Chapter 29

           Thetrainpursueditscourse,thatevening,withoutinterruption,passingFortSaunders,crossingCheynePass,andreachingEvansPass.Theroadhereattainedthehighestelevationofthejourney,eightthousandandninety-twofeetabovethelevelofthesea.ThetravellershadnowonlytodescendtotheAtlanticbylimitlessplains,levelledbynature.Abranchofthe"grandtrunk"ledoffsouthwardtoDenver,thecapitalofColorado.Thecountryroundaboutisrichingoldandsilver,andmorethanfiftythousandinhabitantsarealreadysettledthere.

           Thirteenhundredandeighty-twomileshadbeenpassedoverfromSanFrancisco,inthreedaysandthreenights;fourdaysandnightsmorewouldprobablybringthemtoNewYork.PhileasFoggwasnotasyetbehind-hand.

           DuringthenightCampWalbachwaspassedontheleft;LodgePoleCreekranparallelwiththeroad,markingtheboundarybetweentheterritoriesofWyomingandColorado.TheyenteredNebraskaateleven,passednearSedgwick,andtouchedatJulesburg,onthesouthernbranchofthePlatteRiver.

           ItwasherethattheUnionPacificRailroadwasinauguratedonthe23rdofOctober,1867,bythechiefengineer,GeneralDodge.Twopowerfullocomotives,carryingninecarsofinvitedguests,amongstwhomwasThomasC.Durant,vice-presidentoftheroad,stoppedatthispoint;cheersweregiven,theSiouxandPawneesperformedanimitationIndianbattle,fireworkswereletoff,andthefirstnumberoftheRailwayPioneerwasprintedbyapressbroughtonthetrain.Thuswascelebratedtheinaugurationofthisgreatrailroad,amightyinstrumentofprogressandcivilisation,thrownacrossthedesert,anddestinedtolinktogethercitiesandtownswhichdonotyetexist.

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