208 NARRATIVE OF 1855. 
the current is not rapid, and it will be simply a case of sustaining walls. At the end of this 
distance it will be necessary to gain ground ahead by a somewhat heavy excavation and 
embankment. Тһе next five and a half miles takes us across a bend formed by a spur running 
northwest and southeast. Неге we have a choice of routes. We can either lay our course back 
from the river, or we can pursue the river bank itself. There will be no tunnelling in this distance 
on either line ; but, looking to the interior line, we cross a spur four miles from the beginning 
of this section, which will involve a somewhat heavy earth excavation, in order to adjust 
reasonable grades to the ground. I will refer especially to the map to show the general character 
of this section. I was pleased, in passing over it, to find it well watered, well grassed, and the 
great body of it arable. The woods are open and the trees somewhat large. The grade will 
not exceed thirty feet to the mile. From the best information that I could get of this whole 
section, I am of opinion that the railroad line should keep on the river bank. For two miles 
more we continue on the same general plateau, which, at points, somewhat narrows, but never 
gets an elevation exceeding fifty or sixty feet above the river. Good grass is found along this 
distance. Looking to my narrative of 1853, it will be found that half a mile before reaching 
the end of this distance there is a small streamlet, which sinks into the plateau, where I camped, 
on my return trip of this year, November 15 and 16, and where I-camped October Т and 8, 1853. 
At this point, looking eastward, the trail leaves the river, and, passing over hills, continues 
some eight miles before reaching the river again. Here is the point where the railroad line 
must first cross the river. I had examined, in the most careful and considerate manner, the 
whole course of the river from the mouth of the St. Regis de Borgia to this point, and we get 
the best grades, the most reduced excavations and embankments, and in all respects have the 
best railroad line, by keeping on the eastern or right bank of the Bitter Root river to this point. 
We must now cross the river, which is here two hundred feet wide, with banks about forty 
feet high. The ground is remarkably well adapted to a bridge crossing. "The timber is of the 
most superior quality for all purposes of bridge construction. Keeping on the western bank 
of the river, there are no difficulties whatever in the construction of a railroad ; easy grades 
can be adapted to the ground. In four miles and a half a marsh is met with, but that will 
require only embankments of twenty feet. At the end of this distance—six miles—the river, 
if necessary, could be crossed again to its right bank, but, after careful examination of both 
these shores, I am satisfied that the crossing should be made further on. So, for a mile and a 
half, we keep our railroad line on the left or western bank of the Bitter Root river, on which 
distance the first thousand feet will be large and extensive rock excavation; the remaining dis- 
tance is a plateau, under a side hill. At the end of this distance the railroad line must recross 
the river. The banks are low, the distance across not exceeding two hundred yards. There 
will be no difficulty in adjusting curvature to the ground, but on either bank there will be 
considerable rock excavation, and a still heavier earth excavation and embankment. In seven 
miles and a half after the crossing the country is such that we have to make a passage from 
one plateau to another forty feet below it, which will require a heavy embankment and a 
bridge. In a mile further on we come to, also, a heavy embankment of forty feet; and for 
three-quarters of a mile we have to maintain this embankment and build two bridges. One of 
these will be a considerable bridge, perhaps one hundred and fifty yards long. We then pass 
a plateau, where will be involved one deep cut, with some rock cutting. Thence, to camp, 
seven miles and a half further on, we pass over a country easily adapted to grades, with very 
moderate excavations, the grade not exceeding twenty feet to the mile. Along the whole 
course of the Bitter Root there will be more or less curvature, and in the location there must | 
