Early in October, 1869, George W. Martin, the editor of the Junction City Union, joined a party of railroad excursionists to travel to the west line of the Kansas border. The travelers were intending to “wend” their way to Abilene on the morning freight, but just as they arrived at Junction City’s Kansas Pacific depot they were met by Mr. Blaine Marshel, the Kansas Pacific superintendent. A special train was scheduled to convey him to the town of Phil Sheridan, the end of the line.

Construction that had stalled for months was finally gearing up to complete the track to Denver City, Colorado Territory. Having dropped the “Phil,” the end-of track town became infamously known as “Sheridan.”

Following the close of the Civil War, construction of the track had taken place in 1866 through 1868, reaching Sheridan in the June of ’68. Superintendent Marshel planned to inspect the line along the entire length of the division and was pleased to escort the excursionists.

Martin wrote, “and we were on our way at a rate of speed not often indulged in by regular trains.”

As the train rolled west, gangs of men were seen at work upgrading the original hurried construction, raising and stabilizing the track. Superintendent Marshel was duty-bound to stop at each work site to inspect and direct each foreman before hurrying away to the next site.

At Chapman Creek, the original bridge had already been replaced. The original had been “carried away” by flood waters in 1868. The new bridge was five and onehalf feet higher, requiring the original span of 94 feet to be extended to 160, “as fine and substantial bridge as could be looked for.”

The excursionists rolled on past Detroit, west of Chapman. They didn’t even slow down for Abilene and rushed past the village of Solomon, finally coming to a stop for dinner at Salina. With dinner under their belts, the excursionists continued west. After only a few miles “a halt was made, and four short whistles were given ....” Evander Light was soon making strides from his farmhouse for the train.

“Van” had the contract to supply wood and ties for track construction west of Sheridan. Superintendent Marshel had made previous arrangements to take him aboard to be present during Marshel’s inspection in that western country.

Noting Van’s quick dash to the waiting train, editor Martin wrote that Van was “entirely well from the effects of that first fight he had with a member of the Cheyenne family at his wood camp.”

Van had received a severe leg wound in his leg, to which he responded with “a pistol ball,” killing his attacker.

Soon the special train was on its way. But, almost immediately Superintendent Marshel discovered a “hot box.” The train’s smooth motion relied upon bearings bathed in oil-soaked packing material housed in a box-like container between the axle and the frame. If the packing dried out the bearing would overheat, creating what railroaders called a “hot box.” If left unattended, a resulting fire could destroy the entire car.

While the box was allowed to cool, the excursionists retired to the caboose where they found another “hot box,” but Martin declined fur- ther description except to say that he was “astonished” at the sight.

With the hot box repaired the train was once again on the move toward Superintendent Marshel’s personal domain dubbed Andersonville. The location was 200 miles west of the Missouri River and was destined to become the terminus of the second division. Marshel claimed the site, building a house to comply with homestead laws. The name was later changed to Brookville and as Marshel had predicted, a roundhouse and shops were built there.

The train stopped at Ellsworth for the night. Court was in session. Thirty-five cases were on the docket, the majority of which were larceny and stealing of horses and mules.

The only stop described the next day was at Hays City for 20 to 30 minutes. All along the road across the endless plains, buffaloes were encountered moving south for winter quarters. The country at some points was “literally black” with them, especially in the vicinity of Buffalo Station (present-day Park, Kan.).

Sheridan was reached by 7 p.m. Gen. William J. Palmer met them the next day. He readily explained the work to extend the Kansas Pacific to Denver City and the advantages that the completion would bring. But Sheridan was not the last stop on their westward trip.

From Sheridan the stage coach carried them to Fort Wallace and to Pond Creek, a frontier town just beyond the post on the edge of civilization. “No less than 10 persons have been murdered there and thereabouts, and no punishment awarded except such as is meted out by the ‘Vigilanters,’” the only law to be found beyond the end-of-track on The Way West.

“The Cowboy,” Jim Gray can be reached at 220 21st RD, Geneseo, KS. Phone (785) 531-2058 or kansascowboy@kans. com.