undred and forty to Mile Post four hundred and five--two hundred and
sixty miles. West of Mile Post four hundred and five or "Phil
Sheridan" as it was then called, the Denver extension was built by the
Company itself, General W. J. Palmer being in charge.

During the construction of the line, the contract to feed the forces
at the front was let to Goddard Brothers who utilized to a very great
extent buffalo meat for this purpose. To procure these they employed
W. F. Cody at five hundred dollars per month. During this engagement
Cody claims to have killed four thousand two hundred and eighty
buffaloes, earning for himself the appellation "Buffalo Bill" by which
name he has ever since been known. The best heads were by special
arrangement shipped to the headquarters of the Company at Kansas City,
where they were nicely mounted and used as an advertisement of the
road.

The line reached Ellsworth, Kan., the spring of 1867 and made for some
time its terminus there. In all the history of "Boom Towns" or
"railroad towns" there were none that surpassed this place. For
ninety-three consecutive days there was one or more homicide in the
town or its immediate vicinity--one hundred in all.

Another place that sprang into prominence during the time it was the
end of the track was "Phil Sheridan" located near the point where the
road crossed the hundredth Meridian, Mile Post four hundred and five.
During its brief existence it was a rattling noisy place, full of life
and vigor, rowdyism predominating. Not a stake, brick, or shingle is
left to mark its site. It was here the construction rested for nearly
a year and a half, financial troubles,--uncertainty as to whether to
build to San Diego, Cal., or Denver, and some very fine work on the
part of the Union Pacific proper being the occasion of the suspension
of work.

On June 26th, 1865, work was begun on the branch line from Leavenworth
to Lawrence (Leavenworth and Lawrence Railroad), Major B. S. Hennings
being in charge as Superintendent. Upon the completion of the branch
in the spring following, the headquarters of the Union Pacific
Railway--Eastern Division was moved to Lawrence, the operation of the
line being under the direction of R. H. Shoemaker, Superintendent,
who was succeeded in December, 1867, by George Noble. The work of
construction was in charge of General W. W. Wright.

At the meeting of the Company held April 1st, 1867, Mr. John D. Perry
of St. Louis was electe