The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

From North Platte.

Through the kindness of Mr. W.A. Hodgman, who has just returned from North Platte, we are placed in possession of some items that may interest many of our readers. North Platte has now about one hundred and twenty-five buildings, of various kinds, shapes and sizes. People there now draw their main solace and comfort from the hope of something better in the future. Money is extremely scarce there at present, although it was expected that an agreeable relief in that particular would be afforded by the disbursements of the 20th instant, that being the pay day of the contractors. The piles are being driven for the railroad bridge over the Platte. Timber and ties in large quantities will be floated down that stream to the crossing. The body of one of the two men drowned at that point, some days since, has been recovered. A man named Smith was shot, a day or two ago. Men gambled over his body, betting various sums upon the question as to whether he was dead or not.

The track of the U.P.R.R. is now about seven miles beyond Rock creek, and the building of a bridge over a small gulch has delayed the laying of the track several days. The probabilities are that the track laying will be detained not longer than over night at North Platte, so that there will be little reason to expect much of a town there, nor indeed anywhere this side of Salt Lake. With all the means of information that we are in possession of, we can see no likelihood of a more important place than Cheyenne will be, anywhere between Omaha and Salt Lake City. This is our belief now, and it ever has been; and we have proved our sincerity in this avowal by our actions. Let non despond, but wait a brief time with patience.