WESTERN INCIDENTS. BRANCH ROADS. The branch roads west from the Missouri river joining the Union Pacific Railroad, are, commencing at the most northern point and running southwardly, first :— THE SIOUX CITY AND PACIFIC RAILROAD, extending from Sioux City westwardly, and to join in the most practicable and direct manner at such part of the Union Pacific Railroad as the Company may select. Surveys, I have been informed by Mr. John J. Blair, the President of this Company, have been made for this road, but as they have not yet been officially reported to the Government, the final location of the route has not yet been established, and nothing further remains to be said than that no work has yet been done on this branch. Next, THE EXTENSION OF THE BURLINGTON AND MISSOURI RIVER RAILROAD, : which by law is to cross the Missouri River south of the mouth of the Platte, and, according to the map filed in the Interior Department, has been located by the Company as far as Kearny City, along the south side of the Platte, and getting into the Platte Valley again within eighteen or twenty miles east of Fort Kearny. The road is to join the Union Pacific, not further west than the one hundredth meridian of west longitude. No work has been commenced on this branch. Next, THE EXTENSION OF THE HANNIBAL AND ST. JOSEPH RAILROAD, BY THE WAY OF ATCHISON, which the Company have, by law, the option of connecting in the most direct and feasible way with the Union Pacific, not farther west than the one hundredth meridian, or the Union Pacific, Eastern Division, without restriction to dis- tance. Twenty miles of this road west from Atchison has