THE PACIFIC RAILROAD IN WINTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 919, 10 July 1869, Page 16

THE PACIFIC RAILROAD IN WINTER.

{Pall Mall Gazette.)

The Union Pacific Railroad may be a great ■work, but we should not advise travellers to put any trust in it daring the winter months. An American correspondent gives a sorrowful account of * journey he made by it, or set out to make, on the 12th of February. The "through train" from Wasatoh to Omaha was stopped at a place called' Bawling* on account of the snow. There were 200 pnesengers "on board," Galifornians' and others. Many of them had but little money with them, and a scanty meal at Rawlings oost Idol. 25c. This was not conducive to flDJoym°nt of the landscape. After they had been detained seven days in this wretched plaoe, some of them began to think they were being hardly used. The Americans are very patient under injury when the injury is done in the name of a company, and to be snowbound for a few days is no uncommon occurrence on the Pacific road. But what exasperated them on this occasion was that the managers made no efforts to clear the line On the 21st of February th« general manager coolly telegraphed from Laramie, "I see passengers are somewhat dissatisfied, but I can't help it." He proceeded to say that the day before he bad given 200 passengers three looomotivea and iihovfllfl, " with the understanding that they should shovel through. They left here yesterday morning, and have only got about twenty miles. They find it is sot play to shovel snnw." Passengers by a railroad osrtainly do not bargain w a rale to thovel the train through some hundreds of miles of enow. At last, after nine days' imprisonment, the party were allowed to set out on a train by way of experiment. They vent safely about forty-five miles and then ran violently into a snow-bank. The conductor knew of this obttruotion beforehand, but the general manager telegraphed "Come on," ''which we did," says the writer. They all got out and shovelled at the snow, but as fast as they made •> hole ia it the wind filled it up attain with drift. Tho engine fires had of oourse gone out, and the whole Pjurty were being gradually oovcred up. "We played oards, read novels, lang psalms, and would have drank whisky had not that useful article orased to exist, owing to the persistent drowning of sorrows whioh took plaoe at Rawlings." At last thay sot out one fine morning to walk to Laramie, and suootedeA in reaching that station in four days, Bartering cold and hunger *y tho way. This account, whioh is well authenticated, will not render the general publio anxious to tnako a trip by this line between November and April.

Ahbcdotb op CuojnvKM. and Zaciuht Botd.— Of that celebrated and long-wiutlcd divine, Zacluuy Boyd, tho following story is told »— M In 1831, Protoctor Cromwell wont one Sunday to hear him preach. Ho inveighed go nnoompromWngly against Oliver, that Mr. Secretory Thurlow proposed to lmve tlio defiant and fearless minister shot. Cromwell's only answer was, " He's a fool, and you're another. I'll pay htm out in his own fashion." So ho asked Mr. Boyd to dinner, and concluded the entertainment with A prayer that Jutted thro* bourt,