The third route was more of importance to western Nebraska. It was from Sidney, north, and was known as the Sidney trail. Its disadvantages were that during the early part of the season, the North Platte river was high and dangerous to cross. Fort Laramie had a cantilever bridge, which is still in use (1919), and which had been hauled by wagons from Fort Leavenworth more than a decade earlier, in 1867, and erected at a cost of about $70,- 000.00 by the government.

During the dry season when the river crossing north of Sidney was easy to ford, there were two or three other places where water was scarce.

Henry T. Clarke became the man of the hour. He went to the Union Pacific officials and secured their co-operation and they shipped the materials for the bridge , free of freight. Fie then secured the co-operation of the freighters, who each hauled a load or two to the river, free of expense, and some of them volunteered a part of the work.

Camp Clarke came into existence, and with it the toll bridge. Tolls were charged the men who had donated work, and while they objected,, they paid the price, because they could not stop to palaver about it. Camp Clarke became the most important place of crossing the North Platte river, and it was on the center line of the Texas Trail. In the days of the cowmen it became a place of tremendous significance.

According to stories of the early days the bridge also served other purposes than for crossing the river. A white desperado was found hanging there one time, with a placard rudely daubed pinned to him, which read : "In some ways he was a bad man, and in others a damnsite wuss."