38

 

CROFUTT’S NEW OVERLAND TOURIST

 

Elkhorn River, and up the Elkhorn Valley
to the mouth of the Niobrara. It is now
completed, and cars are running to Teka-
mah, Burt county—about 50 miles from
Omaha. At Blair connections are made
with the Sioux City & Pacific railroad.

The route of the Omaha & Plattsmouth
Branch, is down the Missouri River Valley,
where it crosses the Platte and runs to Ore-
opolis. This road is under the manage-
ment of the Burlington & Missouri River
Railroad Co., and makes close connections
at Oreopolis with the main line, for the
East and West.

At Omaha, are located the general offi-
ces of the Union Pacific Railroad Com-
pany, in a fine, large building just com-
pleted and fitted up in the most complete
and convenient manner. This company
employs about 5,000 men; this includes
the men employed in the Laramie rolling
mill and in the coal mines. There are
about 4,000 employed on the road proper;
there are over 700 employed in the shops
at Omaha, and about 800 more in the vari-
ous offices, at stations, on the track, and at

the depots at Omaha, making 1,500 in all |

that are on the Omaha pay rolis.

The rolling stock equipments consist,
in part, of 168 engines, 25 first-class passen-
ger cars, 23 sleepers, 2,845 box and flat cars,
500 coal and 120 stock, together with mail,
express, baggage, way, and other cars,
making a total of 3,060.

The company have prepared a building,
just east of their depot, for the benefit of
emigrant passengers. ‘The houseis given
rent free to a competent person who
charges 25 cents each, for good plain
meals, and good lodgings. All gambling,
emigrant runners, peddlers, ticket-sellers,
and “bummers”’ are forbidden in the house
or about the premises.

About one mile above the bridge, on the
low lands fronting the river, the railroad
company have located their principal
shops and store-houses. They are built of
brick, in the most substantial form, and
with the out buildings, lumber yard, tracks,
etc., cover about 30 acres of ground.

The machine shop is furnished with all
the new and most improved machinery,
which is necessary for the successful work-
ing at all the branches of car and locomo-
tive repairs or car construction. The
round-house contains 20 stalls; the
foundry, blacksmith shop, car and paint
shops, are constructed and furnished in
the best manner. The company manufac-

ture most of their own cars. The passen-
ger cars, in point of neatness, finish,
strength of build and size, are unsurpassed
by any. and rivaled by few manufactured
elsewhere. It is the expressed determina-
tion of the Union Pacific Company to pro-
vide as good cars and coaches for the trav-
eling public in style and finish as those of
any Kastern road. Theyreason, that as the
great trans-continental railroad is the long-
est and grandest on the continent, its roll-
ing-stock should be equally grand and mag-
nificent. From the appearance of the cars
already manufactured, they will achieve
their desires. On the same principle, we
proposed to make our Boox superior to
any other.

Haven't we done so?

Our train runs along through the south-
ern suburbs of the city, on an ascending
grade 8 2-10 miles, to

Summet Sidimg—a flag station,
where trainsseldom stop. Hlevation, 1,142
feet, 176 higher than the Omaha denot.
But our route is now downward for 6 3-10
miles to

Gilmore—The country around this
station is rich prairie land, well cultivated.
A small cluster of buildings stands near
the road; thestation is of little importance,
merely ‘for local accommodation.

Continuing our descent 5 miles, we reach

Papilliom (Pap-e-o)—Here we are at
the lowest elevation on the whole line,
excepting Omaha, which is 6 feet lower.
From this station to Sherman, on the
Black Hills, 585 miles, it will be a grad-
ual up-grade, rising in the distance 7,270
feet. '

Papillion is the county seat of Sarpey
county and has the usual county buildings,
some of which are fine structures. The
Times, a weekly paper, is published here.
The station is on the east side of Papillion
River, a narrow stream of some 50 miles
in length, which, running southward,
empties into Elkhorn River, a few miles
below the station. The bridge over the
stream is a very substantial wooden struc-
ture. The country about the station has
been improved very much within the last
few years; it has fully doubled its popu-
lation, which is now about 1,000, and evi-
dences of thrift appear on every hand.

Soon after leaving the station, we cross
the Papillion River, and 6 4-10 miles brings
us to :