At the time Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Bill in 1862 there were three conflicting interests contending as to the location. First that in favor of the Northern (now the Northern Pacific) Route, second the Central, and third that in favor of the Missouri-Kansas location. The Northern interest had not developed to a sufficient extent to cut much figure, only having the support of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The Central Route was backed by Chicago and the railroad interests centering there. The Missouri-Kansas Route had the support of St. Louis and the territory tributary thereto. The last two were sufficiently persistent to have both of them recognized. Accordingly the Charter called for the one line commencing at the hundredth Meridian and running west with branches of feeders reaching that point, one from Omaha (Iowa Branch, Union Pacific Railroad), one from Sioux City (to be known as the Sioux City Branch, Union Pacific Railroad), one from St. Joseph or Atchison (to be built by the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, later known as the Central Branch, Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division and then the Kansas Pacific Railway); this latter in connection with the Pacific Railroad of Missouri from St. Louis to Kansas City to be the St. Louis line. The Pacific Railroad Bill of 1862 read, "The Leavenworth, Pawnee, and Western Railroad Company of Kansas are hereby authorized to construct a railroad from the Missouri River at the mouth at the Kansas River where it should connect with the Pacific Railroad of Missouri (now the Missouri Pacific Railroad) to the hundredth Meridian of longitude upon the same terms and conditions as applied to the construction of the Pacific Railroad which it was to meet and connect with at the meridian point named." Through Kansas it was to be located so as to make connections with the several railroads through Iowa and Missouri, provided it could be done without deviating from the general direction of the whole line to the Pacific Coast. It further specified that two hundred miles should be built within the first two years and one hundred miles a year thereafter, and after finishing their own line they could unite on equal terms with the Union Pacific Railroad Company in the construction of the latter's line west of the hundredth-Meridian. This gave them the alternate sections of land within five miles on either side and United States Bonds to the amount of sixteen thousand dollars per mile,--similar to the aid extended the Union Pacific Railroad Company by the Government.