Chapter 26

           "Fromoceantoocean"sosaytheAmericans;andthesefourwordscomposethegeneraldesignationofthe"greattrunkline"whichcrossestheentirewidthoftheUnitedStates.ThePacificRailroadis,however,reallydividedintotwodistinctlines:theCentralPacific,betweenSanFranciscoandOgden,andtheUnionPacific,betweenOgdenandOmaha.FivemainlinesconnectOmahawithNewYork.

           NewYorkandSanFranciscoarethusunitedbyanuninterruptedmetalribbon,whichmeasuresnolessthanthreethousandsevenhundredandeighty-sixmiles.BetweenOmahaandthePacifictherailwaycrossesaterritorywhichisstillinfestedbyIndiansandwildbeasts,andalargetractwhichtheMormons,aftertheyweredrivenfromIllinoisin1845,begantocolonise.

           ThejourneyfromNewYorktoSanFranciscoconsumed,formerly,underthemostfavourableconditions,atleastsixmonths.Itisnowaccomplishedinsevendays.

           Itwasin1862that,inspiteoftheSouthernMembersofCongress,whowishedamoresoutherlyroute,itwasdecidedtolaytheroadbetweentheforty-firstandforty-secondparallels.PresidentLincolnhimselffixedtheendofthelineatOmaha,inNebraska.Theworkwasatoncecommenced,andpursuedwithtrueAmericanenergy;nordidtherapiditywithwhichitwentoninjuriouslyaffectitsgoodexecution.Theroadgrew,ontheprairies,amileandahalfaday.Alocomotive,runningontherailslaiddowntheeveningbefore,broughttherailstobelaidonthemorrow,andadvanceduponthemasfastastheywereputinposition.

           ThePacificRailroadisjoinedbyseveralbranchesinIowa,Kansas,Colorado,andOregon.

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