it in the cuts during the winds (so they say). Leaving Sherman the road [track] turns to the left, and passes through several long snow sheds and deep rock cuts to Dale Creek bridge. This bridge is Iron. From the bridge the stream looks like a silver thread below us. After we cross the bridge we turn northward through long snow sheds and rocky cuts. Along here
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you can see the Rocky Mountains rising range upon range, peak over leaping peak, away up covered in perpetual snow over 100 miles away.
We are going down grade - need only brakes. To the right of us is very rough. Sand stones rear their peaks from 500 to 1000 feet above the plain. Laramie City, population about 4,000. Directly east of this place can be seen Cheyenne Pass wagon road - the old immigrant route. Here was the first place in America or in the world where a female jury was impaneled. But I am too tedious.
We have traveled some time now and are near the summit of the great backbone of the Continent. They say 7,030 feet above the level of the sea, 2-1/2 miles west is a sign board
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with the following. Continental Divide, 7,100 feet above the sea, 737 miles from Omaha, 1,177 to San Francisco. If a spring should rise here its waters would eventually mingle with the two Oceans.
The track seems to be warped up & doubled out of sight. The stations along the road are numerous, but have skipped them and arrive at Green River Station, 845 from Omaha. We are now at Evanston, just half way from Omaha to San Francisco. Wasatch Station four miles further cross. The line between Wyoming & Utah territories is marked by a sign board - one one side Wyoming, the other Utah. A little on we pass through the longest tunnel on the road, 770 feet long. On goes the engine, whirling us past & under hanging rocks.
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After crossing Echo Creek 31 times in 26 miles we pass Pulpit Rock. It appears here like we must pitch off into the valley & river below. We come now to the Narrows. Shortly after entering the Narrows, the 1,000 Mile Tree is passed, bearing on its trunk a sign board that says 1000 miles from Omaha. Just a little further we come to the Devil's Slide. It is two ridges of rocks parallel to each other about 10 feet apart. Rushing swiftly on, with but a moment to note its beauties, the massive walls close in with just room for the track.
We come to Weber. This station lies between 2 Mormon settlements. Devil's Gate next. On we go. We have now passed through the gorge of rocks & catch a view of Salt Lake to behold broad plains &
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the first view of the Great Salt Lake. We have now passed through the Wasatch Mountains and are in great Salt Lake Valley. Uintah is 4-1/2 miles from Devil's Gate. Near the station in the broad bottom in 1862 was the scene of the Morrisite massacre. The country is fertile and dotted with well tilled farms. They were digging potatoes and culling hay. We arrive at Ogden - the distance from Omaha 1,032 miles, from San Francisco 882. It is 36 miles to Salt Lake City. Every thing changes cars at this station. The station's building stands between the two tracks in which is a waiting room. Can get a square meal.
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...All aboard is now the order & our train glides away. In a few miles the Ogden River is crossed. We have passed several stations & come to Promontory - distance from Omaha 1,084 miles - is celebrated for being the point where the connection of the two [rail] roads were made in 1869. The last spike was driven on the 10 day of May 1869 (& gold one at that) but it is not there now.
We now resume our journey.
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We are now at Kelton. There are large water tanks here. They fill their water cars (a train that runs daily to supply stations). From this station a daily line of coaches leaves for Idaho & Oregon. We are now in the American Desert. All is desolate in extreme - beds of shale or gray sand. Evidently this was once a saline lake. We have passed the western line of the desert where in early days the weary emigrants [faded] of water & grass. Ages must pass before nature will make this desert fit for man. We now have down grade for 311 to Nevada desert. We arrive at Wells. Is the [faded] of the Humboldt [faded]. The station is 1250 miles from Omaha, 640 to San Francisco.
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I would like to give you a description of these wells, but have not time. Suffice it to say, they have no bottom. Undoubtedly they are the craters of Volcanoes. The valley in which the wells are situated is 5 miles long by 3 miles wide.
Elko. The county seat of Elko County. Near the town some warm springs are noticeable. We pass on down the canyon. We pass the Devil's Peak, a perpendicular Rock perhaps 500 feet high. Passed over a considerable distance and arrive at Winnemucca, 1451 miles from Omaha. From Winnemucca the road [track] bears southward. We come to Rose Creek and next we come to Raspberry. Why one should be called Rose Creek and the other Raspberry we will tell
