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diff --git a/22598.txt b/22598.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..85a5205 --- /dev/null +++ b/22598.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4597 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Story of the First Trans-Continental +Railroad, by W. F. Bailey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Story of the First Trans-Continental Railroad + Its Projectors, Construction and History + +Author: W. F. Bailey + +Release Date: September 14, 2007 [EBook #22598] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIRST TRANS-CONTINENTAL RAILROAD *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Christine P. Travers and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net +(This book was produced from scanned images of public +domain material from the Google Print project.) + + + + + +[Transcriber's note: Obvious printer's errors have been corrected, all +other inconsistencies are as in the original. Author's spelling has +been maintained.] + + + + + The Story of the + First Trans-continental + Railroad + + Its projectors, construction + and history + + + + + "I Fed the Men who Built It" + + + + + Compiled and Published by + W. F. BAILEY + + + + +[Illustration: Buffalo] + + + + +Copies of this work may be procured at $2.00 each from either the +Compiler, Fair Oaks, California, or from the Printers, the Pittsburgh +Printing Co., 518-520 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, Penna. + + + Copyright 1906 + BY + W. F. BAILEY + + + PRESS OF + PITTSBURGH PRINTING CO. + + + + +TABLE OF CONTENTS. + + + Chapter Page + + I. The Project and its Projectors, 9 + + II. The Proposition in Congress, 21 + + III. Mostly Financial, 31 + + IV. Commencement of the Work, 42 + + V. Progress Made, 50 + + VI. Indian Troubles during Construction, 69 + + VII. The Builders, 79 + + VIII. Completion of the Line, 92 + + IX. The Kansas Division (Kansas Pacific Ry.) 103 + + X. The Denver-Cheyenne Line (Denver Pacific R. R.) 117 + + XI. History of the Line since its Completion, 123 + + XII. The Central Pacific Railroad, 133 + + + APPENDIX. + + (1) Roster of Officials, 141 + + (2) Statistics, 146 + + (3) Nomenclature, 148 + + (4) Paddy Miles' Ride, 153 + + (5) Copy Report Engineer in Charge of Survey, 157 + + + + +Preface + + +For some reason the people of today are not nearly as familiar with +the achievements of the last fifty years as they are with those of +earlier days. + +The school boy can glibly recount the story of Columbus, William Penn, +or Washington, but asked about the events leading up to the settlement +of the West will know nothing of them and will probably reply "they +don't teach us that in our school"--and it is true. Outside of the +names of our presidents, the Rebellion, and the Spanish-American War, +there is practically nothing of the events of the last fifty years in +our school histories, and this is certainly wrong. "Peace hath her +victories as well as War," and it is to the end that one of the great +achievements of the last century may become better known that this +account of the first great Pacific Railroad was written. + +It was just as great an event for Lewis and Clark to cross the Rockies +as it was for Columbus to cross the Atlantic. The Mormons not only +made friends with the Indians as did Penn, but they also "made the +desert to blossom as the rose," and Washington's battles at Princeton, +White Plains, and Yorktown were but little more momentus in their +results than Sandy Forsythe's on the Republican, Custer's on the +Washita, or Crook's in the Sierra Madre. + +The construction of the Union Pacific Railroad was of greater +importance to the people of the United States than the inauguration of +steamship service across the Atlantic or the laying of the Atlantic +Telegraph. Yet the one has been heralded from time to time and the +other allowed to sink into temporary obscurity. + +To make good Americans of the coming generation all that is necessary +is to make them proud of American achievements and the West was and is +a field full of such. + +The building of the Pacific Railroad was one of the great works of +man. Its promoters were men of small means and little or no financial +backing outside of the aid granted them by the Government. It took +nerve and good Yankee grit to undertake and carry out the project. How +it was done it is hoped the succeeding pages may show. + +Fair Oaks, California, 1906. + + + + + Poem read at the Celebration of the opening of + the Pacific Railroad, Chicago, + May 10th, 1869. + + + Ring out, oh bells. Let cannons roar + In loudest tones of thunder. + The iron bars from shore to shore + Are laid and Nations wonder. + + Through deserts vast and forests deep + Through mountains grand and hoary + A path is opened for all time + And we behold the glory. + + We, who but yesterday appeared + But settlers on the border, + Where only savages were reared + Mid chaos and disorder. + We wake to find ourselves midway + In continental station, + And send our greetings either way + Across the mighty nation. + + We reach out towards the golden gate + And eastward to the ocean. + The tea will come at lightning rate + And likewise Yankee notions. + From spicy islands off the West + The breezes now are blowing, + And all creation does its best + To set the greenbacks flowing. + + The eastern tourist will turn out + And visit all the stations + For Pullman runs upon the route + With most attractive rations. + +--_From the Chicago Tribune, May 11th, 1869._ + + + + +The First Trans-continental Railroad. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +_The Project and the Projectors._ + + +President Jefferson First to Act on a Route to the Pacific--Lewis and +Clark Expedition--Oregon Missionaries--Railroad Suggested--Mills +1819--The Emigrant 1832--Parker 1835--Dr. Barlow's Plan--Hartwell +Carver's--John Plumbe's--Asa Whitney--Senator Benton's National Road. + + +It would appear that Thomas Jefferson is entitled to the credit of +being the first to take action towards the opening of a road or route +between the eastern states and the Pacific Coast. While he was in +France in 1779 as American Envoy to the Court of Versailles he met one +John Ledyard who had been with Captain Cook in his voyage around the +world, in the course of which they had visited the coast of +California. Out of the acquaintance grew an expedition under Ledyard +that was to cross Russia and the Pacific Ocean to Alaska, thence take +a Russian trading vessel from Sitka to the Spanish-Russian settlement +on Nookta Sound (Coast of California) and from there proceed east +overland until the settlements then confined to the Atlantic Seaboard +were reached. + +Through the efforts of Jefferson the expedition was equipped and +started. The Russian Government had promised its support but when the +party had crossed Russia, were within two hundred miles of the +Pacific, Ledyard was arrested by order of the Empress Catherine, the +then ruler of Russia, and the expedition broken up. + +Jefferson became President in 1801. In 1803 on his recommendation, +Congress made an appropriation "for sending an exploring party to +trace the Missouri River to its source, to cross the highlands (i. e. +Rocky Mountains) and follow the best route thence to the Pacific +Ocean." + +So interested was Jefferson that he personally prepared a long and +specific letter of instructions and had his confidential man placed in +charge. "The object of your mission," said Jefferson, in this letter +of instruction "is to explore the Missouri River and such other +streams as by their course would seem to offer the most direct and +practicable communication across the continent for the purpose of +commerce." This expedition known as the Lewis and Clark, made in +1804-1806, brought to light much information relative to the West and +demonstrated conclusively the feasibility of crossing overland as well +as the resources of the country traversed. + +As a result the far West became the Mecca of the fur trappers and +traders. Commencing with the Astoria settlement in 1807, for the next +forty years or until the opening of the Oregon immigration in 1844, +they were practically the only whites to visit it outside of the +missionaries, who did more or less exploring and visiting the Indians +resulting in the Rev. Jason Lee in 1833 and Dr. Marcus Whitman in 1835 +having established mission stations in Oregon. + +The next record is of one Robert Mills of Virginia who suggested in a +publication on "Internal Improvements in Maryland, Virginia, and South +Carolina," issued in 1819, the advisability of connecting the head of +navigation of some one of the principal streams entering the Atlantic +with the Pacific Ocean by a system of steam propelled carriages. (H. +R. Doc. 173, 29th Cong.) This was before there was a mile of Steam +Railroad in the world, and under the then existing circumstances was +so chimerical as to hardly warrant mention. + +In a weekly newspaper published in 1832 at Ann Arbor, Michigan, called +"The Emigrant," appeared what was probably the first suggestion in +print on the advisability of a Pacific Railroad. The article suggests +the advisability of building a line from New York to the Mouth of the +Oregon (Columbia River) by way of the south shore of Lake Erie and +Lake Michigan, crossing the Mississippi River between 41 and 42 north +latitude, the Missouri River about the mouth of the Platte, thence to +the Rocky Mountains near the source of the last named river, crossing +them and down the valley of the Oregon to the Pacific. It further +suggested that it be made a national project, or this failing the +grant of three millions of acres to a Company organized for the +purpose of constructing it. No name was signed to the article, but the +probabilities are that it was written by S. W. Dexter, the Editor of +the paper. + +With the Whitman party leaving the East for the far northwest to +establish a Mission Station was the Rev. Samuel Parker, a Presbyterian +minister, who was sent under the auspices of the Missionary Board of +his Church to investigate and report on the mission situation and to +suggest a plan for Christianizing the Indians. He crossed the +continent to Oregon and on his return in 1838, his journal was +published. It presented a very correct and interesting account of the +scenes he visited. In it he says, "There would be no difficulty in the +way of constructing a railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean +* * * * and the time may not be so far distant when trips will be made +across the continent as they are now to Niagara Falls to see Nature's +wonders." + +To just whom belongs the credit of being the first to advocate a +railroad to the Pacific Coast is in dispute. No doubt the idea +occurred to many at the time they were being introduced and +successfully operated in the East. The two items referred to seem to +be the first record of the idea or possibility. + +About the same time, although the date is not positively fixed, Dr. +Samuel Bancroft Barlow, a practising physician of Greenville, Mass., +commenced writing articles for the newspapers, advocating a Pacific +railroad and outlining a plan for its construction. + +His proposition contemplated a railroad from New York City to the +mouth of the Columbia River. As illustrating the lack of knowledge +regarding the cost and operations of railroads, we quote from his +writings "Premising the length of the road would be three thousand +miles and the average cost ten thousand dollars per mile, we have +thirty million dollars as the total cost, and were the United States +to engage in its construction, three years time would be amply +sufficient * * * * At the very moderate rate of ten miles an hour, a +man could go from New York to the mouth of the Columbia River in +twelve days and a half." + +Another enthusiast was Hartwell Carver, grandson of Jonathan Carver +the explorer of 1766. His proposition was to build a railroad from +Lake Michigan (Chicago) to the South Pass, with two branches from +there, one to the mouth of the Columbia River, and the other due west +to California. South Pass received its name from being South of the +pass in general use. Strange to say his "true Pacific Route" +formulated without knowledge of the lay of the land was absolutely +the best and the one that today is followed by the Union Pacific +Railway and affiliated lines, substituting Granger for South Pass. +Carver's proposition was to build the line by a private corporation +who were to receive a grant of land for their right of way, the whole +distance, with the privilege of taking from the public lands, material +used in construction, with the further privilege of purchasing from +the United States Government, eight million acres of selected lands +from the public domains at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, +payable in the stock of the Company. His road was to be laid on stone +foundations and to be equipped with sleeping cars, dining cars and +salon cars. His ideas as to the cost of the work were far too low, but +outside of this he was seemingly inspired. At the time he was writing, +1835, there were seven hundred and ninety-seven miles of railroads in +operation in the United States. Passenger coaches were patterned after +the old stage coach, the track iron straps on wooden stringers, yet +here he was outlining what today is an accomplished fact. A railroad +with stone ballast from Chicago to the South Pass (Granger, Wyo.) one +branch diverging from there to the mouth of the Columbia, (Portland, +Ore.,) the other to California, (San Francisco and Los Angeles, Cal.,) +traversed by trains comprised of sleeping cars, dining cars and buffet +cars. The Union Pacific and its connections. + +Carver spent the best years of his life and what was in those days an +ample fortune in endeavoring to further his project. The great +opposition to his plan arose from the proposed diversion of the public +lands and the stock feature, neither Congress nor the public taking +kindly to the idea of the Government giving lands for stock in a +private corporation. + +A third proposition was fathered by John Plumbe of Dubuque, Iowa, who +suggested at a public meeting, held at his home town in March 1838, +that a railroad be built from the great lakes to the Columbia River. +His plan contemplated an appropriation from Congress of alternate +sections of the public lands on either side of the right of way. The +company to be capitalized at one hundred million dollars, twenty +million shares at five dollars each. Twenty-five cents per share to be +paid down to provide a fund to commence operations and subsequent +assessments of like amount to be paid as the money was needed until +the full amount had been paid in. One hundred miles to be constructed +each year and the whole line completed in twenty years. + +All of these propositions were more or less visionary and advanced by +men of theory with little or no capital. They had the effect of +awakening public interest and paved the way for a more feasible plan. +The question of a Pacific railway, its practicability, earnings, and +effect, were constantly before the people. In 1844 the idea had become +firmly fixed, the leading advocate being a New York merchant named +Asa Whitney, who has been called the "Father of the Pacific Railway." +Mr. Whitney had spent some years in commercial life in China, +returning to the United States with a competency. Becoming enthused +with the idea, he put his all,--energy, time, and money into the +project of a trans-continental railroad, finding many supporters. At +first he advocated Carver's plan, but becoming convinced that it was +not feasible, he sprung a new one of his own. He proposed that +Congress should give to him, his heirs and assigns, a strip of land, +sixty miles wide, with the railroad in the center, this from a point +on Lake Michigan to the Pacific Coast. This land he proposed to +colonize and sell to emigrants from Europe, from the proceeds build +the line, retaining whatever surplus there might be after its +completion, as his own. + +Whitney was an indefatigable worker, thoroughly in earnest, a fluent +speaker, both in public and private, well fortified with statistics +and arguments. He personally travelled the whole country from Maine to +fifteen miles up the Missouri River. The legislatures of Maine, New +Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, +Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, and +Georgia, all endorsed his plan by favorable resolutions. + +The Senate Committee on public lands made a report recommending his +proposition. Thus strongly endorsed, his plan was brought before +Congress in 1848 in a bill entitled "Authorizing Asa Whitney, his +heirs or assigns, to construct a railroad from any point on Lake +Michigan or the Mississippi River he may designate, in a line as +nearly straight as practicable, to some point on the Pacific Ocean +where a harbor may be had." The road to be six foot gauge, sixty-four +pound rails. The Government to establish tolls and regulate the +operation of the line, Whitney to be the sole Owner and receive a +salary of four thousand dollars per year for managing it. + +The proposition was debated for days in the Senate and then was tabled +on a vote of twenty-seven to twenty-one. The opposition dwelt largely +on the length of time Whitney would necessarily require. Say he could +colonize and sell a million acres a year, this would only be funds +enough to build one hundred miles and consequently the two thousand +miles would require at least twenty years. The defeat was largely +owing to the opposition of Senator Benton of Missouri, the most +pronounced friend of the West in the House, who used the argument of +the power and capital it would put in the hands of one man, Whitney's. +This he characterized as a project to give away an Empire, larger in +extent than eight of the original states, with an ocean frontage of +sixty miles, with contracting powers and patronage exceeding those of +the President. + +Upon the defeat of Whitney's project, Benton brought forward in 1849 +one of his own for a great national highway from St. Louis to San +Francisco, straight as may be, with branches to Oregon and Mexico. The +Government to grant a strip one mile wide, so as to provide room for +every kind of road, railway, plank, macadamized, and electric motor, +or otherwise constructed where not so practicable or advantageous. +Sleighs to be used during those months when snow lay on the ground. +Funds for its construction to be provided by the sale of public lands. +Bare in mind this was only fifty-six years ago, but eighteen years +before the Union Pacific Railway was completed, and was the +proposition advocated by the recognized leader of the Senate in +matters western. + +Up to the year 1846 when by the treaty of Guadeloupe-Hidalgo, Mexico, +ceded to us California, our only territory on the Pacific Coast was +Oregon and Washington. The acquisition of California, followed very +shortly by the gold discoveries and the consequent influx of people, +gave that state a large population and furnished a prospective +business for a Pacific railway. This had heretofore been a matter of +theory, very questionable, to say the least, being based on very hazy +estimates of the prospective volume of trans-pacific business. With an +active and aggressive population of three hundred thousand in +California, practically all of eastern birth and affiliations the +situation became materially changed and the necessity of railroad +communication apparent. Both great political parties pledged their +support in their quadrennial platforms. Presidents--Pierce, Buchanan, +and Lincoln, in their several messages to Congress, strongly +recommended its construction. The matter had been thoroughly +discussed, both in and out of Congress and the whole country was +convinced of the advisability of its construction, and only awaited a +leader and a feasible plan. From 1850 to 1860 the question vied with +that of slavery in public interest. Survey after survey was undertaken +by the Government and private parties. Senator Benton being the first +to introduce a resolution looking to the appropriation of sufficient +money to pay for a survey. This being in 1851. The question of the +North and South, entered into the matter, as it did everything else in +the days preceding the Rebellion. "You shall not build through free +soil," said the South and "we won't permit it to run through the Slave +States," said the North. Compromise was out of the question, and it +was not until the southern element had been eliminated from Congress +by their secession was any action possible. + +It was found that private corporations, duly aided by land grants from +the Government, were able to build the necessary connecting links +through the comparatively level country, between Chicago and St. +Louis, and the Missouri River. From the Missouri River west it was +felt that the undertaking was too great for any one set of men or +corporation, besides local interests in California were already in the +field, consequently two companies were determined upon, one of them +working eastward, the other westward, and it was thus arranged. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +_The Proposition in Congress._ + + +Situation 1861--Curtis Bill of 1862--Amended Charter of 1864--Further +Amendments--1866--Legal Complications in New York--Controversy With +Central Pacific. + + +Commencing with the session of 1835, when a memorial on the subject of +railroad communication between Lake Michigan and the Pacific Coast, +was presented by Hartwell Carver, up to the present, the Pacific +Railways have been ever present in Congress. The Catalogue of +Government Publications gives one hundred and eighty-five having the +Union Pacific, or Pacific Railroads as their subject. + +It is not necessary to recount the many schemes for the construction +of these roads that were proposed to Congress. We have already +outlined the principal ones previous to 1861. + +At this time our country was in the midst of its greatest +difficulties. The North and South unable to harmonize over the slavery +question, had recourse to the arbitration of arms. The Union forces +had met with numerous and severe reverses. The people of the Pacific +Coast were loud in their demands for better means of communication. +The Government was straining to what seemed the breaking point, their +credit and resources to carry on the war and as a Government +enterprise the building of a Pacific Railway was out of the question. +All were convinced of not only the desirability of such a line but of +the absolute necessity thereof, and it had resolved itself into a +question of ways and means. Previous discussions had thrashed out the +chaff and it now remained for Congress to winnow the wheat. Government +surveys had demonstrated the existence of five feasible routes through +or over the Rocky Mountains. The Northern, now followed by the +Northern Pacific Railroad, the South Pass, Snake and Columbia Rivers, +now traversed by the Union Pacific Railroad to Granger, thence the +Oregon Short Line and Oregon Railway and Navigation Company. The +Middle Route-Union Pacific Railroad in connection with the Southern +Pacific Company (Central Pacific Railroad). The thirty-ninth parallel +route, now followed by the Santa Fe Route and the Southern via El +Paso, now followed by the Sunset Route. The first two while available, +could be eliminated owing to their not reaching California direct, as +could also the two latter, on account of their traversing in part at +least, country that was then in a state of insurrection. + +These reasons were in themselves sufficient to determine the +selection, but with the many other arguments advanced, there was no +trouble in bringing Congress to adopt practically unanimously the +"South Pass" "Middle" "True Pacific" Route as it was variously +called. For years this had been the route of the fur traders and +trappers, the emigrant, the Overland Stage, and the Pony Express, and +if these various interests had agreed as to this being the shortest +and best route it was evident there were good and sufficient reasons +for their decision, it being incontrovertible that it was the shortest +one that reached the desired territory. Especially as their decision +was reinforced by the result of numerous surveys made by the +Government. + +The bill creating the Union Pacific Railroad was known as the "Curtis +Bill" from its author, Congressman S. R. Curtis of Iowa. It carried +the title of "An Act to aid in the construction of a railroad and +telegraph line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean and to +secure to the United States Government, the use thereof for postal, +military, and other purposes." + +This act passed the Senate, June 20th, 1862, by a vote of thirty-five +to two and became a law July 1st, of that same year. In addition to +creating the Union Pacific Railroad Company it also authorized the +Central Pacific Railroad Company to build a railroad from Sacramento +to the eastern boundary of California, where it was to connect with +the Union Pacific Railroad. The bill also recognized a Company +chartered by the legislature of Kansas under the name of the +Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railway Company, later known as the +Kansas Pacific Railway. This latter line was to be built from +Leavenworth west to a junction with the Union Pacific Railroad at or +near the hundredth Meridian or about two hundred and fifty miles west +of Omaha. + +The principal features of the bill so far as the Union Pacific +Railroad were concerned, were, the creation of a Board of +Commissioners consisting of one hundred and fifty-eight commissioners +to represent the interest of the United States Government and who were +to be named by the Secretary of the Interior. These were to constitute +a preliminary organization. + +The Union Pacific Railroad proper was to commence at a point on the +hundredth Meridian, west of Greenwich, between the Valley of the +Platte River on the north and the Valley on the Republican River on +the south, with branch lines to be known as the Iowa Branch from said +point to the Missouri River. On the west it was to extend to the +Eastern boundary of California, where it was to connect with the +Central Pacific Railroad. + +The Capital stock of the Company was to consist of ten thousand shares +at one thousand dollars each, not more than two hundred shares to be +held by any one person. Right of way through public lands was granted +with the privilege of taking therefrom, without charge, earth, stone, +lumber, or other material for construction purposes. The Company was +granted every alternate section of land as designated by odd numbers +to the amount of five sections per mile, on each side of the road +within the limits of ten miles, not sold, reserved or otherwise +disposed of by the Government, and to which a pre-emption or homestead +claim had not been made up to the time the road was finally located, +mineral lands being excepted. All lands thus granted, not sold or +disposed of three years after the line was completed, were to be sold +by the Government at not to exceed one dollar and twenty-five cents +per acre, the proceeds to accrue to the Railroad Company. Nothing but +American iron was to be used in the rails. As fast as sections of +forty miles were completed and accepted by commissioners appointed by +the Government for that purpose, one thousand dollar bonds of the +United States bearing six per cent. interest, payable in thirty years, +were to be issued to the Company constructing the line. Sixteen +thousand dollars in bonds to the mile for the distance east of the +Rocky Mountains and forty-eight thousand to the mile for one hundred +and fifty miles for the mountain portion of the line. Three-fourths of +these bonds were to be delivered to the railroad Company as the +sections were accepted, the remaining fourth to be retained by the +Government until the entire line was completed. The bonds to +constitute a first mortgage on the entire line equipment, terminals, +etc? The road to be completed within twelve years, the first one +hundred miles within two years. Five per cent. of the net earnings, +together with the entire amount accruing on transportation furnished +the Government was to be applied to the payment of these bonds, +principal and interest. + +The Bill which in reality constituted a Charter, also provided that +the gauge of the road and its eastern terminus should be left to the +President of the United States to determine. + +These somewhat onerous conditions were accepted by the promoters. +Subscription books opened but capital fought shy of the proposition. +Two years solicitation only resulted in subscriptions to the amount of +two million dollars being paid up in cash. + +It being evident that the necessary funds could not be procured on the +terms of the original act, an appeal was made to Congress resulting in +a supplementary act passing the House of Representatives, July 2nd, +1864, and soon thereafter becoming law. This increased the amount of +the Land Grant to the odd numbered sections within ten miles of either +side the track, and made the bonds of the Government a second mortgage +instead of first, they to be issued on sections of twenty miles +instead of forty, two-thirds of the bonds being available as soon as +the grading was done. The limit extended in which the line must be +completed, and but one-half the earnings on Government business +withheld to meet the bonds. The Company was also authorized to +maintain a ferry or ferries across the Missouri River at Omaha as a +means of connection with the Iowa Lines until such time as they could +construct a bridge suitable for this purpose. Coupled with these +favorable amendments were two provisions that eventually militated +against the Company. One of them permitting the Kansas Pacific Railway +to connect with the Union Pacific Railroad at any point its projectors +saw fit at or east of a point fifty miles west of Denver, Colo., +instead of at the hundredth Meridian. This created a competitor +instead of a feeder. The second was allowing the Central Pacific +Railroad Company to build on east one hundred and fifty miles to meet +the road from the East instead of stopping at the California State +line. The restriction to one hundred and fifty miles was withdrawn in +subsequent legislation. This resulted in a race as to which Company +should cover the most ground and involved both of them in much +additional expense. With the Charter thus amended, the Union Pacific +Railroad Company which had not thus far done any real work, commenced +active construction. The Credit Mobilier was formed to do the actual +building, and with many trials, discouragements, and unforeseen +expense, the work was continued to its completion. + +The initial eastern point had been fixed by the Charter two hundred +and forty-seven miles west of Omaha--at the hundredth Meridian, +branches being contemplated to connect it with the Missouri River. In +1866 Congress authorized commencement at Omaha without reference to +this fact,--the line to extend from Omaha to a connection with the +Central Pacific Railroad. + +The question of the gauge or width of track was another matter that +occupied the attention of Congress. The question had by the Charter +been left to the President. There was a divergence of opinions as to +the best gauge for railroad tracks. At this time the Erie, and Ohio +and Mississippi Railroads used a six foot gauge. The California +legislature had fixed five foot as the gauge in that state, while the +principal eastern roads including the Baltimore and Ohio, New York +Central as well as the Chicago and Iowa lines, were what is known as +standard gauge (i. e. four feet, eight and a half inches.) A committee +of Parliament had settled on five feet, three inches as the gauge in +England. President Lincoln had announced himself as in favor of five +foot and the Central Pacific people had ordered their equipment of +that width. The influence of the Chicago-Iowa lines as well as that of +the Union Pacific people, was thrown in favor of the so called +standard gauge, and on March 2nd, 1863, Congress passed what is one of +the shortest laws on the Statute Books, namely, + + "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of + the United States in Congress assembled, that the gauge of + the Pacific Railroad and its branches through its whole + extent from the Pacific Coast to the Missouri River, shall + be and hereby is established at four feet, eight and + one-half inches." + +In 1869 about the time the Credit Mobilier Company was about to turn +the finished road over, disgruntled stock and bondholders under the +leadership of "Jim Fisk" endeavored to wrest possession from the Union +Pacific Railway Company. Certain stock was recorded in his name and +although paid for with a check that was refused by the bank on which +it was drawn, Fisk went into court and secured an injunction +preventing the board of directors acting until his relations with the +Company had been adjudicated by the Courts. Under cover of these legal +proceedings in the state courts, the New York Offices were forcibly +entered, the books and securities of the Company removed and a feeling +of insecurity and uncertainty aroused that caused a serious +depreciation in the value of the securities they were endeavoring to +market. W. M. Tweede being appointed receiver by the State Courts of +such property of the Company as was to be found within its +jurisdiction. It is said the trouble cost the Company some six or +seven million dollars. Appealing to Congress, they were granted +authority to remove its eastern offices from New York City to Boston. +The next appearance in Congress was made necessary by a dispute with +the Central Pacific Company over the point of connection. The Union +Pacific Company claimed their grade extended to Humboldt Wells, five +hundred miles west of Ogden, while the Central Pacific in reprisal +claimed the line to the western end of Weber Canon some thirty miles +east of Ogden. The facts were the two completed lines met at +Promontory Point fifty-three miles west of Ogden, April 28th, 1869. By +act of Congress, it was decided that the Union Pacific Railroad +Company should build the line to Promontory where the two roads should +connect but that the Central Pacific Railroad Company should pay for +and own the line west of Ogden. This was "settled out of Court" and +the action of Congress simply ratified an agreement made by the two +Companies. + +The above covers the more important matters so far as the action of +Congress was concerned. Many other minor matters received attention at +their hands--both before and since the completion of the road. As is +stated in the opening paragraph of this chapter, the Pacific Railroads +have been ever present in Congress. The more important questions being +referred to in their order later. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +_Mostly Financial._ + + +Preliminary Organization--Board of Commissioners--Company +Organized--Directors and Officers Elected--Hoxie Contract--Credit +Mobilier--Ames' Interest--Compromise Contract--Davis Contract--Cost of +Line--Land Grant. + + +When the Pacific Railroad Bill passed Congress and received the +President's signature in 1862, there was a well organized company to +take hold of the western or California end. The Union Pacific or +eastern end was not in such good shape. Thomas C. Durant, who was +afterwards Vice President of the Company had with a few associates +taken a prominent part in the matter but no regular organization +existed. + +Under the Charter there were one hundred and fifty-eight persons +named, who, together with five to be appointed by the Secretary of the +Interior were to constitute a "Board of Commissioners" to effect a +preliminary organization, open books for the subscription of stock and +to call a meeting of the stockholders to elect a board of directors as +soon as two thousand shares had been subscribed and ten dollars per +share paid in. + +When the board of directors had been elected, the property or rather +the proposition was to be turned over to them and the duties of the +Board of Commissioners should cease and terminate. + +The Company thus organized, should follow established precedents, +stockholders should hold annual meetings, elect a board of directors, +and adopt bylaws and rules for the conduct of its affairs. The +directors thus elected to be not less than thirteen in number, two to +be added to their number by appointment of the President of the United +States. The Board of Directors to elect the officers of the company +and exercise supervision. + +The Board of Commissioners met in Chicago in September, 1862, and +organized, electing W. B. Ogden, President and H. V. Poor, Secretary, +as called for in the charter, and subscription books were duly opened. +There was no disposition on the part of moneyed men to subscribe for +the stock and it was only owing to a few public-spirited men coming in +and taking the two thousand shares that the Charter did not lapse. +When the necessary stock had been subscribed, a meeting of the +stockholders was held in New York City, in October, 1863, at which a +Board of Directors were to be elected,--a strange situation confronted +them, there being no man or set of men who were able to assume +control, although there were no lack of cliques who were desirous of +doing so, but these were largely irresponsible parties either lacking +in the necessary capital or not command the confidence of those who +did have it. + +Something had to be done, and accordingly thirty men of more or less +prominence were elected to the position of directors, some of them +without their knowledge and some declined to serve. The Company was +accordingly organized October 30th, 1863. General John A. Dix, who was +elected President, had been a member of the Cabinet and later a +general in the United States Army, was a man who was universally +respected. The position was not of his seeking, and he gave notice he +had neither the time nor inclination to give active attention to its +affairs and the burden was practically assumed by the Vice-President +Elect, Thomas C. Durant. But two hundred and eighteen thousand dollars +the ten dollars per share called for by the Charter on two thousand +one hundred and eighty shares had been paid in and further funds were +not obtainable. Agitation was kept up and due representation made to +Congress, resulting in an amendment to the Charter being passed. After +the passage of the Supplementary Act in 1864 made necessary by the +failure to secure funds, it was still regarded as an unpromising +investment for the reason that investors could not feel any assurance +that they or their friends would have any voice in the management of +affairs or control of the Company. The capital of the Company was +fixed by the supplementary act at one hundred million dollars, (one +million shares at one hundred dollars each), consequently any interest +holding over fifty millions of the stock would be paramount and vice +versa. Until it was determined who would be in control, investors +fought shy. Under the Charter the subscription books must remain open +until the completion of the road, making it possible for outsiders to +wait until the road was near completion and then step in and by large +subscriptions acquire control. + +As there were some funds available, a contract was entered into in +May, 1864, with H. M. Hoxie, to build the first hundred miles. This +contract was extended to cover from Omaha to the hundredth Meridian, +two hundred and forty-seven miles, on October 3rd, 1864, and on the +7th of the same month assigned to a company (simple partnership) +composed of Vice-President Durant and six others, all stockholders of +the Railroad Company. The capital of this partnership consisted of +four hundred thousand dollars (but a small percentage of the amount +necessary to carry out the Hoxie contract). The members of the firm +were unable or else unwilling, owing to the immense personal liability +involved, to put up further funds and some other action was necessary. + +Durant and his friends accordingly purchased the Charter of a +Pennsylvania Corporation of limited liability and elastic powers, +known as the "Pennsylvania Fiscal Agency" changed its name by +legislative enactment to the Credit Mobilier of America. Subscribers +of the two million one hundred and eighty thousand dollars of Union +Pacific Stock were given the option of either exchanging Union Pacific +stock for that of the Credit Mobilier, sell their Union Pacific stock +to the Credit Mobilier, or turn it back to the Union Pacific Railroad +Company and have it redeemed. By this the stockholders of the Credit +Mobilier became the sole holders of the Union Pacific stock. + +The Hoxie contract was reassigned to the Credit Mobilier who duly +completed the work, finishing the line to the point specified October +5th, 1866. Owing to their inability to raise funds, it seemed as +though the two companies, Union Pacific and Credit Mobilier, would +fall down. There was no sale for the First Mortgage bonds of the +railroad, the Government bonds were but little better, being worth but +sixty-five cents on the dollar. Durant and his friends were not men of +wealth nor did they command the confidence of wealthy men. The Company +had become greatly involved and was compelled to sell some of its +rolling stock to pay pressing debts. It was at this junction that +Oakes Ames entered the field, being persuaded, it is said, to do so by +President Lincoln who desired to enlist his well-known executive +ability and capital in the enterprise. Through the efforts of himself +and associates the paid up subscriptions were increased to two and a +half million dollars. + +The original or first contract made with Hoxie for a hundred miles had +been extended to cover up to the hundredth Meridian, and the line to +that point, two hundred and forty-seven miles from Omaha, was +completed October 5th, 1866. + +The second contract made was with a Mr. Boomer for one hundred and +fifty-three and thirty-five hundredths miles from the hundredth +Meridian west, at the rate of nineteen thousand five hundred dollars +per mile for that part of the distance East of the North Platte River +and twenty thousand dollars per mile west thereof. Bridges, station +buildings, and equipment to be additional. This contract was also +assigned to the Credit Mobilier. On this, fifty-eight miles were +completed when dissensions arose, occasioned by financial stringency +among the stockholders of the Credit Mobilier. Vice-President Durant +going into court, compelled suspension of action on the third +contract, made March 1st, 1867, with one J. M. Williams who had +assigned it to the Credit Mobilier. This covered two hundred and +sixty-six and fifty-two hundredths miles, commencing at the hundredth +Meridian at the rate of fifty thousand dollars per mile. For a time +matters were at a standstill, injunctions preventing the completion of +present or the making of new contracts. + +Finally a compromise was affected between the two factions, Durant and +his friends on the one side, and the Ames interests on the other. + +Under this, a fourth contract was made with Oakes Ames for which he +was to receive from forty-two thousand to ninety-six thousand dollars +per mile or forty-seven million nine hundred and fifteen thousand +dollars for six hundred and sixty-seven miles, commencing at the +hundredth Meridian. This it is supposed is the largest contract ever +made by one individual. It was later transferred by Oakes Ames to +seven trustees acting for the Credit Mobilier, he and his brother +Oliver Ames being among the number. This last contract carried the +line to nine hundred and fourteen miles from Omaha. + +The fifth contract was made with J. W. Davis for one hundred and +twenty-two miles at twenty-three million four hundred thousand +dollars, and was in turn assigned to the same seven trustees for +completion. In adjustment of accounts the Union Pacific Railroad +Company would turn over to the Credit Mobilier or the Trustees for the +Credit Mobilier in payment for the work as fast as it was completed +First Mortgage (Union Pacific Railroad) Bonds, Government Bonds, Union +Pacific Railroad Income Bonds and Union Pacific Railroad Stock, these +being sold or hypothecated by the trustees, furnished them the +necessary funds required to pay for the construction work. + +As the Union Pacific Stock could only be sold for cash at par +according to act of Congress, notwithstanding it was only worth thirty +cents on the market, the Railroad Company would give their check to +the Credit Mobilier on construction account and this check could then +be used in payment of stock, making it a cash transaction. + +In settlement of the several contracts, the Union Pacific Railroad +Company paid the Credit Mobilier: + + Hoxie Contract Miles + Omaha to 100th Meridian 247 $12,974,416.24 + Ames Contract + 100th Meridian West 667 57,140,102.94 + Davis Contract + To point five miles west of Ogden 125 23,431,768.10 + ______________ + 1039 $93,546,287.28 + +These figures represent stocks and bonds at par and deducting amount +of depreciation, would bring the actual cost of the Main Line Omaha to +Ogden to about seventy-three million dollars. + +There were issued in payment for this construction, equipment, station +building, and the expense of the Company during the construction +period. + + Government Bonds $ 27,236,512.00 + First Mortgage Bonds 27,213,000.00 + Income Bonds 9,355,000.00 + Land Grant Bonds 9,224,000.00 + Union Pacific Stock 36,000,000.00 + _______________ + $109,028,512.00 + +There were granted to the Union Pacific Railroad Company under its +Charter land grants of eleven million three hundred and nine thousand +eight hundred and forty-four acres. Up to December 31st, 1866, sales +of this land had brought in nineteen million ninety thousand six +hundred and seventy-two dollars and forty-two cents and unsold land +was then valued at two million three hundred and ninety five thousand +five hundred and seven dollars. + +During the palmy days of the Credit Mobilier following the adjustment +of the differences with the Durant faction, thousands of dollars were +spent in advertising and placing the stock. Display advertisements +were inserted in all the prominent newspapers and paid agents located +in all the important cities. The result demonstrated the wisdom of the +expenses, as not only were large quantities of its stock sold but the +prices obtained for it were greatly advanced. + +No sooner was the completion of the road assured than did antagonism +and hostility appear. For instance in 1867 a government inspector +appointed for the purpose of examining and accepting completed +sections of the road, refused to do so, until he received "his fee" +(?) which he put at twenty-five thousand dollars, he being in no way +entitled to anything from the Company. By his refusal he tied up the +issue of the Government bonds, seriously affecting the credit of the +Company at a critical time. + +In Washington the lobbyists were demanding blackmail with threats of +organized hostility. Speculators in Well Street were a unit in bearing +the stock and in attacking the credit of the Company. + +The stock of the Credit Mobilier up to the assignment by Ames to the +seven trustees, had not met with anything like a ready sale. For +reasons of policy, some of this was assigned to members of Congress, +Senators, and other public men. Some being paid for, others had it +carried on their account. After the crisis had passed, the value of +the stock rapidly appreciated and in the forthcoming political +campaign the subornation of Congress in the interest of the Credit +Mobilier by the use of this stock was made an issue and occasioned a +great outcry. The accusation was thoroughly investigated by two +committees during the next session and it was clearly proven to have +been unfounded, so far as members of Congress having received the +stock as bribes, it being demonstrated that the Company had no further +favors to ask from Congress and that the members receiving it had paid +the market value therefor. Notwithstanding, Oakes Ames was called to +the bar of the House and severely censured for having sold it to them. +The facts were, popular clamor demanded a scapegoat and Ames was +selected. This, and the anxiety and strain of the load he had been +carrying proved too much for him and he died May 8th, 1873. After his +death the voice of calumny silenced, his work and character received +the recognition it so well deserved. + +The cost of material used in the construction of the road was +enormous, thus the ties brought from the East ran as high as two +dollars and fifty cents laid down in Omaha. The rails for the first +four hundred and forty miles one hundred and thirty-five dollars per +ton. This was before railroad connection was established between +Council Bluffs and the East. After that the price got down to +ninety-seven dollars and fifty cents per ton. + +The pay of laborers ran from two dollars and twenty-five cents to +three dollars and fifty cents per day. Train men two hundred dollars +per month for conductors, one hundred and twenty-five dollars for +brakemen, two hundred dollars to two hundred and fifty dollars for +engineers, and one hundred and fifty dollars to one hundred and +seventy-five dollars for firemen. Telegraph operators eighty dollars +to a hundred dollars. + +At times the Company (Credit Mobilier) was paying as high as five +hundred thousand dollars per month interest. And in fact it was +claimed by several of the directors that the paramount reason for the +haste displayed in building the road was not so much the competition +with the Central Pacific as it was to get rid of the enormous interest +charges they were paying and which they would cut off upon the road +being accepted by the Government and the consequent receipt of +Government Bonds. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +_Commencement of the work._ + + +Selection of Omaha as Eastern Terminus--Celebration Over Breaking +Ground--Speech, George Francis Train--Commencement of Work--Conditions +October, 1864--Routes Considered. + + +The first move towards the construction of the road was the selection +of an eastern terminus which by the Charter was left to the President +of the United States. This was fixed by President Lincoln on December +2nd, 1863, the official announcement being as follows: "I, Abraham +Lincoln, President of the United States, do upon application of said +Company (The Union Pacific Railroad) designate and establish such +first above named point on the western boundary of the state of Iowa +east of and opposite to the east line of Section Ten in Township +fifteen, north of range thirteen, east of the sixth principal Meridian +in the territory of Nebraska." + +"Done at the city of Washington this 7th day of March in the year of +our Lord 1864. + + Abraham Lincoln." + +Immediately upon receipt of advice as to the President's action on +December 2nd, 1863, the citizens of Omaha regardless of their +connection with the road arranged to break ground for the Union +Pacific Railroad and to properly celebrate the commencement of the +work and especially the selection of their city as the eastern +terminus, which was accordingly done. The spot selected for the +initial point was near the Ferry Landing and not far above where the +Union Pacific shops are now located. This particular spot with the +first mile of track constructed, was long ago swept away by the +Missouri River. + +The ceremonies were commenced by asking the Divine Blessing on the +enterprise in a prayer by the Rev. T. B. Lemon, Pastor of the First +Methodist Church in Omaha. The Reverend Gentleman petitioned that the +road make one the people of the East and West. That it would result in +peopling the waste places of the West; that it might lend security to +those on the frontier, and other similar requests, all of which have +been fulfilled to a degree that is past being coincidental. The first +earth was then removed by Governor Saunders of Nebraska Territory, +Mayor Kennedy of Omaha, George Francis Train and others assisting. +Congratulatory messages were received from different parts of the +country. Speeches were made by A. J. Poppleton and others, the day +being wound up by a banquet in the evening. The speech of the day was +delivered by George Francis Train, then in his heyday, which is so +characteristic of the man and of the ideas then prevalent relative to +the road and the results of its construction as to warrant the +following somewhat lengthy extracts: + +"I have no telegrams to read, no sentiments to recite. The official +business being over and as I happen to be lying around loose in this +part of the country at this particular time, it gives me a chance to +meet some of the live men of Nebraska at the inauguration of the +grandest enterprise under God the world had ever witnessed. + +"America is the stage, the world the audience of today, while one act +of the drama represents the booming of cannon on the Rapidan, the +Cumberland and the Rio Grande, sounding the death knell of rebellion, +the next scene has the booming of cannon on both sides the Missouri to +celebrate the grandest work of peace that ever engaged the energies of +man. The great Pacific Railroad is commenced and if you know the men +who have hold of the enterprise as well as I do, no doubt would arise +as to its speedy completion. + +"Four thousand years ago the Pyramids were started, but they simply +represented the vanity of man. The Chinese wall was grand in +conception, but built to break the tide of invasion. The Suez Canal +was gigantic, but how limited all those things appear in comparison to +this enterprise. + +"Before the first century of our nation's birth we may see in the New +York Depots, some strange Pacific Railroad notices such as, + + 'European passengers for Japan will please take the night + train. Passengers for China this way. African and Asiatic + freight must be distinctly marked For Pekin via San + Francisco.' + +"Ere ten years go by I intend to let the European traveller get a new +sensation by standing on the ridge pole of the American Nation and +sliding off into the sea. + +"One day a dispatch will come in--we have tapped a mountain of copper, +nineteen miles square, later on--we have just opened up another field +of coal--or--we have struck another iron mountain this morning--when +Eureka--a telegram electrifies the speculators in Wall Streets and +gold drops below par--at ten this morning we struck a pick into a +mountain of solid gold. + +"The Pacific Railroad is the nation, and the nation is the Pacific +Railroad. Labor and capital shake hands today. The lion and the lamb +sleep together. Here in the West are the representatives of labor and +in the East are those of capital. The two united make the era of +progress. Steam, Gas, and Electricity are the liberty, fraternity, and +equality of the people. The world is on the rampage. Events are +earthquakes now. + +"Ten millions of emigrants will settle in this golden land in twenty +years." + +Early in 1864 work was begun on the first hundred miles. The actual +work being commenced within the corporate limits of Omaha in February. +About one hundred thousand dollars was spent in grading a due westerly +route out of Omaha. This was abandoned on account of it being so +hilly, and a route south and thence west was adopted. The ties for +this section were cottonwood from the Missouri River bottom lands, +treated with a view of making them last. It was found that the +treatment was not effective and for the balance of the road, hard wood +ties from Michigan, Indiana, and even as far east as Pennsylvania were +used, some of them costing as much as two dollars and fifty cents laid +down in Omaha. + +At this time there was no railroad completed into Omaha from the East. +The Chicago and Northwestern being the first to reach there, and its +first train ran into Council Bluffs on Sunday, January 17th, 1867. +Consequently all supplies, other than those coming to them via the +Missouri River, had to be wagoned from Des Moines, Iowa, one hundred +and thirty-three miles. + +On the Missouri River the Company had in service six large steamboats +carrying supplies and material for construction from Kansas City where +there was railroad connection with the East by way of the Hannibal and +St. Joseph Railroad and the Missouri Pacific Railroad. + +Everything had to be brought in, the country being destitute of even +stone and lumber, involving great expense and delays. While the level +country enabled rapid progress to be made in grading, it was almost +impossible to bring forward the requisite material to keep up with the +graders and track-layers. + +The contract for the first hundred miles had been let May, 1864, to +Hubert M. Hoxie. By its terms he was to receive securities to the face +value of $50,000 per mile. Sidings were to be not less than 6 per +cent. of the main line. Station buildings, water-tanks and equipment +was to be furnished by him to the value of five thousand dollars per +mile. Hoxie before this had been in the employ of the Company in +charge of the Ferry between Omaha and Council Bluffs. In March 1865, +his contract was transferred to the Credit Mobilier Company, which as +has been previously stated, was organized by the promoters and +insiders of the Railroad Company to do the actual construction. +Several experiences with individual contractors had demonstrated that +they could not be relied upon, in fact that it required more in the +way of capital-influence, and omnipresence than any individual could +exert, consequently all original contracts for the construction and +equipping of the line were handled by the Credit Mobilier who +subcontracted it with firms and individuals, they by their close +relations with the Company and financial interests as well as by their +wide ramifications, being able to purchase materials and supplies to +better advantage. + +Everything was still held at war prices, iron, ties, lumber, +provisions, etc., while currency and the Government bonds on which +they were relying, were greatly depreciated in value. Labor was scarce +and only to be had at extravagant figures. + +In the report of one of the Government inspectors, made in 1864, when +the grading had progressed some twenty miles out of Omaha, he stated: +"There are now some two hundred men employed on the work and a like +number of horses and oxen, together with two excavating machines that +are doing the work of many men. It is confidently expected that this +Section (the first forty miles) will be ready to be laid with rails by +June 1st, next." This he regarded as very commendable but as compared +with four years later, when there were nearly twelve thousand men +engaged and track was going down from two to ten miles a day, it seems +anything else but satisfactory. + +A great amount of the preliminary work in the way of reconnoissance, +surveying, and even locating was done under Governmental auspices +previous to 1860, most of it by officers of the army. All of their +reports and surveys were by action of Congress given to the Railroad +Company, thus saving them greatly in time as well as in money. In +addition to the Government surveys the Company investigated and did +more or less surveying before deciding upon the route to be followed +through the Rockies. + +In the report of the Government directors for 1866 they refer to the +following eight routes as having been investigated during the +preceding year by the Company, viz.: + + 1st Via South Platte River and Hoosier Pass. + 2nd Via Platte River and Tarryall Pass. + 3rd Via North Fork of South Platte River. + 4th Via Berthoud Pass. + 5th Via Boulder Pass. + 6th Via Cash le Poudre-Dale Creek and Antelope Pass. + 7th Via Evans Pass. + 8th Via Lodge Pole Creek, Cow Creek, and Evans Pass. + 9th Via Lodge Pole Creek and Cheyenne Pass. + 10th Via Lodge Pole Creek and South Pass. + +The first seven of these routes included Denver en route. Something +that the Company considered essential and which was very reluctantly +abandoned. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +_Progress Made._ + + +Completion of Eleven Miles--Excursion--Officers--Labor +Supply--Ex-Soldiers--Methods Employed--Progress Made--Headquarter +Towns--Rough Times--Competition With Central Pacific for +Territory--Stations--Buildings, Etc. + + +As we saw in our last chapter, ground was broken at Omaha, December +2nd, 1863. This, however, was more in the nature of a jollification on +the part of the citizens of Omaha over the selection of their city as +the eastern terminus of the line,--it being under the auspices of "the +leading citizens," organized and enthused by the irrepressible George +Francis Train. + +Grading was commenced in July, 1864, and track-laying the spring of +1865. The start was not auspicious, the line was originally located +directly west from Omaha, but after one hundred thousand dollars had +been spent, it was abandoned on account of the hills and consequent +heavy grades, and two new lines were surveyed, one to the north and +then west and the other south nearly to Bellevue, Kan., and then west. +This latter was called the "Ox-bow Route" and was finally selected by +the Company, notwithstanding violent opposition on the part of the +people of Omaha, who feared that the Company would cross the Missouri +at Bellevue, thus leaving Omaha out. + +September 25th, 1865, saw eleven miles finished, and in November an +excursion was run from Omaha to the end of the track, fifteen miles. +This was gotten up by Vice-President Durant, who took an engine and +flat car, inviting about twenty gentlemen to go with him on the first +inspection trip to Sailing's Grove. Among the excursionists was +General Sherman who gloried in the undertaking and expressed regret +that at his age he could hardly anticipate living until the completion +of the work. The party was very enthusiastic, and as the narrator +naively puts it "as the commissary was well supplied, the gentlemen +enjoyed themselves." + +For a number of reasons the work dragged. It took one year to complete +the first forty miles. The lack of rail connections east of Omaha +were, previous to January, 1867, when the Chicago and Northwestern +Railroad reached Council Bluffs, a very serious occasion of expense +and delay. The work was new, those in charge were not at that time +experienced, funds were scarce, and the credit of the Company not yet +established, and as a result the average rate of progress during the +first twelve months was but a mile a week. + +The work of construction was in charge of Vice-President and General +Manager, Thomas C. Durant.--The location, General Granville M. Dodge, +Chief Engineer, formerly General of the United States Army and who had +up to this time been in charge of the department. The operation of the +line, forwarding of material and supplies, actual construction, etc., +was in charge of Samuel B. Reed, General Superintendent and Engineer +in charge of Construction. The track laying was done under contract by +"Casement Brothers" (General and Daniel) while Mr. H. M. Hoxie was +ubiquitous with the title of General Western Agent. Colonel Silas +Seymour of New York was Consulting Engineer and Mr. W. Snyder, +Assistant Superintendent and General Freight and Ticket Agent. + +Another of the reasons for the slow progress made up to 1865 was the +scarcity of labor. The surrounding territory had no surplus workmen +and the East had not as yet grasped the idea that the road was +actually under construction. With the disbandment of the armies, both +North and South after the war, this situation was changed for the +better. Large numbers of the ex-soldiers drifted West and were glad to +find steady work at remunerative wages with the construction forces. + +The Secretary of the Interior in his annual report for 1866 stated +that out of fifteen hundred laborers employed on the Pacific Railways, +three hundred were negroes and performed their duties faithfully and +well, and he recommended legislation looking to the employment of more +of the surplus freedmen on the same work. Among the officials,--engineers +and bosses,--there were many who were ex-officers in the army. Thus +the Chief Engineer had been a General, the Consulting Engineer, a +Colonel, the head of the track-laying force, a General. This can best +be explained by quoting from a paper on trans-continental railroads +read by General Dodge, before the Society of the Army of the Tennessee +at Toledo, Ohio, September, 1888. + +"The work was military in character and one is not surprised to find +among the superintendents and others in charge, a liberal sprinkling +of military titles. Surveying parties were always accompanied by a +detachment of soldiers as a protection against Indians. The +construction trains were amply supplied with rifles and other arms and +it was boasted that a gang of track-layers could be transmuted into a +battalion of infantry at any moment. Over half of the men had +shouldered muskets in many a battle." + +The same facts are brought out by the following extract from a +newspaper of that day. + +"The whole organization of the road is semi-military. The men who go +ahead (surveyors and locators) are the advance guard, following them +is the second line (the graders) cutting through the gorges, grading +the road and building the bridges. Then comes the main body of the +army, placing the ties, laying the track, spiking down the rails, +perfecting the alignment, ballasting and dressing up and completing +the road for immediate use. Along the line of the completed road are +construction trains pushing 'to the front' with supplies. The advance +limit of the rails is occupied by a train of long box-cars with bunks +built within them, in which the men sleep at night and take their +meals. Close behind this train come train loads of ties, rails, +spikes, etc., which are thrown off to the side. A light car drawn by a +single horse gallops up, is loaded with this material and then is off +again to the front. Two men grasp the forward end of the rail and +start ahead with it, the rest of the gang taking hold two by two, +until it is clear of the car. At the word of command it is dropped +into place, right side up, during which a similar operation has been +going on with the rail for the other side,--thirty seconds to the rail +for each gang, four rails to the minute. As soon as a car is unloaded, +it is tipped over to permit another to pass it to the front and then +it is righted again and hustled back for another load. + +"Close behind the track-layers comes the gaugers, then the spikers and +bolters. Three strokes to the spike, ten spikes to the rail, four +hundred rails to the mile. Quick work you say,--but the fellows on the +Union Pacific are tremendously in earnest." + +Or as another writer has it, "We witnessed here the fabulous speed +with which the line was built. Through the two or three hundred miles +beyond were scattered ten to fifteen thousand men (?) in great gangs +preparing the road-bed with plows, scrapers, shovels, picks, and +carts, and among the rocks, with drills and powder were doing the +grading as rapidly as men could stand and move with their tools. Long +trains brought up to the end of the track, loads of ties and rails the +former were transferred to teams and sent one or two miles ahead and +put in place on the grade, then spikes and rails were reloaded on +platform cars and pushed up to the last previously laid rail and with +an automatic movement and celerity that was wonderful, practiced hands +dropped the fresh rails one after another on the ties exactly in line. +Hugh sledges sent the spikes home,--the car rolled on and the +operation was repeated; while every few minutes the long heavy train +behind sent out a puff of smoke from its locomotive and caught up with +its load of material the advancing work. The only limit to the +rapidity with which the track could thus be laid was the power of the +road behind to bring forward material." + +The above description applies to the later period of construction, +when the forces had become thoroughly organized and the work +systematized. The following table shows the rate of construction: + + Ground broken at Omaha December 2nd, 1863. + Work commenced at Omaha Spring, 1864. + 11 Miles completed to Gilmore September 25th, 1865. + 40 Miles completed to Valley December 31st, 1865. + 47 Miles completed to Fremont January 24th, 1866. + 50 Miles completed March 13th, 1866. + 100 Miles completed June 2nd, 1866. + 247 Miles completed to the 100th Meridian October 5th, 1866. + 305 Miles completed December 31st, 1866. + 414 Miles completed to Sidney, Wyo. August, 1867. + 516 Miles completed to Cheyenne, Wyo. November 13th, 1867. + 573 Miles completed to Laramie, Wyo. May 9th, 1868. + 745 Miles completed December 31st, 1868. + 1033 Miles completed to Ogden, Utah March 8th, 1869. + 1086 Miles completed: + To Promontory, Utah April 28th, 1869. + Formal connection made May 10, 1869. + Regular train service commenced July 15th, 1869. + Completed according to Judicial decision November 6th, 1869. + +The progress made was daily wired East and published in the principal +newspapers. Thus in the "Chicago Tribune" items such as "One and +nine-tenth miles of track laid yesterday on the Union Pacific +Railroad" appeared in every issue. + +During the construction of the line, headquarters were established at +different points at the front, which were used as a basis of +operations for the construction of the section beyond. These places +enjoyed a temporary boom, some of them like Jonah's Gourd to wither up +and die away, others profiting by the start are today points of +importance. The first of these was North Platte, Nebraska, its +selection being caused by the delay incident to bridging the river. +This was the terminus of the road during the fall of 1866 and up to +June 1867. During this time it was the distributing point for all the +country west. The mixture of railroad laborers, freighters, etc., all +of them with more or less money, inaugurated a rough time and was the +beginning of the wild scenes that attended the construction of the +line. The town during the winter had a population of five thousand and +over a thousand buildings. With the completion of the line to Sidney, +Wyo., in June, 1867, the rough element left and established themselves +at that point, leaving at North Platte about three hundred of the more +sedentary law-abiding class who had determined on that point for their +home. In moving to the front, houses were torn down, loaded on cars to +be taken to the new site and there re-erected. + +When it was known that Cheyenne was to be the terminus for the winter +of 1867-1868, there was a grand hegira of roughs, gamblers, +prostitutes from all along the line and from the East. The population +jumped to six thousand. Dwellings sprang up like mushrooms. They were +of every conceivable character. Some simply holes in the ground roofed +over, known as "dug outs," others of canvas, while some few were of +wood and stone. Town lots were sold at fabulous prices. The only +pastimes were gambling and drinking. Shooting scrapes with "a man for +breakfast" were an every day occurrence, and stealing so common as to +occasion no comment. It is said of old Colonel Murrian, the then Mayor +of Cheyenne, that he advanced the City's script eighteen cents on the +dollar, by inflicting a fine of ten dollars on those who "made a gun +play" i. e. shot at any one,--and that it was his custom to add a +quarter to the fines he inflicted, making them ten dollars and +twenty-five cents or twenty-five dollars and twenty-five cents, with +the explanation that his was dry work and the extra quarter was to +cover the stimulant his arduous duties required. + +Such conditions brought about an uprising on the part of the more +respectable element. Vigilance committees with "Judge Lynch" in +command, took hold and from his Court there was neither appeal, nor +stays. Witnesses were not held to be essential. The toughs were known +and the judgments of the Court generally right. At least the +defendants were not left in a condition to make complaint or appeal. +The Vigilance Committee during the first year of its existence hung +or shot twelve of the desperadoes, and were instrumental in sending as +many more to the Penitentiary. The effect was to compel the tough +element to either leave or abide by the laws and to put the decent +element in control. + +The next headquarters was Benton, Wyo. In two weeks (July 1868) a city +of three thousand inhabitants sprang up as if by the touch of +Aladdin's Lamp. It was laid out in regular squares, divided into five +wards, had a Mayor and Board of Aldermen, a Daily Paper and volume of +ordinances for the City Government. It was the end of the freight and +passenger service and the beginning of the division under +construction. Twice a day, long trains arrived from and departed for +the East, while stages and wagon trains connected it with points in +Idaho, Montana, and Utah. All the passengers and goods for the West, +came here by rail and were re-shipped to their several destinations. + +Twenty-three saloons paid license to the city, while dance halls and +gambling dens were even more numerous. The great institution was the +"Big Tent." This was a frame structure, one hundred feet long and +forty feet wide, floored for dancing, to which and gambling it was +entirely devoted. A visitor to the city thus described it: "One to two +thousand men and a dozen or more women were encamped on the alkali +plain in tents and shanties." Only a small proportion of them had +aught to do with the road or any legitimate occupation. Restaurant and +saloon keepers, gamblers, desperadoes of every grade, the vilest of +men and women made up this "Hell on Wheels" as it was most aptly +termed. Six months later, all that was left to mark the site was a few +rock piles and half destroyed chimneys together with piles of old +cans. The city after a tumultuous existence of only sixty days had +"got up and pulled its freight" to the next headquarters. + +Green River, Bryan, Bear River City, and Wasatch were the headquarters +successively. The first, owing to the railroad having made it the end +of a division and located shops there, has survived; the other three +are but memories. + +At Bear River City, the tough element who had been driven out of the +different points East, congregated in large numbers, proposing to make +a stand, it being supposed it would become a permanent town. The law +abiding element numbered about a thousand, the toughs as many more. +Three thugs were hung for murder, and in a reprisal the town was +attacked on November 19th, 1868, by the tough element. They seized and +burned the jail, then sacked and destroyed the plant of the "Frontier +Index," a printing outfit that followed up the railroad, issuing a +Daily Paper, and which had been particularly outspoken in its +denunciation of the lawless element. They then proceeded to attack +some of the stores, but were met by the townspeople and in the +pitched battle that ensued, badly defeated. They made an undignified +retreat, leaving fifteen of their number dead in the streets. From +this time on the tough element fought shy of the city and with the +extension of the road, its business left. Today there is not a thing +to indicate that a town of four or five thousand had ever stood there. + +The tough element started in to make Rawlins one of the "Hells" but +the decent element had had enough and proceeded to clean up the +town--showing they proposed to stand no foolishness. + +The last of the railroad towns was Wasatch located at the eastern end +of the longest tunnel (770 feet) on the road. In fact it was the delay +occasioned by this work that gave rise to the town. When the line was +put down a temporary track was built around the obstruction so as to +permit the materials for the track beyond to reach the front. This +place originally had a machine shop, round house and eating station +all of which were removed to Evanston in 1870. + +Upon the passage of the supplementary Charter in 1864 the restriction +confining the Central Pacific to the State of California was withdrawn +and they were authorized to build for one hundred and fifty miles east +of the California boundary. This latter restriction was also withdrawn +by Congress in 1866, leaving the meeting point to be determined by the +rapidity of the construction of the respective lines, or as the Act +of Congress put it, they could locate, construct, and continue their +line until it should meet the Union Pacific continuous line. With the +experience of three years behind them and the Land Grant, Government +Bonds and prospective earnings, not to speak of the element of pride +ahead, the two lines entered into a race the like of which had never +been seen. The rivalry extended from the Presidents of the respective +Companies down to the boy who carried water to the graders. Both +forces, justly proud of their achievements, considered themselves a +little better than the other. One form of the rivalry was as to which +outfit could get the greatest amount of track down in one day. The +Union Pacific's forces led off with six miles, soon after the Central +went them a mile better. Then seven and a half miles were put down by +the Union Pacific; the Central Pacific forces not to be outdone +announced they could get down ten miles inside of one working day. +Vice-President Durant offered to wager ten thousand dollars it could +not be done, and the Central Pacific outfit resolved it should be +done. Waiting until there were but fourteen miles for them to lay, +they started in and laid ten miles and two hundred feet from seven +A.M. to seven P.M., using four thousand men in the operation. And then +the Union Pacific outfit was mad. They claimed if they had massed +their forces, made special preparation, etc., they could do better +than their competitors, but they could not prove it for there was no +more track to lay. + +The Central Pacific people ran their grade east of Ogden to Echo +Canon, this when their completed line was only built to the vicinity +of Wadsworth, Nev. The Union Pacific Railroad located their line to +the California State line and had their graders at work as far west as +Humboldt Wells, Nev., four hundred and sixty miles west of Ogden. This +line west of Promontory was never built, however, and it is said that +one million dollars was expended in this way. As it was the Central +Pacific had their grade established some eighty miles east of +Promontory Point, thirty miles east of Ogden, and this when the Union +Pacific were laying their completed track within a mile of and +parallel to their grade. The prize was so great that every nerve was +strained on the part of both contestants as to who should push their +track the further. The advantages were about equal. The Central +Pacific were somewhat nearer their base of supplies, their laborers +were the quiet, orderly, and easily managed Chinese and then they were +in comparatively good financial shape. The Union Pacific, though +farther from their base of supplies, were in railroad communication +with the points of manufacture, their men, while turbulent and hard to +control, were enthusiastic and worth three to one of the opposing +forces. They were well paid, well housed and well fed, and were +handled by men who had as a rule, army experience back of them and +who certainly were "bosses" in the best and fullest sense. During the +winter of 1868-1869 the advantage was with the Central Pacific +Company. Their line across the Sierras was fully protected by snow +sheds and they only met with one week's suspension of business from +snow troubles during the whole winter, while the Union Pacific were +blocked between Cheyenne and Green River for four long months. The +rate of construction grew rapidly. During 1864 there were about two +hundred men employed on the grading and track-laying. While it took +one year to complete the first forty miles, the second year, the year +1865, saw two hundred and sixty five miles done, over a mile a day +working time, and this was exceeded from that on. There were about two +thousand five hundred graders employed in 1867 in addition to four +hundred and fifty track-layers and from this number up, until the +completion of the road. Their forces numbered twelve thousand men and +three thousand teams, while six hundred tons of material were placed +daily during the spring of 1869 when the contest was at its height. +The maximum track laid in one day, was seven and a half miles. As the +line progressed round houses were put up at Omaha, North Platte, +Cheyenne, Laramie, and Ogden, each having twenty stalls, and at Grand +Island, Sidney, Rawlins, Bitter Creek, Medicine Bow and Bryan, of ten +stalls each. These were substantial buildings of brick or stone with +sheet-iron roofs thoroughly fire proof. + +In addition to the large shops at Omaha where much of the building of +equipment was done, repair shops were built at Cheyenne and Laramie. + +Stations were established at an average of fourteen miles apart. The +station buildings were built of wood and of two classes, three-fourths +of them twenty-five by forty feet, the remaining one-fourth thirty-six +by sixty feet. At each station water tanks were erected, surmounted by +wind mills. Sidings three thousand feet long were located at each +station and in some cases at points intermediate fifteen hundred feet +long. In all there was about six per cent of the main line distance in +side tracks. + +To accommodate not only the Public, but their own employees, the +Company put up good sized hotels at North Platte, Cheyenne, Laramie +and Rawlins. + +Eating houses were established at Grand Island, North Platte, Sidney, +Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Bryan (Near Granger long ago passed out of +existence) Wasatch (afterwards removed to Evanston) and Ogden. During +construction days the charge for a meal was a dollar and a quarter, +but with the opening of the road this was reduced to one dollar and +afterwards to the present price seventy-five cents. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +_Indian Troubles during construction._ + + +History of 1864-1865-1866-1867-1868 and 1869--Government Posts +Established--Major North and His Pawnees--Ex-Soldiers Ogallala--Plum +Creek--Sidney--Battle At Julesburg. + + +The country through which the Union Pacific Railroad was built was the +hunting grounds of the Pawnee, Sioux, Arapahoes, Crows, Blackfeet, +Bannock, Snake and Shoshones, the first three on the plains and the +others to the west. These were among the most warlike tribes of the +West, and during the construction of the road they were the occasion +of serious trouble, not to speak of the annoyance and delay as well as +the extra expense occasioned. + +The following summarizes the conditions existing on the plains during +the time the road was under construction. + +During the summer of 1864, the whole line of the Overland Stage from +St. Joseph, Mo., to Salt Lake City, was subject to Indian +depredations, so much so, that Ben Holliday, its proprietor, asked the +Government for five soldiers at each of the stage stations, and two to +accompany each coach. Without these, he stated, he would discontinue +the line. + +The year 1865 was known as "The Bloody Year on the Plains," and its +history is one constant account of attacks, skirmishes, depredations +and murders by the Indians. + +Notwithstanding the Peace Conference at Laramie in May, the year 1866, +was not much better and the relations between the whites and the +Indians were kept at a fighting point, culminating in the massacre by +the Indians at Fort Phil Kearney of eighty-one regular soldiers. + +The year 1867 opened with troubles all along the line. The Government +inspectors reported "Indian depredations have caused serious +embarrassment to the locating, construction and operation of the line. +Constant and persistent attacks have occasioned great delay and +expense." The Government aroused to the dangers of temporizing, pushed +a large number of troops into the field, restored old and built many +new posts. This, together with the ease of communication resulting +from the rapidly extending railroad, had a deterrent effect on the +Indians. + +1868 was a repetition of the preceding year. A Peace Conference at +Fort Laramie called for April was not attended by the Indians until +November. Numerous attacks were made by them on the whites and the +country kept in a turmoil. During the fall there was desperate +fighting and the army assisted by citizens soldiers punished the +Indians as they had never been punished before, resulting in a much +better condition of affairs during 1869 and thereafter. Nearly all the +Indian troubles occurred on the plains and east of Cheyenne. West +thereof, either owing to better organization on the part of the +railroad and military, or else to the intimidation of the tribes, +there was but little annoyance from this source. + +The surveying parties were as a rule accompanied by a small detachment +of regulars and to this fact may be attributed their comparative small +loss of life. While they lost but few of their number, still they were +compelled to work at great disadvantage and frequently brought to a +full stop by the presence of war parties in numbers too great to be +ignored. + +They, the surveying and engineering parties, were not so strong +numerically as the grading outfits and did not have their resources. +The different parties not only were frequently driven in but a number +of them were obliged to fight for their lives. The station Hilldale, +Wyo., perpetuates the name of one engineer, Mr. Hill, who was killed +near this place by the Indians while locating the road. Another victim +of the Indians was Colonel Percy in charge of an engineering party on +the preliminary survey. He was surprised by a party of them +twenty-four miles west of Medicine Bow, Wyo.--retreating to a cabin he +stood them off for three days, at the end of which time they managed +to set fire to the building and when the roof fell in he was compelled +to get out, whereupon he was attacked and killed. This took place near +Hanna Station, Wyo., which was originally called Percy in memory of +the Colonel. + +Realizing the necessity of military to protect the construction +forces, the Government established numerous forts or posts along the +line, viz: + +Fort McPherson, Neb. (originally called Cantonment McKeon, then +Cottonwood Springs Cantonment). Established February, 1866. + +Fort Sedgwick, Colo., about four miles from the town of Julesburg, +Colo. + +Fort Mitchell, near Scotts Bluffs, Neb., a temporary proposition +occupied only during the construction period. + +Fort Morgan, Wyo., not far from Sidney, Wyo., established May, 1865, +abandoned May, 1868. + +Fort D. A. Russell, near Cheyenne, Wyo., established July, 1867, still +occupied as an army post. + +Fort Sanders, Wyo., near Laramie, established June, 1866. + +Fort Fred Steele, fifteen miles east of Rawlins, established June, +1868. + +Fort Halleck, twenty-two miles west of Medicine Bow, abandoned 1866. + +General Sherman had prophesied that the influx of graders, teamsters, +with their following would bring enough whiskey into the country to +kill off all the Indians, and that the only good Indians were the dead +ones. + +One of the most valuable forces during the building of the road was a +battalion of four companies of Pawnee Indians mustered into the United +States' service under the command of Major Frank J. North, January +13th, 1865, this action being taken at the instance of General Custer. +They proved most effective, notwithstanding their somewhat ludicrous +appearance. They were furnished the regular soldiers' uniform which +they were permitted to modify to suit their individual ideas and +taste. As a rule their head dress was the customary Indian one of +feathers. Their arms were the regulation carbine and revolver of the +cavalry to which they added on their own accord, hatchet, knife, +spear, etc., and when fighting was to be done they would strip down to +the buff or rather the copper skin. + +The construction forces at this time were being annoyed by the +Cheyennes and Sioux, both of whom were the bitter foes of the Pawnees. +Fort Kearney was the headquarters of Major North and his Pawnees and +their duty was to protect the construction forces while at work. + +As illustrating conditions existing, the following is of interest: A +large body of Indians appeared on the scene near Julesburg, Major +North and forty of his Pawnees started from Fort Kearney to the scene +of the anticipated trouble. On the way he found the bodies of fourteen +white men who had been killed by the Indians and their bodies +mutilated beyond recognition, their scalps torn off, tongues cut out, +legs and arms hacked off and their bodies full of arrows. On arriving +at Julesburg, he found the place besieged. Falling on the Sioux, he +put the whole band to fight, killing twenty-eight in the transaction. +This party of Indians had but a few days before surprised a party of +fourteen soldiers, killing them all. Soon after this trouble broke out +with the Cheyennes. Major North and a party of twenty of his Pawnees +started to look into the matter, and while out, struck a band of +twelve Cheyennes. Taking after them, the Major was the only one who +could get near them on account of his men's horses being tired out, +but being better mounted, he was able to get within gun shot and +killed one of the Cheyennes. Seeing his Pawnees were some distance in +the rear, the whole party turned on Major North. He shot his horse, +and using its body for a breastwork, fought the whole party, killing +or wounding nine of them and held them at bay until his men were able +to come up. This fight was considered one of the most daring on the +Plains and added greatly to the fame of the Major and his Pawnees. +After the completion of the road, Major North retired, and in company +with W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) went into the cattle business near +North Platte. + +As has been stated, many of the officers and men engaged on the work +were ex-soldiers accustomed to the use of arms. The construction +trains and in fact all of the workers were liberally supplied with +arms, principally rifles, and it was the boast that ten minutes any +time was long enough to transform a gang of graders or track layers +into a battalion of infantry. Every man on the work was armed, and it +was the custom for the graders to carry their guns to and from their +work, keeping them stacked within easy distance while at actual work. + +"The front" was seldom bothered. As a rule there were too many at hand +to make an attack attractive. It was the little detached parties or +single individuals that were most often molested. After the rails were +down, the trains passing to and from the front and the employees at +the isolated stations and most especially the section gangs were in +constant danger. + +Among the first serious experiences was that of a construction train +near Ogallala, Neb. A party of Sioux decided to capture it and compel +it to stop; they massed their ponies on the track, with the result +that there were some twenty or more dead horses, without damage of any +consequence to the train. The trainmen used their guns and pistols to +good advantage, resulting in a number of the Indians being killed. +Later on, one of the Sioux of the party, on being interviewed, said, +"Smoke wagon, big chief, ugh, no good." + +At another time, the Indians succeeded in capturing a freight train +near Plum Creek and held it and its crew in their possession. + +General Dodge, the Chief Engineer, with a number of men, train crew, +discharged men, etc., was running special, returning from the front to +Omaha when the news reached them, and to quote the General's own +words: + +"They (the men on his special train) were all strangers to me. The +excitement of the capture and the reports coming by telegraph brought +all of them to the platform and when I called on them to fall in and +go forward and retake the captured train, every man on the special +went into line and by his position showed he had been a soldier. We +ran down slowly until we came in sight of the train. I gave the order +to deploy as skirmishers, and at the command they went forward as +steadily and in as good order as we had seen the old soldiers climb +the face of the Kennesaw under fire." The train was quickly +recaptured. + +Another incident occurred in the same locality, four miles west of +Plum Creek, in July, 1867. A band of Southern Cheyennes, under Chief +Turkey Leg, took up the rails and ties over a dry ravine. It so +happened that the train was preceded by a hand car with three section +men--encountering the break, the car and men fell into the ravine and +one of their men was captured and scalped. In his agony, he grabbed +his scalp and got away in the darkness as had his two more fortunate +companions. The engineer discovered the break by the light of his +headlight, but not in time to stop his train, and the engine and two +car loads of brick, immediately following it, toppled into the ravine +with the balance of the train, box cars loaded with miscellaneous +freight, piled up and round about. The engineer and fireman were +caught and killed in the wreck. The conductor, discovering the +presence of the savages, ran back and flagged the second section +following, which was backed up to Plum Creek Station. In the morning +the inhabitants of Plum Creek, together with the train crews, sallied +out to give battle with the Indians, but found they had departed. From +the cars, they had thrown out boxes and bales, taking from them +whatever had struck their fancy. Bolts of bright colored flannels and +calicoes had been fastened to their ponies, which streamed in the +wind, or dragged over the prairies. Major North and his Pawnees were +at the front scattered in small detachments between Sidney and +Laramie; within twenty-four hours they arrived on the scene in a +special train. Following the trail, in about ten days they fell upon +the Cheyennes, one hundred and fifty in number, and killed fifteen, +taking two prisoners, one of them the nephew of Turkey Leg, their +chief. + +Another occurrence took place in April, 1868, near Elm Creek Station, +a band of Sioux attacked, killed and scalped a section gang of five, +and on the same day attacked the station of Sidney, coming out on the +bluff above it and firing down on the town. At the time of the attack, +two conductors were fishing in Lodge Pole Creek, a little way below +the station; They were discovered by the Indians, who charged on them +and shot one who fell forward as if killed. The other happened to +have a pistol on his person with which he kept them at a distance +until he reached the station, where he arrived with four arrows +sticking in him and some four or five other bullet and arrow wounds, +none of which proved serious. His companion also recovered. + +Another serious attack was made on a train near Ogallala Station in +September, 1868. The ends of two opposite rails were raised so as to +penetrate the cylinders, the engine going over into the ditch and the +cars piling up on top of it. The fireman was caught in the wreck and +burned to death, the engineer and forward brakeman, riding on the +engine, escaped unhurt. The train crew and passengers being armed, +defended the train, keeping the Indians off until a wrecking train and +crew arrived. Word being sent to Major North, who was at Willow +Island, with one Company of his Pawnees, he came to the scene, +followed the Indians and overtaking them, two were killed, the balance +escaping. The following month the same party attacked a section gang +near Potter Station, driving them in and running off a bunch of twenty +horses and mules. About fifteen of Major North's Pawnees started in +pursuit, overtook and killed two and recovered the greater part of the +stolen stock. + +The great battle of construction days occurred near Julesburg in July, +1869. The regulars, under General Carr, and the Pawnees (one hundred +and fifty); under Major North, had put in two months scouting for +several bands of Cheyennes and Sioux that had been raiding through the +Republican and Solomon Valleys, attacking settlements, burning houses, +killing and scalping men, women and children and raising Cain +generally. They ran them to earth near Summit Springs where they were +encamped. On July 11th, they surprised and attacked the Indians who +were under the leadership of Tall Bull, a noted Cheyenne Chief. One +hundred and sixty warriors were slain, among them Tall Bull. He was +seen as the attack was made, mounted upon his horse with his squaw and +child behind him trying to escape. Being headed off, he rode into a +draw or pocket in the side of a ravine where some fifteen other +warriors had taken refuge. He had been riding on a very fine horse, +this he took to the mouth of the draw and shot. He then sent his squaw +and child out to give themselves up; this they did, the squaw +approaching Major North with hands raised in token of submission. She +then advised the Major there were still seven warriors alive in the +draw, entreating that their lives be spared. As the Indians were +shooting at every man they caught sight of, it was impossible to save +them and they were finally shot down. Among the prisoners taken was a +white woman who had been captured by the Indians on one of their +raids. She had been appropriated by Tall Bull as his squaw, and when +the village had been attacked, he had shot her and left her in his +tepee supposedly dead. Soon after the fight commenced, she was found +by one of the officers who, entering in the lodge, saw her in a +sitting position with blood running down her waist. She was a German, +unable to speak English, and up to this time had supposed the fight +was between Indians. On realizing that white men were in the vicinity +and thinking when he started to leave her, that she was about to be +deserted, she clasped him around his legs and in the most pitiful +manner, begged him by signs and with tears not to leave her to the +savages. After the fight she was taken to Fort Sedgwick where she +recovered, and in a few months afterwards married a soldier whose time +had expired. During the fight the troops captured nearly six hundred +head of horses and mules, together with an immense amount of +miscellaneous plunder, including nineteen hundred dollars in twenty +dollar gold pieces that had been taken from the German woman's father +at the time he had been killed and she captured. Of this sum, nine +hundred dollars was turned over to the woman; six hundred dollars by +the Pawnees, and the balance by the regulars. Had the latter been as +generous as the scouts when the appeal for its restoration was made, +every dollar would have been returned. + +The above incidents are but a few out of thousands that occurred +during the stormy construction days. They illustrate the trials and +dangers encountered by the hardy pioneers. It was not only at "the +front" that trouble was incurred, but after the building had +proceeded, the section men, station employees and train crews were in +constant danger. At the stations, it was a rule to build sod forts +connected by underground passage with the living quarters to which +retreat could be had in case of Indian attacks. For some time small +squads of soldiers were stationed at every station and section house +along the line, being quartered in sod barracks. + +With the completion of the road and the establishment of regular train +service, immigration soon poured in to such an extent as to make the +settlers numerous enough to protect themselves, and it was not long +until "Lo," like the buffalo, was only a memory. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +_The Builders._ + + +Their Material and Methods--Oakes Ames (Financier)--George Francis +Train (Promoter)--John A. Dix (First President)--Thomas C. Durant +(Vice President and President)--Granville M. Dodge (Chief +Engineer)--Subordinate Officials--Casement Brothers, Track-layers, +Mormons--Materials Used--Their Source--Methods. + + +At Sherman Station, the highest point on the Union Pacific Railroad, +stands a monument some sixty feet square and about the same height, +bearing the simple legend, "In Memory of Oakes Ames and Oliver Ames." +This was erected in compliance with a resolution passed at the meeting +of the Company's stockholders held in Boston, March 10th, 1875, which +read as follows, "Resolved that in memory of Oakes Ames and in +recognition of his services in the construction of the Union Pacific +Railroad to which he devoted his means and his best energies with a +courage, fidelity, and integrity unsurpassed in the history of +railroad construction, the directors (of this Company) are requested +to take measure in co-operation with such friends as may desire to +contribute, for the erection at some point in the line of the road, +of a suitable and permanent monument." (By the recent shortening of +the line this monument has been left some three miles away from the +present track. Its removal to Cheyenne Depot Grounds or some other +equally prominent position is under consideration.) + +Oliver Ames was born at North Easton, Mass., January 10th, 1804; he +passed his youth and early manhood assisting his father in the work of +a farmer and later of manufacturing shovels, attending during the +winter a country school. Serving first as apprentice, then foreman, he +was in due time taken into partnership with his father to whose +business he succeeded. + +From twenty thousand dozen shovels turned out in 1845, their output +increased to one hundred and twenty-five thousand dozens in 1870. A +tireless worker dispensing with clerk or bookkeeper, his accounts were +kept in his head. Over six feet in height, weighing over two hundred +pounds, broad shouldered and massive in built. Elected to Congress in +1860 where he was kept until 1872. Becoming associated with the Union +Pacific in 1865, at the time when the enterprise was languishing for +lack of funds and it seemed almost hopeless. His attention was first +directed in that channel by his duties as a member of the House +Committee of Railroads in 1865. He was then a man of considerable +means, recognized as an authority on business matters, and he enjoyed +the confidence of President Lincoln and other prominent men of that +day to a marked degree. In fact, it was at the urgent solicitation of +the President that he undertook the almost hopeless task of +financiering the construction of the road. + +Entering into the undertaking with all of his energy and means, using +his influence and persuasive powers with his fellow capitalists, he +was able to raise by various means, the necessary funds for the +construction of the line. Among others who took stock in the Company +and Credit Mobilier were a number of public men, including +Vice-President Colfax, Speaker James G. Blaine, James A. Garfield, +afterwards President, and others of that ilk. The cry of corruption +and bribery was raised in the campaign of 1872, resulting in +investigation by Congressional Committees and a trial by the House, +which rendered a very remarkable verdict, censuring Mr. Ames for +having induced members of Congress to invest in the stock of a +corporation in which he was interested and whose interests depended on +legislation of Congress--but with the further finding on the part of +the House Committee that no one had been wronged--that the Congressmen +in question had paid him what the stock cost him and no more--that he +had neither offered nor suggested a bribe--that their object in taking +the stock originally was a profitable investment, and at the time no +further action at the hands of Congress was desired. + +Leaving Congress at the end of ten years' service, in 1872; he died +from the effects of pneumonia during May, 1873, universally respected +and esteemed, and the one man above all others who by financiering the +proposition, was entitled to a monument at the hands of the +stockholders of the Union Pacific Railroad. The following remarks made +by him in regard to the road, at a time of apparently hopeless +financial stringency, indicate quite clearly the character of the man +and his views of the work: + +"Go ahead; the work shall not stop if it takes the shovel shop. What +makes me hold on is the faith of you soldiers," referring to the +opinions held by the ex-soldiers employed on the construction. Or +again, when it became evident that either the Ames' or the Railroad +Company would have to go to the wall, "Save the credit of the road--I +will fail." + +George Francis Train may well be considered as the promoter of the +Union Pacific Railroad. In season and out. Before Congressional +Committees, public meetings, or to the unfortunate individual whom he +succeeded in buttonholing "the Union Pacific Railroad," was the +subject of endless oratory. In no small degree was he responsible for +the opinion, "The road should and must be built," that became +prevalent in 1860-1864, and which resulted in the action of Congress +looking to the construction of the line. He was prominent in its +affairs and largely instrumental in the formation of the Credit +Mobilier. + +As to the man himself, he was a genius, if, as a celebrated writer +has said, "Genius is a form of insanity." A contemporaneous writer +(George D. Prentice) thus describes him: + +"A locomotive that has run off the track, turned upside down and its +wheels making a thousand revolutions a minute. A kite in the air +without a tail. A ship without a rudder. A clock without hands. A +sermon that is all text; the incarnation of gab. Handsome, vivacious, +versatile, muscular, neat, clean to the marrow. A judge of the effect +of clothes, frugal in food and regular only in habits. With brains +enough in his head for twenty men all pulling different ways. A man +not bad--a practical joke in earnest." + +Among his many undertakings were the Freeing of Ireland, Candidacy for +the Presidency, Woman's Suffrage, Circumnavigation of the world. As +illustrative of his character the following incident is apropos: While +publishing a newspaper in England he was assessed a small fine, +failing to pay which he was put in jail, where he preached to the +prisoners on the rights of man and attacked the monarchy. The day +following the authorities freed him on the ground that he was +demoralizing the prisoners. Time has dealt lightly with him, and no +one can read of his latter days--his brilliancy all eclipsed--a +recluse except for his love and companionship for children--unmoved. +In his day he was a power and in no small degree did he contribute to +the living monument of great men--The Union Pacific Railroad. + +The first President of the Company, Major General John A. Dix, was +selected for the universal respect in which he was held. Secretary of +the Treasury in 1861, resigning to go as general in the Union Army, he +was the one man who it was felt would command confidence in the early +days of the proposition, when the promoters had not as yet an +opportunity to gain the respect of the financial world or of Congress. +It was understood that he would not be able to devote his entire time +or attention to the proposition, being in the Army at the time of his +election. Still in no small degree did he contribute to its success. +Appointed Minister to France in 1866, his absence from the United +States made necessary his retirement. On his return in 1869, he was +elected Governor of New York; and died greatly honored on April 21st, +1879. + +The man who built the road was Thomas C. Durant. During the whole of +its construction he was the man in control. He was Vice President and +General Manager, with headquarters at Omaha; from the day ground was +broken until the line was finished. He had been connected with several +of the Iowa Lines previous to the commencement of work on the Union +Pacific Railroad, mostly as contractor. As an organizer and director +he was unsurpassed. In all the accounts of matters affecting the Union +Pacific Railroad--hearings before Congress, Opening Ceremonies, +Excursions given, appointment of officials and completion ceremonies, +his name appears. He made enemies as do all strong men, and he also +disagreed with his associates as to the best methods to pursue--still, +he built the road, and after the man who persuaded the public it was +necessary and the one who found the funds, he it is who is entitled to +credit. Mr Durant severed his official connections with the road May +24, 1869, shortly after its completion, remaining, however, its +largest stockholder. + +The surveying and actual work of construction of the Union Pacific was +done under the direction of General Granville M. Dodge. From 1854 to +1860 General Dodge was engaged in preliminary surveys for the Pacific +Railroad, under governmental auspices. Entering the Union Army he +reached the grade of Major General and at the close of the war entered +the service of the Union Pacific Railroad Company as General +Superintendent and Chief Engineer. To his ability and knowledge was +due the location of the line and the rapidity with which the work was +done. The General is still living--is in active service--having, +during the last thirty years been connected with construction of many +of the important railroads of the West, among them the Texas and +Pacific Railway, Missouri, Kansas and Texas, International and Great +Northern and Fort Worth and Denver City. He had been President of the +Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway; St. Louis, Des Moines and Northern +Railway, Fort Worth and Denver City Railway, etc. + +Peter A. Dey was the first engineer of the line, but left in 1864. He +was not able to accept the methods of enormous expenditures the +Company and the Credit Mobilier were adopting and retired on the +ground that the Hoxie contract was made against his recommendation. + +Colonel Silas Seymour was Consulting Engineer of the line during +1865-1866 and 1867, leaving it to enter the service of the Kansas +Pacific Railway. + +H. M. Hoxie was first in charge of Council-Bluffs-Omaha Ferry, then of +the steamboats carrying construction material on the Missouri River, +later Assistant General Superintendent, earning for himself the title +of "The Ubiquitous." He died in 1866, while holding the position of +Vice President and General Manager of the Missouri Pacific Railway. + +S. B. Reed, Superintendent of Construction, was the man who had the +handling of the forces at the front. He it was who ran the +construction trains--fought the Indians and the toughs and bore the +heat and burden of the day. He also made the surveys and located the +line between Salt Lake Valley and Green River. + +P. T. Brown, Assistant Engineer, was in charge of the advance survey +under the direction of General Dodge and also located the line from +the "foot of the Black Hills" to Julesburg. + +James A. Evans was Division Engineer and in that capacity made many of +the profiles, plats and estimates and final surveys. Also made the +final surveys and location between Green River and the foot of the +Black Hills. + +D. B. Warren was Superintendent Utah Division; Colonel Hopper, +Superintendent Laramie Division; L. H. Eicholtz, Engineer of Bridges +and Buildings, and General Ledlie, Bridge Builder. + +Among others to whom credit is due is Brigham Young, the then head +(President) of the Mormon Church, and other prominent Mormons. The +contract for grading from the head of Echo Canon to Ogden, known as +"the hundred mile job," costing two and a half million dollars, was +taken by President Young personally, and by him sublet in part to +Bishop John Sharp and Joseph A. Young, the President's eldest son. +They employed between five and six hundred men and the amount of their +contract was about one million dollars. Other subcontractors were +Apostle John Taylor, George Thatcher, Brigham Young, Jr., etc. +President Young is said to have cleared about eight hundred thousand +dollars out of this contract. East of his section the grading was done +by Joseph F. Nounnan & Company, Gentile bankers of Salt Lake City, who +sublet it to the Mormons. West of President Young's section the +grading was done by Sharp & Young, the same parties mentioned above as +subcontractors under President Young. It was conceded that the Mormons +carried out their contracts not only to the letter, but in the spirit. +Doing some of the best work on the line. + +The track laying proper was done by General J. S. (Jack) Casement and +his brother, D. T. (Dan), with Captain Clayton as their +Superintendent. They had in their employ as high as two thousand men +at one time and worked under a contract that gave them a substantial +bonus for all track laid in excess of two miles a day, as well as made +them allowance for idle time occasioned by their being unable to work +on account of the grade not being ready for them. Thus they were to +receive eight hundred dollars per mile of track laid if two miles or +less was laid in a day. If they laid over two miles in one day they +were to receive twelve hundred dollars per mile, and for time they +were idle waiting for the grade they were to receive three thousand +dollars per day. + +Many other names should be mentioned here and would did space permit, +but will have to be omitted. + +The men who built the Union Pacific Railroad are entitled to great +credit and praise. They made money, much money out of the project, but +they were entitled to it. Their success brought in its train the usual +consequences, they have been accused of almost every crime in the +calendar, assailed by the press, investigated by Congress, and sued by +their less fortunate associates. Their achievement speaks for them +louder than words and they can leave their reputations to history for +vindication. + +The line was originally laid with fifty pound iron from the mills of +Pennsylvania for four hundred and forty miles and with fifty-six +pound iron west of there. As has been mentioned before, the first +section was laid with cottonwood ties of local growth, treated by the +burnettizing process, which was erroneously supposed would prevent +decay. West of there hard wood ties from the East were used, some of +them coming from far away Pennsylvania, and costing the Company two +dollars and fifty cents laid down in Omaha. For the mountain section, +ties of local growth were largely and satisfactorily used. The basis +was twenty-four hundred ties to the mile on the plains, twenty-six +hundred and forty through the mountains, and twenty-five hundred west +of Laramie. + +The lumber for bridges and building came from Minnesota and Wisconsin, +excepting in the far West, where native lumber was used. + +The grading was done to a very large extent by manual labor. It was +before the day of the steam shovel or air drill. Pick and shovel and +wheelbarrow reinforced by teams and scrapers were the means used, +excepting where rock was encountered and then hand drills and black +powder and occasionally nitro-glycerine were relied upon to quarry the +rock which was very much in demand for masonry work. + +The graders worked as much as two hundred miles ahead of the track. +They were housed in tents, and all supplies for their sustenance and +material used by them were necessarily hauled from the several +terminal points. This resulted in the employment of a good sized army +of teamsters and freighters. In the buffalo they had a food that, +while cheap, was of the first order, and the number thus utilized was +away up in the thousands. + +No pretense was made to ballast the track, as the construction work +was done. The ties were laid on the grade with just enough dirt on +them to keep them in place. Speedy construction was considered of the +first importance and then the ballasting could be done much cheaper +after the track was down. + +To a very great extent temporary trestles of timber were used, to be +replaced later by more permanent culverts of stone. In some places +where the piles were thus replaced by masonry, it was necessary to +tear out the stone and put in piles again. The heavy freshets proved +more than the culverts could carry off, and besides the stone work +would wash out much quicker than did piles. + +The bridges were mostly Howe wooden truss uncovered, with stone or +wooden abuttments. Where the span was short, wooden trestles on piles +were used. + +One reason for deferring the masonry work as well as the ballasting +was the inability to handle the necessary supplies. Every engine and +all the equipment were kept in constant use hauling construction +material to the front. + +Notwithstanding what, to the contractor of today, would seem +antiquated and expensive methods, the work progressed and made headway +to an extent that has never since been equalled. It was the immense +army, as high as twelve thousand men at times, that enabled this to be +the case. One-fifth the number of men with modern methods and +labor-saving devices would have been equally efficious. + +The expense of hauling water and supplies for the army of men was +enormous. The statement has been made that this cost more than it did +to do the actual grading. + +The great bugaboo of the day was the question of operating the line +during the winter season, it being the general impression that the +snow fall was so great through the Rocky Mountain region as to render +it impossible to keep the line open. To ascertain the facts in regard +to this as well as to obtain data as to the best method of overcoming +the same, engineers were stationed at points where it was anticipated +there would be trouble. For three winters they were kept in tents and +dug outs to obtain information on this point, and on the spring and +winter freshets which it was anticipated would be a source of great +annoyance. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +_Completion of the Line._ + + +Connection Made Between Union and Central Pacific Railroads May 9th, +1869--Ceremonies at Promontory May 10th, 1869--Celebrations in New +York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Omaha, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. + + +By the terms of the supplementary Charter of 1864, a great incentive +was given the two Companies, the Union Pacific Railroad and the +Central Pacific Railroad to get down as great a mileage as possible. +In addition to the Government grant of Land and Bonds based on +mileage, there was the traffic of the Mormon country and Salt Lake +City at stake. Besides this, it was readily seen that the line having +the greatest haul would be correspondingly benefitted when it came to +subdividing earnings on trans-continental business. With these for +incentive, both Companies put forth every effort to cover the ground. +In the early part of 1869, rails of each Company were going down from +six to ten miles a day. Records in track-laying were made then that +have never been broken. Near Promontory a sign is still standing to +announce "Ten miles of track laid in one day." Actual figures are not +obtainable, but reliable contemporaries at that time stated there were +twenty-five thousand men employed on the construction work of the two +lines, as well as six thousand teams and two hundred construction +trains. Both Companies were anxious to establish point of advantage +that they could use in the controversy that was inevitable and which +would determine the mileage and territory each was to enjoy. On April +29th, nine and a half miles remained unfinished. Three and a half for +the Central Pacific Railroad, they having laid ten miles the day +before, and six miles for the Union Pacific Railroad, the latter being +the ascent of Promontory Hill and including a stiff bit of rock work. +When the two tracks came together, the Central Pacific Railroad had +nearly sixty miles of grading done parallel to the Union Pacific +Railroad track--that is from Promontory east to the mouth of Weber +Canon, while the Union Pacific Railroad had located their line to the +California State line and most of the grading was done as far west as +Humboldt Wells, Nev., four hundred and fifty miles from Ogden. + +As stated the two tracks were brought together at Promontory on May +9th, 1869, but two rail lengths were kept open until the questions at +issue were adjusted and also until a suitable program could be +arranged for celebrating the event. Everything satisfactorily +arranged, Monday, the 10th of May, 1869, was set for the ceremonies. + +The Central Pacific Railroad completed their track up to Promontory +May 1st. It was the intention to have the opening ceremonies on +Saturday, May 8th, and the Central Pacific officials were on hand for +that purpose. The Union Pacific party coming west were delayed some +forty-eight hours at Piedmont by a gang of graders and track-layers, +who not having received their wages side tracked the special train +with Vice-President Durant and his party, holding them as hostages +until the Company had paid over to the contractor some two hundred and +fifty thousand dollars due him and which he in turn distributed among +his men. + +As early as 8:00 A.M. on the 10th, the spectators, mostly workmen of +the respective companies, or other citizens of the railway camps +commenced to arrive. At 8:45 a special over the Central Pacific +Railroad came in with a large number of passengers. At 9:00 the Union +Pacific Railroad contingent arrived in two trains and at 11:00 the +Central Pacific Railroad's second train, carrying President Stanford +and other officers of that Company, and their guests completing the +party. In all there were about eleven hundred persons present, +including a detachment of the 21st United States Infantry, and its +band from Fort Douglass, Utah. + +The Chinese laborers of the Central Pacific Railroad soon leveled the +gap preparatory to putting down the ties and all but one rail length +was finished. Then Engines Number 119 of the Union Pacific Railroad +and No. 60 the "Jupiter" of the Central Pacific Railroad were brought +up to either side of the gap. These engines were gaily decorated with +flags and evergreens in honor of the occasion. A suitable prayer was +offered by Rev. Dr. Todd, of Pittsfield, Mass. The remaining ties were +then laid, the last one being of California Laurel finely polished and +ornamented with a silver plate bearing the inscription "The last tie +laid on the Pacific Railroad, May 10th, 1869", with the names of the +directors of the Central Pacific Railroad and that of the donor. This +tie was put in position by Superintendents Reed of the Union Pacific +Railroad and Strawbridge of the Central Pacific Railroad, and was +taken up after the ceremonies and has since that time been on +exhibition in the Superintendent's office of the Southern Pacific +Company at Sacramento, (Cal.) Depot. + +For the closing act, California presented a spike of gold; Nevada one +of silver; Arizona one of combined iron, gold and silver; and the +Pacific Union Express Company, a silver maul. At twelve noon at a +given signal, Governor Stanford on the South side of the rail and +Vice-President Durant on the north, struck the spikes driving them +home. + +The two engines were then moved up until they touched and a bottle of +wine poured over the last rail as a libation. The trains of the +respective roads were then run over the connecting link and back to +their own lines. Speeches and a banquet closed the occasion. + +In the Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento hangs a large oil painting of +the meeting of the two engines. The artist having inserted actual +portraits of many of the more prominent officials of the two lines who +participated in the ceremonies. + +By previous arrangement, the strokes on the final spikes were to be +signaled over all the wires of the several telegraph companies through +the United States, business being suspended for this purpose. First +the message was sent over the wires "Almost ready. Hats off; prayer is +being offered." Then "We have got done praying; the spike is about to +be presented." Seven minutes later "All ready now; the spike will soon +be driven." The signal will be three dots for the commencement of the +blows. Connection being made between the hammers and the wires, the +blows on the spikes were flashed over practically the whole telegraph +system of the United States. At 2:47 P.M. Washington time, 12 M. +Promontory local time, came the signal "Done" and the bells of +Washington, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and hundreds of other +cities and towns announced that the American continent had been +spanned, that through rail communication was established, never to be +broken, that the Union Pacific Railroad was completed. + +The formal announcement to President Grant and through the Press +Associations to every inhabitant of the civilized world, was couched +in the following language: + + Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10th, 1869. + +"The last rail is laid, the last spike driven. The Pacific Railroad is +completed. The point of junction is ten hundred and eighty-six miles +west of the Missouri River and six hundred and ninety miles east of +Sacramento City." + + Leland Stanford, Central Pacific Railroad. + T. C. Durant, + Sidney Dillon, + John Duff, Union Pacific Railroad. + +No sooner were the ceremonies complete than there was a rush made to +obtain souvenirs. In ignorance of the fact that the "Last Tie" had +been taken up and an ordinary one substituted, the relic hunters +carried off the substitute piecemeal. In fact some half dozen "last +ties" were so taken in the first six months after the roads were +completed. + +An odd coincidence occurred at the closing ceremonies. The rail on the +east was brought forward by the Union Pacific laborers--Europeans, +that on the west by Chinese, both gangs having Americans as bosses. +Consequently here were Europe, Asia, and America joining in the work, +the Americans dominating. + +Next morning the Union Pacific Railroad brought in from the East half +a dozen passenger coaches for the Central Pacific Railroad, these +being attached to the special train of Governor Stanford when he was +returning to California, constituting the first through equipment. + +All over the land the different cities vied with one another in +celebrating the event--which it was truly felt marked the beginning of +a new epoch in the history of the United States. + +New York City celebrated with the "Te Deum" being sung in "Trinity," +the chimes ringing out "Old Hundred" (Praise God from whom all +blessings flow), and a salute of a hundred guns fired by order of the +Mayor. + +Philadelphia rang "Liberty Bell" and all fire alarm bells. + +Chicago had a parade four miles long, the City being lavishly +decorated, and Vice-President Colfax speaking in the evening. + +Omaha had the biggest day in its history: a hundred guns when the news +came. A procession embracing every able-bodied man in the town, in the +afternoon. Speeches, pyrotechnics, and illuminations in the evening. + +At Salt Lake the Mormons and Gentiles held a love feast in the +Tabernacle and decided to build a few railroads for themselves. + +San Francisco could not wait until the 10th. They started the evening +of the 8th, when it was announced at the theaters the two roads had +met, and it took two good solid days of celebrating to satisfy the +people of that town. + +It was rightly felt that the completion of the line was an event in +the history of our country. It marked the progress of the West, united +the Pacific Coast population with that of the East. It was the +commencement of the end of the Indian troubles--assured the settlement +of the West, and the development of its mines and other resources. + +There has been but three general celebrations held in this country +over works of public improvement viz: the Erie Canal, Atlantic Cable, +and the Pacific Railroad. Of the three the latter was by far the more +general. + +The Poem by Bret Harte on this event is reproduced below: + + What the Engines Said. + + What was it the engines said, + Pilots touching head to head. + Facing on the single track, + Half a world behind each back. + This is what the engines said, + Unreported and unread. + + With a prefatory screech, + In a florid Western speech, + Said the engine from the West, + "I am from Sierra's crest, + And if Altitudes' a test, + Why I reckon its confessed, + That I've done my level best." + "Said the engine from the East, + They who work best, talk the least, + Suppose you whistle down your brakes, + What you're done is no great shakes. + Pretty fair, but let our meeting, + Be a different kind of greeting, + Let these folks with champagne stuffing, + Not the engines do the puffing. + + "Listen where Atlanta beats, + Shores of-snow and summer heats. + Where the Indian Autumn skies + Paint the woods with wampum dyes. + I have chased the flying sun, + Seeing all that he looked upon, + Blessing all that he blest. + Nursing in my iron-breast; + All his vivifying heat. + All his clouds about my crest + And before my flying feet + Every shadow must retreat." + + Said the Western Engine, "phew!" + And a long whistle blew, + "Come now, really that's the oddest + Talk for one so modest. + You brag of your East, you do, + Why, I bring the East to you. + All the Orient, all Cathay + Find me through the shortest way + And the sun you follow here + Rises in my hemisphere. + Really if one must be rude, + Length, my friend, ain't longitude." + + Said the Union, "don't reflect, or + I'll run over some director," + Said the Central, "I'm Pacific + But when riled, I'm quite terrific, + Yet today we shall not quarrel + Just to show these folks this moral + How two engines In their vision + Once have met without collision." + That is what the engines said; + Unreported and unread, + Spoken slightly through the nose + With a whistle at the close.' + +The first through train reached Omaha May 6th, arriving in two +sections and bringing about five hundred passengers. + +Although through trains were on regular schedule commencing with May +11th, it was not until November 6th, 1869, that the road was actually +completed (according to Judicial decision.) Congress to make sure of +the fact, authorized the President by resolution passed April 10th, +1869, to appoint a board of five "eminent" citizens to examine and +report on the condition of the road and what would be required to +bring it up to first class condition. This board duly reported in +October, 1869, that the line was all right, but that a million and a +half could be spent to advantage in ballasting, terminal facilities, +depots, equipment, etc. On the strength of which the wise-acres +decided the road could not be considered complete and withheld a +million dollars worth of bonds due under the charter act. It was +October 1st, 1874, before the fact that the line was actually +completed sifted through departmental red tape, and the Secretary of +Interior on the further report of "three eminent citizens" discovered +that the road had been completed November 6th, 1869 as reported by the +previous board of five, and further that the total cost of the line +had been one hundred and fifteen million, two hundred and fourteen +thousand, five hundred and eighty-seven dollars and seventy-nine +cents, as shown by the books of the Company. + +For a while business was interchanged at Promontory, but it was but a +short time until the two Companies got together and an agreement was +reached by which Ogden should be the terminus, and that the Central +Pacific Railroad Company should purchase at cost price two million, +six hundred and ninety-eight thousand, six hundred and twenty dollars +the line from a point five miles west of Ogden to the connection at +Promontory. This five miles was subsequently sold to the Central +Pacific Railroad. This arrangement was as the West puts it "clinched" +by a Resolution of Congress, making Ogden the terminus. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +_The Kansas Division (Kansas Pacific Railway.)_ + + +Conflicting Interest on Location--Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western +Chartered By Kansas--Plans to Connect With the Union Pacific at the +Hundredth Meridian--Supplementary Charter 1864--San Diego Or +Denver--Construction Work--Indian Troubles--Receiverships--Consolidation +With the Union Pacific. + + +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. + +The Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad Company had been +incorporated by the legislature of the state of Kansas in 1855, and +was organized in January, 1857, but nothing was done of any +consequence under its state Charter. The Company was re-organized +June, 1863, and changed its name to harmonize with the Act of Congress +to "Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division." Under its state Charter +it was to have extended from Leavenworth, Kan., on the East to Pawnee, +Kan. (Fort Riley) on the West, with the privilege of building on west +to the Kansas State line,--the state charter not permitting work +outside of the Kansas boundaries. + +Ground was broken on the line at Wyandotte, Kan., the state line +between Kansas and Missouri, in August, 1863. Active grading commenced +at Wyandotte, September 1st, 1863. The contract for the construction +was first let by the Leavenworth, Pawnee, and Western Railroad Company +to Ross, Steele and Company, but before they got down to actual work +the Company had been re-organized as the Union Pacific Railway, +Eastern Division, and had changed hands. The work was begun by Samuel +Hallett who had been very prominent in promoting the latter Company, +the contract being in the name of Hallett and Fremont. The Fremont +being the erstwhile candidate for the Presidency of the United States. +He is best known today as "The Pathfinder," from his several exploring +expeditions between the Mississippi Valley and the Pacific Ocean. +Fremont had been identified with the idea of a railroad to the Pacific +in the interest of St. Louis, Mo. He, however, did not continue as one +of the contractors but withdrew. It was a time of bitter feeling over +the Slavery Question. Missouri was "Pro Slavery," Kansas "Free Soil." +Hallett inaugurated his work by planting a post inscribed on the +Missouri side "Slavery," and on the Kansas side "Freedom." Mr. Hallett +was assassinated on the streets of Wyandotte, July 27th, 1864. An +employee named Talbot had surreptitiously written the Secretary of the +Interior in regard to the work not being up to requirements, more +especially that the buildings were simply makeshifts put up to evade +the law, etc. Through this and other complaints the Government refused +to accept the first section of forty miles and withheld the bonds and +land grants that Congress had granted. Hallett on his trips to +Washington became aware of Talbot's action, and on his return called +him to task with the result that Talbot shot him from a doorway as he +was returning to his work from his midday lunch. After Hallett's death +the work passed into the hands of St. Louis parties with John D. Perry +as Director. + +Under the Supplementary Pacific Railroad Bill of 1864, the conditions +as far as the Union Pacific Railroad--Eastern Division as it was then +called, were materially improved. It was authorized to connect with +the Union Pacific Railroad at any point deemed desirable, but no more +bonds or land grants were to be given than if connection were made as +originally contemplated at the hundredth Meridian. It was also given +the option of building from the mouth of the Kansas River to +Leavenworth thence west, or of building directly west with a branch +from Leavenworth connecting with the main line at Lawrence, but in the +latter case no bonds or land grant would be given account the branch +line mileage. Another feature of the Bill was permission to build on +west to a connection with the Central Pacific Railroad, provided when +it, the Union Pacific Railroad--Eastern Division reached the hundredth +Meridian, the Union Pacific Railroad proper was not proceeding with +the construction of its line in good faith. The Company under the +discretion granted them elected to abandon the junction with the Union +Pacific Railroad at the hundredth Meridian and to build directly West. +The Company proceeded to explore the country South and West in search +of a practicable route to the Pacific, which being found they then +went further and had the several routes thoroughly surveyed. In their +investigations they had four thousand four hundred and sixty-four +miles chained and leveled. The most extensive survey on record. + +Careful surveys demonstrated that the distance to the point of +connection with the Union Pacific Railroad would have been three +hundred and ninety-four miles from Kansas City, and this much of the +line--Kansas City to Pond Creek, Kan.--was bonded-aided and land +grant, the Government aid amounting to six million three hundred and +two thousand dollars. + +The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad reached St. Joseph, February, +1859, Kansas City, soon afterwards. The Missouri Pacific Railway +reached Kansas City, October 1865. Owing to the fact that there were +these railroad connections between the East and the eastern terminal +of the line the work of construction was greatly facilitated and the +expense of building the line greatly reduced. + +The headway made was slow at first. The work was new to the officers +in charge as well as to the men. The following table shows the +progress made: + + Sept. 1, 1863 commenced work at State Line (Wyandotte, Kan.) + Nov. 28, 1864 reached Lawrence--40 miles. + Oct. 30, 1865 first 40 miles accepted by the Government. + Dec. 15, 1865 50 miles done. + Aug. 18, 1866 reached Manhattan--118 miles. + Oct. 7, 1866 reached Pawnee (Fort Riley) 135 miles. + Jan. 7, 1867 to Mile Post 155. + April 8, 1867 to Mile Post 181. + Oct. 15, 1867 to Mile Post 335. + Fall 1867 to Mile Post 405 (Phil Sheridan.) + Mar. 24, 1870 reached Kit Carson--487 miles. + Aug. 15, 1870 completed into Denver. + +The difference in altitude between Kansas City and the western +boundary of Kansas is some twenty-seven hundred feet and is thus +distributed--six hundred feet the first two hundred miles, seven +hundred and sixty-nine feet in the next hundred miles, and thirteen +hundred and twenty thence to the Kansas line. + +The original intention had been to follow the Republican River, but +this was changed and the "Smoky Hill Route" from Junction City, Kan., +west adopted. When the road reached Monument, three hundred and +eighty-six miles from Kansas City, dissensions arose among the +stockholders. One faction was for building to San Diego on the Pacific +Coast via New Mexico and Arizona, another was for building to Pueblo +and up the Arkansas River, while the third and successful one was for +pushing straight ahead to Denver and from there to a connection with +the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad,--the idea being to secure +for St. Louis a portion of the trans-continental business and the line +the carrying thereof. + +The line was built under contract by the following firms: Hallett and +Fremont--Wyandotte to Lawrence, Kan., thirty-nine miles. Ira M. +Schoemaker and Company--Lawrence to Mile Post one hundred and forty--a +distance of one hundred miles. Schoemaker and Miller--Mile Post one +hundred 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 elected President, Mr. Adolph Meier of the same place +Vice-President, and among the directors was Thomas A. Scott, of +Philadelphia, (afterwards President of the Pennsylvania Railroad.) + +In 1864 the population of the State of Kansas was one hundred and +thirty-five thousand eight hundred and seven and in 1870 when the line +was completed three hundred and sixty-four thousand three hundred and +ninety-nine. This marvelous increase was due in no small degree to the +construction of this line and the facilities it provided for the +settlers to reach the cheap land in the interior of the state as well +as the security it gave them against Indian depredations. Stage Lines +between the Missouri River points and Denver had been running between +St. Joseph, Atchison, and Omaha for several years, but after the line +was built some distance the route was changed and connection was made +between the end of the track and Denver by the Holliday Overland Mail. + +Much trouble was caused by the Indians during the construction, even +more than was encountered: on the Union Pacific Railroad. To this +cause in no small degree were the delays of 1868 and 1869 +attributable. It was necessary not only to arm the engineer corps, +but also the graders, the Government issuing arms and ammunition for +that purpose. Military escorts and guards were furnished by the Army +to the Railroad men, both on the grade or ahead surveying. For the +better protection of the road and construction forces Army Posts or +Forts proper were maintained as follows: + + Fort Riley Mile Post 140 + Fort Harker Mile Post 230 + Fort Hays Mile Post 300 + Fort Wallace Mile Post 412 + +It was the Cheyennes, Arapahoes, Sioux, and the Utes who made the +trouble. + +In March 1869, the Company was authorized by special act of Congress +to assume the name of the Kansas Pacific Railway Company instead of +the Union Pacific Railroad (Eastern Division.) A witty epigram on this +change that went the rounds of the papers at the time read as follows: + + The Union Pacific's about to apply + For a change In Its name and no wonder; + Tis as warlike as Jove that great God of the skies, + And Pacific about as his thunder. + And talking of this, it is strange as it goes + Through perpetual snows in some quarters, + This railroad should be in the midst of its foes + Perpetually in hot water. + +While those in authority had decided to push through to Denver, the +idea of building through to San Diego was not abandoned, and in 1872 a +branch line was commenced at Kit Carson destined to Pueblo and thence +South along the Rampart Range to New Mexico and thence to the coast. +This line was completed nearly due south to Fort Lyon and some twenty +miles of grading done between Fort Lyon and Pueblo. Financial +stringency together with the building of the Atchison, Topeka and +Santa Fe into the same territory resulted in the abandonment of these +plans and eventually the track from Kit Carson to Lyons was taken up +under the following circumstances. + +The owners of the Central Branch (Union Pacific), R. M. Pomeroy of +Boston and associates, were pushing the construction of this line +westwardly and announced their intention of building to Denver, thus +making a competitor for the Kansas Pacific Railway. Mr. Jay Gould who +at that time (1879) was the principal owner of the latter line, while +out on an inspection trip over the line instructed his General +Manager, "Sill Smith" Mr. Sylvester T. Smith to build into their +territory and parallel them. Out of this grew the Junction City and +Fort Kearney Railway (now a part of the Union Pacific Railroad). Smith +was unable to buy sufficient rails to build and accordingly took up +those on the branch of the Kansas Pacific Railway, Kit Carson to +Lyons, i. e. the Arkansas Valley Railroad and re-laid them on the +Junction City Line. Some of the Arkansas Valley Railway bonds were +owned in Holland and a representative of the Dutch happened along on +an investigating tour, but was unable to find any road. The matter +soon got into Court and an effort was made to locate who was +responsible for the tearing up of the Arkansas Valley Railway. Finally +General Manager Smith was put on the stand and frankly acknowledged +what he had done--and that he had no orders from President, Directors, +or any one. The question was then asked who ordered you to build the +Junction City and Fort Kearney Railway and the answer was Jay Gould; +and who is he, for at that time he was not the well-known man he +afterwards became. At this point Judge Dillon obtained permission to +interrupt the proceedings with a query as in whose behalf all this +investigating was being done. The holders of the bonds was the +reply--then that must be myself, for said he, I have here in my hands +all of the bonds in question. Mr. Gould had quietly bought in the +bonds while the matter was in the Courts, bringing the inquiry to an +end. + +The line cost for its six hundred and seventy-three miles, Kansas City +to Denver, and branch, Leavenworth to Lawrence, thirty-six million +seven hundred and forty-seven thousand three hundred dollars, or about +fifty-two thousand dollars per mile. + +In 1873 the road was unable to meet its obligations and was placed in +the hands of C. S. Greeley and Henry Villard, Receivers,--a majority +of its stock passing into the hands of interests friendly to Mr. Jay +Gould about 1877. Complaint was made that Villard and Greeley were +not the proper men to act as receivers, that they were antagonistic to +the owners of the bonds--lacking practical knowledge, etc. The matter +finally reached the Supreme Court of the United States who in +remanding it back to the District Court ordered their removal and the +appointment of one man and he a practical railroad man as receiver in +their stead. Under this order, in 1879, Sylvester T. Smith who had +been connected with the road in various capacities, including that of +General Manager, was appointed receiver. + +In 1879 the Company was re-organized and in January 1880 consolidated +with the Union Pacific Railroad under the name of the Union Pacific +Railway Company, the holders of Kansas Pacific Railway stock being +given share for share in the new consolidated Company. + +The basis of the consolidation being + + Miles Capital Stock Funded Debt. + + Union Pacific Railroad 1,042 $36,762,300.00 $78,508,350.65 + Kansas Pacific Railway 675 10,000,000.00 30,567,282.78 + Denver Pacific Railroad 106 4,000,000.00 581,000.00 + ----- ------------- -------------- + 1,823 50,762,300.00 109,656,633.43 + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +_The Denver-Cheyenne Line (Denver Pacific Railroad.)_ + + +Proposition for Pacific Railroad to Reach Denver--Cheyenne Route +Selected--Branch Line Proposed--Denver Pacific Incorporated and +Built--Pro-Rata Controversy--Operated By Kansas Pacific--Consolidation +With the Union Pacific. + + +In the original plan for the Union Pacific Railroad it was the +intention that the line would run through Denver and from there +directly West across the mountains to Salt Lake. When the line was +finally located it passed through Cheyenne, leaving Denver some one +hundred miles to the South, the reasons for this being the much +shorter distance via Cheyenne as well as the decidedly better +gradients that were possible via South Pass Route as against the +routes via Denver and Berthoud or Evans Passes. The Denver Route was +only given up after repeated efforts had been made to find a +satisfactory line that way. + +The City of Denver had for some time past been encountering a streak +of hard luck--Failure of some of its most promising mines in +1861--Division of the Citizens over the Civil War in 1862 and +1863--Fire and Flood followed by the Indian War on the plains in 1864 +cutting off communication with the East--then the grasshoppers plague +with the diversion of the Pacific Railway. Vice President Durant had +made the remark "it's too dead to bury," and this it was that spurred +its citizens up. + +In 1867 the Authorities of the Union Pacific Railroad offered to build +a branch from some point on their main line to Denver, provided the +citizens of that place would pay for the grading of the line and +furnish right of way and grounds for terminal. The citizens of Denver +were sore at being left to one side on the great overland route and +gave the proposition but a luke-warm reception. It is true, County +Commissioners of Arapahoe County, in which Denver is located, ordered +an election in August, 1867, to vote on the proposition of issuing two +hundred thousand dollars in bonds in favor of such a branch line. The +election resulted in an overwhelming majority in favor of it, eleven +hundred and sixty for to one hundred and fifty-seven against. The +County Commissioners in their negotiations with the Union Pacific +people coupled with the proposition certain conditions as to the route +which the branch line should follow, which not being satisfactory to +the Railroad people, they refused to accept the bonds on the +conditions required. + +On November 13th, 1867, George Francis Train addressed a public +meeting at Denver on the subject of a connection between Denver and +the Union Pacific Railroad and as a result the Denver Pacific Railway +and Telegraph Company was organized five days later. On the day +following the organization the directors met and elected Bela M. +Hughes President, D. H. Moffat, Treasurer, and F. M. Case, Chief +Engineer,--one fourth of the necessary funds being subscribed. An +arrangement was made with the Union Pacific Railroad Company by the +terms of which that Company was to complete the road as soon as it was +ready for the rails. In other words the road was to be located, +graded, and tied by the Denver Pacific Company, and ironed and +equipped by the Union Pacific Railroad Company. + +In connection with the Denver Pacific proposition an application was +made to Congress for a land grant to assist in the construction of the +road, but before this was acted upon the Kansas Pacific Railroad +Company had agreed to transfer the land grant which they had been +given by Congress so far as it applied to their proposed line from +Denver North, and the application of the Denver Pacific Railroad to +Congress was consequently changed to one for bonds. This was granted +in 1869 to the amount of twenty-four thousand dollars per mile, or two +and a half million dollars in all. + +The grading was commenced May 18th, 1868, and the same fall was +completed to Cheyenne, one hundred and six miles. Owing to the delay +of Congress in acting on the bond proposition as well as on account of +the financial stringency the Union Pacific Railroad Company was then +encountering, the latter was not able to carry out its contract in +regard to the completion of the Denver Pacific Railroad, and the +arrangement was accordingly cancelled. An arrangement was then entered +into with the Kansas Pacific Railway by which the latter Company took +a certain amount of stock in the Denver Pacific Railroad and proceeded +with its construction, completing the line between Cheyenne and Denver +on June 22nd, 1870. + +There was great rejoicing over the event. The last spike,--one of +solid silver contributed by the miners of Georgetown, Colo.,--was +driven by Governor Evans of Colorado. + +The first engine to enter Denver was the first engine that the Union +Pacific Railroad owned. It had been the first to enter Cheyenne, also +the first into Ogden. + +In 1872 the road passed into the control of the Kansas Pacific Railway +Company by purchase who operated it until the consolidation of both +lines with the Union Pacific Railroad Company in 1880. + +The Kansas Pacific Railway was completed into Denver in August 1870, +and immediately embarked in the through trans-continental traffic from +Kansas City and points east thereof, via Denver and the Denver +Pacific Railroad. This was, of course, in competition with the Main +Line of the Union Pacific Railroad who in accepting business at +Cheyenne were losing the haul from Omaha to that point. The Kansas +Pacific Railway and the Denver Pacific Railroad people were insistent +and with no little degree of correctness that under the original +Charter the Union Pacific Railroad was compelled to accept business +from all connections,--but the terms thereof were not fixed and +instead of accepting a division based on the mileage of the respective +lines as insisted upon by the two lines named, the Union Pacific +Railroad officials demanded a constructive mileage that would result +in their line from Cheyenne to Ogden receiving six tenths of their +local rates between those points when the business was competition +with their long haul via Omaha. An agreement to work on this basis +pending judicial decision was made between the two interests in +September 1874. The question would not down, it was brought before +Congress, Courts, and Arbitrators constituting a "Cause Celebre" the +Pro-rata controversy. + +Out of this grew the building of a rival line between Denver and +Cheyenne wholly under the Union Pacific Railroad's control--locally +known as the Colorado Central Railroad. This line was comprised of the +Colorado Central Railroad, Denver to Golden, sixteen miles. It was +commenced on New Year's Day 1868, being the first railroad in the +state of Colorado. Its extension to Longmont, built in 1871, and the +line Longmont to Cheyenne completed in 1877. This line was some one +hundred and thirty miles against one hundred and six by the Denver +Pacific Railroad, notwithstanding which it was used by the Union +Pacific Railroad as its Denver connection until the adjustment of the +differences between the different interests, which was brought about +by an agreement made June 1st, 1878, by which the Kansas Pacific +Railway and the Denver Pacific Railway were to be operated by the +Union Pacific Company. This was followed by an absolute merger of the +three roads, in January 1880 the new combination being known as the +Union Pacific Railway Company. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +_History of the Line since its completion._ + + +Government Indebtedness--Absorption Other Lines--Receivership--Train +Robbers--Settlement With Government. + + +Upon the completion of the Union Pacific the rates for both freight +and passengers were fixed at what now seems a very high figure. Thus +passenger fares locally were ten cents per mile. Complaints arising, +the matter was taken up in Congress and steps taken towards the +appointment of a Board of Commissioners who should have authority to +fix rates, both freight and passengers. + +The whole question of earnings and expenses of the line was an unknown +quantity and as soon as experience demonstrated what was reasonable +and just, the Company voluntarily adjusted their schedules,--until +today the rates over the line are about on a parity with those charged +by eastern lines through much more thickly settled states. + +In 1869 the agitation looking to a bridge across the Missouri River in +place of the slow and often unreliable ferry culminated, and on March +11th of that year the structure was commenced. Three years were +required for the work and the first train crossed on March 11th, 1872. +By an agreement made with the city of Omaha that city was to be made +the eastern terminus regardless of the bridge. This, however, was +upset by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States +declaring the bridge an integral part of the line and that it +commenced in Iowa not Nebraska. + +In 1870 the question of repayment of the Government Loans made in the +shape of Bonds arose,--more particularly that of the interests +accruing thereon,--the bonds themselves not falling due until +1895-1899. It was a question whether the lines were to pay this +interest in cash or through services rendered in transporting men, +materials, and mails for the Government. The matter soon got into the +Courts and their decision as rendered by Justice Davis of the Supreme +Court of the United States so fully and explicitly covers the ground +as to warrant the somewhat lengthy extracts given below: + +In his opinion, Judge Davis said, "This enterprise (the building of +the Pacific Railroads) was viewed as a national undertaking for +national purposes and the public mind was directed to the end rather +than the particular means to be employed for the purpose. Although the +road was a military necessity, there were other reasons active at the +time in producing an opinion as to its necessity besides the +protection of our exposed frontiers. There was a vast unpeopled +territory between the Missouri River and Sacramento which was +practically worthless without the facilities afforded by a railroad +for the transportation of persons and property. With its construction +the agricultural and mineral resources could be developed, settlements +made, and the wealth and power of the United States essentially +increased. And then there was also the pressing want in times of peace +even of an improved and cheaper method for the transportation of the +mails and supplies for the army and the Indians." + +The policy of the country, to say nothing of the supposed want of +power, stood in the way of the United States taking the work into its +own hands. Even if this were not so, reasons of economy suggested it +were better to enlist private capital and individual enterprise in the +project. This Congress undertook to do, and the inducements held out +were such as it was believed would procure the requisite capital and +enterprise. But the purpose in presenting these inducements was to +promote the construction and operation of a work deemed essential to +the security of great public interests. Besides it is fair to infer +that Congress supposed that the services to be rendered by the road to +the Government would equal the interest to be paid. Congress well knew +that the Government bound itself to pay interest every six months and +the principal at the time the bond matured, resting satisfied with +the entire property of the Company as security for the ultimate +payment of the principal and interest. + +This settled the interest question and the next one to arise was the +question as to the payment of five per cent, of the net earnings +towards the extinguishment of the Government indebtedness, as provided +for in the act of 1862, viz., "And after said road is completed, until +said bonds and interest are paid, at least five per centum of the net +earnings shall be annually applied to the payment thereof." By act of +Congress, June 22nd, 1874, the Secretary of the Treasury was directed +to require this payment, failing which, to bring suit. The Supreme +Court decided this in 1878 that the Company must pay this five per +cent and defined net earnings as what was left out of the gross +earnings after deducting all the expense of organization, operation, +or for betterments paid out of earnings. + +In 1878 the so called "Thurman Act" became law, by which a sinking +fund was established looking to the extinguishing of the Company's +indebtedness to the Government. This sinking fund was to be made up of +one half the amount accruing on Government Transportation, the five +per cent of net earnings, plus enough more of the earnings to make up +in all twenty-five per cent of the total net earnings, but not to +exceed eighty-five thousand dollars per annum,--this sinking fund to +be invested by the Secretary of the Treasury in Government Bonds. + +Up to 1879 the policy of the Company was to transfer all through +freight at its eastern termini, none of its equipment being allowed to +leave its own rails. + +Soon after the absorption of the Kansas Pacific Railroad and through +it the Denver Pacific Railroad, the Union Pacific entered upon a +policy of extension by the absorption of other roads and building of +branch lines. + +Under this arrangement the Texas lines--Fort Worth, Texas, to Denver, +Colo., eight hundred and one miles--were completed and added to the +system. This line was built under the name of the Denver, Texas and +Gulf (formerly Denver and New Orleans), the Fort Worth and Denver City +and the Denver City and Fort Worth Railroads. + +In 1880 the Railroad from Atchison west--originally the line that was +to have connected with the Union Pacific Railroad at the hundredth +Meridian, known as the Central Branch Union Pacific--became part of +the system by purchase and was leased to the Missouri Pacific Railway +Company who have since that time operated it. + +Another line added to the system was the narrow (three foot) gauge +line from Denver to Leadville and Gunnison. This line was commenced in +1873 under a Charter from the Colorado Legislature, reaching Buena +Vista, February 22nd, 1880 and Gunnison, the summer of 1881. It was +absorbed by the Union Pacific on January 1st, 1881. + +The Utah and Northern was commenced in 1871 by the citizens of Utah +and reached Logan in 1873 and Franklin, Idaho, in 1874. The means for +building this road was raised by the people of Northern Utah with +great difficulty, much of it being donated in labor,--in grading, +track work, right of way, etc. After an attempt to operate as a local +line more or less successful, it was sold to the Union Pacific +Railroad in February 1877 and by them extended to Silver Bow, +Mont.--Huntington. Ore., with a branch connecting the main line of the +Union Pacific at Granger, Wyo., with Pocatello, Idaho, on the old Utah +and Northern. + +On May 17th, 1869, one week after the ceremonies at Promontory, the +Utah Central was commenced by the Mormons, Brigham Young being +President of the Company. It was completed Ogden to Salt Lake City, +January 10th, 1870. The work on the line was done very largely by the +Mormons in exchange for stock, its equipment being turned over to them +by the Union Pacific as part payment (to the Mormons) for work done on +the grading of the line. + +The Utah Southern--Salt Lake City to Frisco, Utah, was commenced in +May. 1871, and completed in June 1880, and absorbed by the Utah +Central in 1881. + +In 1873 the line from Julesburg to Denver was located and most of the +grading done in that year and the two following. Financial stringency +together with complications arising over their relations with the +Kansas Pacific Railway forced the abandonment of the project. After +the consolidation in 1880 the line was recommenced, practically new +grades being necessary. It was completed in 1882, the work being done +under the Colorado Central Railroad Charter. + +All of the above lines were absorbed by the Union Pacific Railway and +were a part of that system up to 1893 when the total mileage reached +eight thousand one hundred and sixty-seven, made up of one thousand +eight hundred and twenty-three miles Union Pacific and six thousand +three hundred and forty-four miles, owned, leased and controlled. On +the 13th of October, 1893, the United States Court at Omaha appointed +S. H. H. Clark, Oliver W. Mink, and E. Ellery Anderson, Receivers, and +in the following month Frederick R. Coudert and J. W. Doane were added +to represent the interests of the United States, this receivership +being forced on the Company by the very general business depression of +1893 and the consequent decrease in traffic and earnings. At the time +of appointing receivers for the main line, the Texas Line and the +Denver, Leadville and Gunnison (South Park) were segregated and placed +under the control of separate receivers. The Oregon Short Line and the +Oregon Railway and Navigation Company reverted to the hands of the +original Companies, and have ever since been operated independently, +although the controlling interest in both lines is owned by the Union +Pacific Railway Company. In all, three thousand one hundred and +thirteen miles of affiliated lines were segregated from the parent +Company. In February, 1899, the "Julesburg Cut Off"--Julesburg to +Denver--reverted to the Company, having been operated by the Receiver +of the Union Pacific Denver and Gulf Railway in the interim. + +Among other troubles which the line has encountered during its +thirty-eight years existence has been that of train-robbers. These +were a class of men the outgrowth of Western desperadoism, now happily +passed into history. Without the fear of God, Man, or the Law, they +would singly or in bands attack trains, rob the mail, express and +sometimes the passengers. + +Among the most noted cases of this kind were the Big Springs Robbery, +occurring September 18th, 1877, when a gang of twelve masked men took +possession of the station at that point, bound and gagged the +employees, cutting the telegraph wires, and upon the arrival of the +western train took possession of it, securing sixty-five thousand +dollars from the express car, and thirteen thousand dollars and four +gold watches from the passengers,--then mounting their horses they +rode off. A reward of ten thousand dollars for their arrest +immediately followed and three of the robbers were caught and hung. +About one half of the money was recovered when they were captured. It +is said the balance of the gang were apprehended and dealt with by a +frontier Court, 'Judge Lynch' officiating, this however is tradition, +its truth not being known. + +Another robbery was that committed by Sam. Bass and associates who +held up the west bound Pacific Express train securing from the express +car some sixty thousand dollars in gold. This money was all recovered +and most of the band either killed or arrested. + +Another great event of this kind occurred in the hills of Wyoming, +west of Cheyenne during 1898. The first section of the Overland West +Bound carrying the mail and express was flagged and brought to a stop. +A culvert behind it blown up with dynamite to prevent the second +section interfering, and the express cars were then looted and the +robbers rode off. Persistent pursuit lasting for years, however, +brought them one by one to justice, one being killed near Kansas City +while resisting arrest, another killed at Cripple Creek under similar +circumstances. + +In 1897 (January 1st) the present Company, Union Pacific Railroad +Company, was organized under the laws of Utah as successor to the +Union Pacific Railway Company. + +During the construction days, Wells, Fargo and Company operated the +Express service over the line. On completion the Company organized its +own express "The Union Pacific Railroad Express" which continued to +handle the express until re-organized as the Pacific Express Company. + +Congress was appealed to in 1893 to pass a refunding bill, but failed +to act. + +Numerous unsuccessful attempts were made to reorganize the property, +but this was impossible with the debt to the Government in an +unsettled condition. Finally in 1899 an agreement (see foot note) as +reached between the re-organization Committee and the Attorney General +by which the line was to be foreclosed and the debt adjusted. This was +accordingly done in 1899. The account standing: + + Amount due Government. From Union Pacific. From Kansas Pacific. + Principal $27,236,512.00 + Interest 31,211,691.75 + ------------- + Total $58,448,203.75 $12,891,900.19 + Less Sinking Fund 18,194,618.26 6,303,000.00 + ------------- ------------- + Balance due $40,253,585.49 $6,588,900.19 + +and these amounts were accordingly turned over to the United States +Government closing the account. + + [Footnote: The agreement In question was signed by Sidney + Dillon, President of the Union Pacific Railroad Company; + Robert B. Carr, President of the Kansas Pacific Railway + Company; W. A. H. Loveland, President of the Colorado Central + Railroad Company, and concurred with by Henry Villard and + Carlos S. Greeley, Receivers of the Kansas Pacific Railway. + + It provided that the three lines should be operated as one + property, under the general direction of the Union Pacific + Railroad Company. The gross earnings to be pooled and + apportioned between them on certain specified agreed per + cents, based on the earnings of the respective roads during + the preceding year, the arrangement to be binding for fifty + years and to be subject to the approval of the Court in whose + hands the Kansas Pacific Railway then was.] + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +_The Central Pacific Railroad._ + + +Suggested By Theo. D. Judah--Huntington, Crocker and Hopkins--Struggle +for Congressional Aid--Progress Made. + + +The preceding chapters in tracing the history of the Union Pacific +Railroad cover in a measure the preliminary events leading up to the +building of the Central Pacific Railroad,--its connection from Ogden +West. + +In addition to this there is a wealth of incident connected with its +history that will well repay the student. The following are a few and +but a very few of its salient points. + +For some years previous to the time when the final act was passed by +Congress--which was to provide those of the western coast with speedy +and safe communication with the homes of their youth--the question of +a grand trunk road had been discussed by Californians as a public, and +as private individuals. Many self-reliant men were sanguine of +success, could the project be rightly brought before Congress. This +feeling grew among the people of California, until a man who sought +office at the hands of the people could not be elected were he not a +"railroad man," provided that office was one wherein the holder could +injure the prospects of the proposed road. Through the counties where +the line was supposed to run, the question was strongly agitated, for +those counties were expected to assist the undertaking, by voting +their credit in various sums. So eager were the people of the interior +of the State to have the enterprise commenced and completed, that they +were willing to accede to any terms which would insure the success of +the enterprise and relieve them from the oppression of a powerful +water monopoly, which controlled a majority of the shipping both via +the Panama Route and around Cape Horn. + +The members of Congress from California knew that their election was +in part owing to this feeling, and that much was expected of them by +their constituents. They failed not when the time arrived, but to +one--A. A. Sargent--more than all others, is California indebted for +the great work which now binds her to her Eastern sisters. + +But we are proceeding too fast, overlooking, but not forgetting, +another name, none the less honored because the bearer lived not to +behold the final completion of the work he initiated and so earnestly +advocated. Theodore D. Judah now sleeps the sleep that knows no +awaking, but still his presence can be seen and felt in every mile of +the grand road which his genius brought into being. His name was a +household word in the West, for thousands knew and appreciated the +manly spirit and genial mind of the earnest, persistent and sanguine +Engineer. + +In the then little hamlet of Sacramento, dwelt C. P. Huntington, +"Charley" Crocker, Mark Hopkins, and a few others--warm personal +friends of Judah--who, often, in the long, winter evenings, gathered +around the stove in Huntington and Hopkin's store room, and there +discussed the merits and demerits of the Judah theory. These and some +other gentlemen became convinced that the engineer was right--that the +scheme was practicable. They subscribed fifty dollars a piece, and, in +the summer, Judah and his assistants made a careful survey of the +passes in the Sierras. This was in the summer of 1860, and in the fall +the engineer party returned, toil-worn and travel-stained, but vastly +encouraged and elated with the result of their summer's work. So +favorable was the report that fifteen hundred dollars were immediately +raised to be used the following summer in the same manner. The summer +of 1861 found Judah and his party in the gulches and defiles of the +Sierras, earnestly prosecuting their labors. The result but confirmed +the previous report, with, if possible, more encouraging details +regarding country, cost, etc. Judah then visited many of the principal +capitalists of San Francisco to obtain subscriptions for the work, but +failed to obtain a dollar. "But this road--what is it? Nothing that +concerned them. It did not represent capital. A poor engineer wanted +to make some money, and had started the idea for that purpose." These +wise men shook their heads, and sneered at the undertaking. "What can +they do," said they, "even with their Charter from the State? They +have no money--they are poor men. It's only a sharp dodge on their +part. They think the road will be undertaken in time, and then when +that time arrives, they will stand a chance to sell their Charter and +realize a few thousands--that's all. But they'll be dead before a +railroad will be built across the continent." Such was the general +tone of conversation among moneyed men regarding the road in its +infancy, and it cannot be denied that the people of California owe +nothing to the capitalists of their State--not even their thanks--for +aid in the earliest days of the enterprise. The bone and sinew of the +people--the mechanic and the merchant, the farmer, laborer and +miner--did all that could be expected of them. But the capitalists +held back--and for good reason. They feared that the railroad would +give the death blow to the monopolies in which they were more or less +interested. Sacramento alone deserves the credit of having originated +and brought to a successful completion the Central Pacific Railroad. +When the State had chartered the Company, when only funds were +necessary to insure the completion of the work, only two subscriptions +were obtained in San Francisco, and one of these came from a woman. + +In 1862, Judah went to Washington with charts, maps, etc., of the +road. Sargent was there, as enthusiastic in the support of the measure +as Judah himself. He drew up the bill under which the road was built. +James H. Campbell, of Pennsylvania, and Schuyler Colfax (than whose +there is no more honored name in California,) were his most efficient +supporters in the House. In the Senate, McDougal, of California, +Wilson, of Massachusetts, and Morrill, of Maine, also stood manfully +by the measure. And there was fought the great battle. There, +enlightened ideas, assisted by young and vigorous intellects, met and +conquered prejudice and moneyed opposition, and opened a new +commercial era in the annals of the Union. But it was not accomplished +without a long and wearying struggle, in which the bull-dog +pertinacity and fierce grip of Sargent was manifested. Day after day, +for weary weeks, in the Committee of the Whole, Sargent and Campbell +stood up alternately, and answered objections as fast as made, in +short, sharp, close and cutting speeches. And night after night, they +held interviews with Eastern Senators and Representatives, while at +their side, supplying them with information on all desired points, sat +Theodore D. Judah, the engineer, earnest and hopeful to the last. +Senators did not nor would not believe that the road could or would be +built. Said Lovejoy, during one of the debates: "Do I understand the +gentleman from California to say that he actually expects this road +to be built?" "The gentleman from Illinois may understand me to +predict that if this bill is passed, the road will be finished within +ten years," responded Sargent. People can now judge between Lovejoy's +and Sargent's ideas of the vigor of the West. + +The end came, the bill was finally passed, and the news thereof caused +the hearts of Californians to leap for joy. Ground was broken at +Sacramento, and work was commenced immediately. Another battle was to +be fought, a financial one. Before they could receive any aid from the +Government, forty miles of road must be built and stocked, which would +cost at least four million dollars, for that forty miles carried the +road far up among the Sierras, through a great portion of their heavy +work. Money was "tight"--in fact it always is when a man wants +some--commanding two per cent. per month in California. The +corporators put in their entire fortunes. The city of San Francisco +issued bonds in assistance of the work; the State and several counties +also rendered material aid, but all combined was but a trifle compared +to what was required. C. P. Huntington, then Vice-President of the +road, went to New York for aid, but among the capitalists there he met +the same answer that had been given to Judah by the moneyed men of San +Francisco. Finally, he met with Fisk and Hatch, dealers in government +stocks. They feared not the result of the scheme. These energetic +capitalists with the promptness of young and active minds--while +older capitalists were questioning whether there was really a serious +intention of building the road--pledged their faith to furnish the +Company with what money they required and when they required it. The +sum ranged from five million dollars to twenty million dollars per +year; but they failed not, the money was always ready. The success of +the enterprise was now assured. The bonds of the Company were put on +the market, and advanced rapidly in price, and soon the Company had at +their command all needful funds. + +When the summit of the Sierras was reached, the road was pushed +rapidly forward. But long ere this was gained, when the Company was +toiling among the mountains, jeers and taunts of derision could be +found in plenty in the columns of California newspapers. "The Dutch +Flat Swindle," as the road was termed by some of these far sighted +journalists--when the Company was laboring to overcome the heavy grade +near that town--has passed into a byword in California, and now is +suggestive of success. The route, after the "summit" was gained, was +then comparatively easy, and rapid progress was made. The Chinese +laborers, who had worked on the road from first to last, drove the +work forward, and on May 10th, 1869, the roads met on Promontory +Point, six hundred and ninety miles from Sacramento. The following +will show the number of miles completed during each year: In +1863-1864-1865, twenty miles each year; in 1866, thirty miles; in +1867, forty-six miles; in 1868 three hundred and sixty-three miles; in +1869, one hundred and ninety-one miles. + + + + +Appendix I. + +_Roster Union Pacific Railroad._ + + + PRESIDENT. + + W. B. Ogden, Elected Sept., 1862. + Jno. A. Dix, Elected Oct., 1863. + Oliver Ames, Elected June, 1868. + Thos. A. Scott, Elected April, 1871. + Horace F. Clark, Elected March, 1872. + Jno. Duff, Elected July, 1873. + Sidney Dillon, Elected June, 1874. + Chas. Francis Adams, Elected June, 1884. + Sidney Dillon, Elected Dec., 1890. + S. H. H. Clark, Elected May, 1892. + H. G. Burt, Elected Jan., 1898. + E. H. Harriman, to date. + + + VICE PRESIDENT. + + Thos. C. Durant, Elected Oct., 1863. + Jno. Duff, Elected May, 1869. + Elisha Atkins, Elected May, 1874. + Tom Potter, Elected May, 1887. + W. H. Holcomb, Elected Oct., 1888. + S. H. H. Clark, Elected. May, 1891. + Elisha Atkins, Elected Nov., 1892. + O. W. Mink, Elected March, 1898. + W. M. D. Cornish, Elected July, 1898. + + + 2ND. VICE PRESIDENT. + + S. R. Callaway Sept., 1884, to June, 1887. + O. M. Lane May, 1889, to Oct., 1891. + O. W. Mink May, 1893, to March, 1898. + + + 3RD. VICE PRESIDENT. + + Thos. L. Kimball Nov., 1889, to Aug., 1891. + + + SECRETARY. + + H. V. Poor, Elected Sept., 1862. + Chas. Tuttle, Elected Oct., 1863. + E. H. Rollins, Elected June, 1869. + H. McFarland, Elected March, 1877. + Alex. Millar, Elected April, 1889. + + + TREASURER. + + T. W. Olcott, Elected Sept., 1862. + Jno. J. Cisco, Elected Oct., 1863. + J. M. S. Williams, Elected June, 1869. + E. H. Rollins, Elected May, 1872. + H. McFarland, Elected April, 1877. + Jas. G. Harris, Elected April, 1889. + F. V. S. Crosby, Elected Feb., 1899. + + + GENERAL MANAGER. + + Thos. C. Durant Oct., 1863 to May, 1869. + S. H. H. Clark Aug., 1878 to Sept., 1884. + S. R. Callaway Oct., 1884 to May, 1887. + Tom Potter May, 1887 to July, 1887. + Thos. L. Kimball March, 1888 to Nov., 1889. + E. Dickinson Dec., 1889 to May, 1890. + S. H. H. Clark Jan., 1891 to April, 1893. + E. Dickinson April, 1893. + A. L. Mohler, to date. + + + ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER. + + Thos, L, Kimball Nov., 1880 to July, 1884. + G. M. Cummings Jan., 1887 to Dec., 1887. + C. S. Mellen Nov., 1888 to March, 1889. + G. M. Cummings March, 1889 to Dec., 1889. + E. Dickinson Feb., 1889 to Dec., 1889. + W. H. Holcomb Dec., 1890 to May, 1891. + E. Dickinson May, 1891 to April, 1893. + + + GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT. + + G. M. Dodge Oct., 1863 to May, 1867. + W. Snyder May, 1867 to July, 1869. + C. G. Hammond Sept., 1869 to Oct., 1870. + T. E. Sickles Nov., 1870 to May, 1872. + S. H. H. Clark June, 1874 to Aug., 1878. + Sylvester T. Smith Nov., 1884 to June, 1887. + E. Dickinson July, 1887 to March, 1889. + + + ASSISTANT GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT. + + H. M. Hoxie Aug., 1869. + C. M. Mead Sept., 1869 to Dec., 1870. + S. H. H. Clark Sept., 1871 to June, 1874. + E. Dickinson Nov., 1884 to Aug., 1887. + + + TRAFFIC MANAGER. + + Thos. L. Kimball Aug., 1884 to Sept., 1887. + C. S. Mellon March, 1889 to April, 1892. + + + FREIGHT TRAFFIC MANAGER. + + E. P. Vining Nov., 1882 to Jan., 1884. + J. A. Munroe Oct., 1892 to date. + + + ASST. GENERAL TRAFFIC MANAGER. + + P. P. Shelby Jan., 1886 to Sept., 1887. + J. A. Munroe Nov., 1889 to March, 1891. + B. Campbell July, 1890 to March, 1891. + + + GENERAL PASSENGER AGENT. + + Webster Snyder Oct., 1865 to May, 1867. + C. D. Whitcomb June, 1868 to Jan., 1869. + Francis Colton Nov., 1869 to Dec, 1870. + Thos. L. Kimball March, 1871 to Nov., 1880. + J. W. Morse Nov., 1880 to Sept., 1887. + J. S. Tebbets Sept., 1887 to March, 1889. + E. L. Lomax March, 1889 to date. + + + GENERAL TICKET AGENT. + + Jos. Budd Feb., 1869 to Oct., 1869. + Thos. L. Kimball April, 1872 to Nov., 1880. + C. S. Stebbins Nov., 1880 to Sept., 1887. + + + ASST. GENERAL PASSENGER AGENT. + + Beverly R. Keim Sept., 1870 to Jan., 1871. + W. C. Thompson Feb., 1871 to April, 1873. + C. S. Stebbins April, 1880 to Jan., 1881. + S. B. Jones May, 1881 to Nov., 1887. + E. L. Lomax Sept., 1887 to March, 1889. + T. W. Lee March, 1889 to April, 1891. + J. W. Scott Nov., 1889 to Nov., 1891. + W. H. Hurlburt March, 1891 to Aug., 1894. + B. H. Payne March, 1894 to April, 1895. + S. H. Hutchison Feb., 1898 to July, 1900. + Garret Fort Sept., 1900 to date. + + + GENERAL FREIGHT AGENT. + + S. H. H. Clark June, 1868 to Sept., 1868. + E. F. Test Oct., 1868 to Feb., 1869. + H. Brownson March, 1869 to July, 1870. + W. M. Martin Aug., 1870 to Dec., 1870. + H. Brownson March, 1869 to July, 1870. + E. P. Vining Oct., 1871 to Nov., 1882. + P. P. Shelby Nov., 1882 to Jan., 1886. + J. A. Munroe Jan., 1886 to Dec., 1889. + J. S. Tebbets Dec., 1889 to Nov., 1890. + F. B. Whitney Aug., 1890 to March, 1891. + J. A. Munroe March, 1891 to Nov., 1892. + Elmer H. Wood July 1898 to date. + + + AUDITOR. + + B. F. Ham + J. W. Gannett May, 1872 to July, 1873. + H. B. Wilbur July, 1873 to Dec., 1873. + J. W. Gannett Dec., 1873 to July 1883. + E. W. Young July, 1883 to date. + + + Among the SUPERINTENDENTS and DIVISION SUPERINTENDENTS + were: + + J. M. Barr, R. Blickensderfer, J. O. Brinkerhoff, W. H. Baldwin, + Jr., S. H. H. Clark, C. H. Chappel, J. N. Campbell, G. M. + Cummings, J. K. Choate, H. Dorrance, W. B. Doddridge, E. + Dickinson, A. A. Egbert, L. Fillmore, C. W. Fisher, W. E. + Green, W. W. Hungerford, D. S. Ives, C. W. Johnson, R. Law, + P. I. Nichols, J. T. Odell, C. F. Resseguie, J. Rapelje, W. W. + Riter, C. J. Smith, C. E. Wartele, D. V. Warren, E. W. Weed. + + +_Roster Kansas Pacific Railway._ + + PRESIDENT. + + Jno. D. Perry 1865 to May, 1871. + R. E. Carr June, 1871 to Aug., 1876. + A. Meier Aug., 1876 to Nov., 1876. + Sidney Dillon Aug., 1879 to May, 1880. + + + VICE PRESIDENT. + + A. Meier 1865 to Aug., 1876. + T. F. Oakes Aug., 1876 to Nov., 1876. + D. M. Egerton Aug., 1879 to May, 1880. + R. E. Carr (2nd Vice Pres.) March, 1871, to May, 1871. + + + SECRETARY. + + C. B. Lamborn June, 1868 to Sept., 1874. + D. M. Edgerton Sept., 1874 to Nov., 1876. + A. H. Calif Aug., 1879 to May, 1880. + + + TREASURER. + + Gen. W. J. Palmer June, 1868 to May, 1869. + C. S. Greeley June, 1869 to Nov., 1876. + J. M. Ham Aug., 1879 to May, 1880. + + + GENERAL MANAGER. + + R. E. Carr Dec., 1876 to Aug., 1878. + + + GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT. + + A. Anderson May, 1869 to May, 1870. + Ed. S. Bowen June, 1871 to Nov., 1874. + O. S. Lyford Dec., 1874 to Nov., 1876. + T. F. Oakes Nov., 1876 to April, 1879. + Syl. T. Smith July, 1879 to May, 1880. + + + ASST. GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT. + + E. D. Meier 1867 to April, 1869. + Geo. Noble May, 1871 to Feb., 1874. + + + AUDITOR. + + Syl. T. Smith May, 1869 to Dec., 1878. + H. C. Clements July, 1879, to May, 1880. + + + GENERAL PASSENGER AND TICKET AGENT. + + J. M. Webster June, 1868, to Feb., 1869. + R. B. Gemmell June, 1870, to Feb., 1871. + B. R. Keim March, 1871, to July, 1876. + E. A. Parker July, 1876, to Nov., 1876. + Peter B. Groat March, 1878, to Dec., 1879. + D. E. Cornell Jan., 1877, to July, 1878. + Thos. L. Kimball Dec., 1879, to May, 1880. + + + GENERAL FREIGHT AGENT. + + J. M. Webster June, 1868, to Feb., 1869. + R. B. Gemmell June, 1870, to Dec., 1870. + T. F. Oakes Jan., 1871, to Dec., 1876. + John Muir Jan., 1877, to May, 1880. + + + + +APPENDIX II. + +_Statistics Union Pacific Railroad._ + + +The following is a statement of the gross earnings and operating +expenses of the line for the fiscal year, ending June 30th, of the +years named below: + + Year. Gross Operating U.P.R.R. U.P. Sys. + Earnings. Expenses. Mileage. Mileage. + + 1865 Up to April 1st, 1867, road was .... .... + 1866 in the hands of and run by contractors .... .... + 1867 ... $4,812,155.80 ......... 550 .... + 1868 ... 5,066,651.61 ......... 700 .... + 1869 ... 6,663,851.16 1038 .... + 1870 ... 8,408,723.24 6,078,932.30 1039 .... + 1871 ... 7,240,833.78 3,502,648.49 1032 .... + 1872 ... 8,892,605.00 4,800,573.00 1032 .... + 1873 ... 4,974,861.02 1038 .... + 1874 ... 4,854,703.00 1038 .... + 1875 ... 4,982,047.00 1038 .... + 1876 ... 5,268,211.29 1039 .... + 1877 ... 5,273,421.69 1042 1125 + 1878 ... 5,376,586.00 1042 1618 + 1879 ... 5,475,503.00 1042 1865 + 1880 ... 10,545,119.00 1825 2854 + 1881 ... 12,480,343.00 1821 4270 + 1882 ... 10,727,049.00 1819 4696 + 1883 ... 10,354,531.00 1835 6166 + 1884 ... 8,895,152.00 1832 5627 + 1885 ... 9,050,355.20 1832 5712 + 1886 ... 1832 4509 + 1887 ... 1824 4623 + 1888 ... 1824 .... + 1889 ... 1824 .... + 1890 ... 1824 .... + 1891 ... 1822 .... + 1892 ... 1822 .... + 1893 ... 1823 .... + 1894 ... 1823 .... + 1895 ... 9,939,907.00 1823 .... + 1896 ... 9,347,672.00 1823 .... + 1897 ... 1823 .... + 1898 ... 1849 .... + 1899 ... .... .... + 1900 ... 23,046,907.33 12,554,328.96 2968 5877 + + +_Statistics Kansas Pacific Railway._ + +Following statement shows gross earnings, operating expenses +(including taxes), of the line up to its consolidation with the Union +Pacific Railroad in January, 1880. + + Gross Operating K.P. Owned or + Year. Earnings. Expenses. Mileage. Controlled. + + 1867 $1,816,458.11 $1,199,534.16 234[A] ..... + 1868 1,910,161.83 1,346,494.20 403[A] ..... + 1869 2,225,850.11 1,386,180.02 439[A] ..... + 1870 3,360,786.61 2,480,040.46 552[A] ..... + 1871 3,312,517.83 2,302.589.96 673 ..... + 1872 3,723,713.18 2,229,265.77 673 ..... + 1873 3,563,299.49 2,116,990.59 673 ..... + 1874 3,356,749.95 1,671,045.57 673 ..... + 1875 3,363,760.46 1,790,879.95 673 ..... + 1876 3,000,800.66 1,782,818.53 673 ..... + 1877 3,284,734.06 1,916,956.74 673 ..... + 1878 3,610,224.00 2,411,562.00 677 ..... + 1879 4,873,729.00 ............ 677 ..... + + [Footnote A: Average number miles operated.] + + +_Statistics Kansas Pacific Railway._ + +The following statement shows the number of Engines and cars owned +during the years named: + + Baggage Total + Passenger Mail and Freight Number + Year. Engines. Coaches. Express. Cars. Cars. + + 1869 29 21 10 782 813 + 1870 50 35 11 1025 1071 + 1871 76 42 15 1048 1139 + 1872 88 47 19 1070 1136 + 1873 88 53 18 1040 1145 + 1874 88 55 18 1163 1236 + 1875 88 44 18 1107 1204 + 1876 88 43 18 1078 1110 + 1877 88 41 16 1153 1257 + 1878 88 42 17 1307 1382 + 1879 94 41 17 1280 1396 + + + + +APPENDIX III. + +_Nomenclature of the Union Pacific Railroad._ + + +There are two versions of the name Union Pacific. One that it was the +expression of the union sentiment prevalent among its projectors and +builders, it being named during the dark and gloomy days of the War of +the Rebellion; the other being that the whole project was the union of +many and varied projects all looking to the building of a Pacific +Railroad, and it was natural that the proposition that embraced them +all should be called the "Union Pacific." We would rather believe it +was somewhat of both these reasons that brought about the name in +question. + +COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA.--Received its name from a council being held there +in 1804 between Lewis and Clark's Expedition and a party of Ottoe and +Missouri Indians. + +OMAHA, NEB.--Named after a tribe of Indians variously known as Mahas +or Omahas. + +PAPILION, NEB.--Called after the creek on which it is located, named +by Lewis and Clark and derived from a Latin word meaning butterfly. + +MILLARD, NEB.--Named ofter the Hon. Ezra Millard, a prominent citizen +of Omaha in the early days. + +ELKHORN, NEB.--So called from the Elkhorn River near by. + +FREMONT, NEB.--Named after Gen'l. Fremont, the "Pathfinder." + +AMES, NEB.--Named after Oliver Ames, one of the prominent men in the +history of the road. The place was originally called Ketchum. + +NORTH BEND, NEB.--So named from a northward bend in the Platte River. + +SCHUYLER, NEB.--Named after Schuyler Colfax, Vice-President of the +United States. + +COLUMBUS, NEB--Was first settled by a party of Germans from Columbus, +Ohio, who named it after their old home. + +CLARK, NEB.--Called after S. H. H. Clark, Gen'l Supt. of the road +while it was being constructed. + +CENTRAL CITY, NEB.--Originally called Lone Tree. Named Central City +owing to the "Nebraska Central R. R." making connection there with the +Union Pacific. + +CHAPMAN, NEB.--Called after a roadmaster of that name. + +LOCKWOOD, NEB.--Named after a storekeeper of that name located there +in the early days. + +GRAND ISLAND, NEB.--Named after an island in the Platte River. + +WOOD RIVER, NEB.--Called after a stream of that name adjacent to the +town. + +SHELTON, NEB.--Named after the cashier of the Company at Omaha. + +KEARNEY, NEB.--Named after Gen'l Kearney of Mexican War fame. Was the +site of Old Ft. Kearney established in 1858 for the protection of the +Overland Route. + +COZAD, NEB.--Named after a gentleman from Cincinnati, Ohio, who +purchasing 40,000 acres from the railroad laid out the town. + +WILLOW ISLAND, NEB.--So named from the large number of willow bushes +on an island in the Platte River near by. + +BRADYS ISLAND, NEB.--From an adjacent island in the Platte River. + +OGALLALA, NEB.--From the Ogallala, a division of the Sioux or Dacotah +tribe of Indians, of which Spotted Tail was the most famous chief. The +word means "throwing at or into." + +BRULE, NEB.--From the Brule Sioux. Red Cloud was its most famous +chief. The word is French meaning "burnt." They call themselves "Burnt +thighs." + +BIG SPRINGS, NEB.--Named after several large springs in the vicinity. +A noted camping ground on the Overland. + +JULESBURG, NEB.--Named after an agent of the Overland Mail Co., +variously referred to as Jules Bernard, Jules Beni, Jules Burg or +Dirty Jules, who was at one time agent of the Stage Company at that +point. + +LODGE POLE, COLO.--From a stream of that name which the railroad +follows for some little distance. + +SIDNEY, NEB.--Named after Sidney Dillon, at one time president of the +Union Pacific. + +BROWNSON, NEB.--Called after a former General Freight Agent of the +Company. + +KIMBALL, NEB.--Named after Thos. L. Kimball, General Passenger Agent, +and afterwards General Manager. + +PINE BLUFFS, WYO.--Takes its name from the stunted growth along the +adjacent bluffs. + +HILLSDALE, WYO.--Named after an engineer, (Hill) who was killed here +during the preliminary survey. + +CHEYENNE, WYO.--From an Indian Tribe of that name. The word is +supposed to be derived from the French "Chien" a dog and to mean Dog +soldier. Other authorities connect it with the Indian word "Shallana" +meaning red or red man. + +BUFORD, WYO.--Named after old Ft. Buford. + +SHERMAN, WYO.--The highest point on the line named after the tallest +General (Sherman) in the Union Army. + +TIE SIDING, WYO.--Vast quantities of ties were shipped from this point +for use in the construction, they coming from the mountains in the +vicinity. + +LARAMIE, WYO.--The name comes from Jacques Laramie, a fur trader who +was killed in this vicinity by the Indians in 1820. + +MEDICINE BOW, WYO.--From the Medicine Bow Mountains among which it is +situated. + +FT. STEELE, WYO.--From Ft. Fred Steele, established in 1868 on the +same site. + +RAWLINS, WYO.--Named after Gen. Jno. A. Rawlins, Gen'l Grant's, Chief +of Staff and his First Secretary of War. + +CRESTON, WYO.--So called from being the crest of the Rocky Mountains. + +GREEN RIVER, WYO.--From the river of that name whose waters run +through a green shale, and while not discoloring the water impart that +shade to the river. + +BITTER CREEK, WYO.--From the creek of that name so called from the +character of its water. + +GRANGER, WYO.--Named after an old settler, a Mr. Granger. + +OGDEN, UTAH.--Named after Peter Ogden, an attache of the Hudson Bay +Co., who lived in this vicinity in the (18) thirties. + + + + +APPENDIX IV. + +_Paddy Miles' Ride._ + + + The following is taken verbatim from a prominent newspaper + of 1869, and is a very excellent illustration of the style + of writing prevalent at that time. + + +Mr. Miles, or "Paddy" as he was familiarly called, was foreman to the +Casement Brothers, who laid the track of the Union Pacific Railroad. +One morning, Paddy started down Echo Canon with a long train of flat +cars, sixteen in number, loaded with ties and iron rails for the road +below Echo City, where were then, as now, the station, switches, etc. +The reader will remember that, from the divide to the mouth of Echo +Canon is heavy grade, no level space on which cars would slack their +speed. + +The train had proceeded but a few miles down the canon, going at a +lively rate, when the engineer discovered that the train had parted, +and four loaded cars had been left behind. Where the train parted the +grade was easy, hence that portion attached to the locomotive had +gained about half a mile on the stray cars. But when discovered, they +were on heavy grade and coming down on the train with lightning speed. +What was to be done? The leading train could not stop to pick them up, +for, at the rate of speed at which they were approaching, a collision +would shiver both trains, destroying them and the lives of those on +board. + +There were two men, Dutchmen, on the loose cars, who might put on the +brakes, and stop the runaway. The whistle was sounded, but they heard +it not; they were fast asleep, behind the piles of ties. On came the +cars, fairly bounding from the track in their unguided speed, and away +shot the locomotive and train. Away they flew, on, around curves and +over bridges, past rocky points and bold headlands; on with the speed +of the wind, but no faster than came the cars behind them. + +"Let on the steam," cried Paddy, and with the throttle chock open, and +wild terrible screams of the whistle, the locomotive plunged through +the gorge, the mighty rocks sending back the screams in a thousand +ringing echoes. + +"Off with the ties," shouted Paddy, once more, as the whistle shouted +its warning to the station men to keep the track straight and free, +for there was no time to pause--that terrible train was close on to +them, and if they collided, the canon would have a fearful item added +to its history. On went the train past the side-tracks, the almost +frantic men throwing off the ties, in hopes that some of them would +remain on the track, throw off the runaways, and thus save the forward +train. Down the gorge they plunged, the terror keeping close by them, +leaping along--almost flying, said one, who told us the tale--while +the locomotive strained every iron nerve to gain on its dreaded +follower. Again the wild scream of the locomotive of "Switches open," +rung out on the air and was heard and understood in Echo City. The +trouble was surmised, not known, but the switches were ready, and if +the leading train had but the distance it could pass on and the +following cars be switched off the track, and allowed to spend their +force against the mountain side. On shot the locomotive, like an arrow +from the bow, the men throwing over the ties until the train was well +nigh unloaded, when just as they were close to the curve by which the +train arrives at the station, they saw the dreaded cars strike a tie, +or something equally of service, and with a desperate plunge rush down +the embankment, some fifteen feet, to the little valley, and creek +below. "Down breaks," screamed the engine, and in a moment more the +cars entered Echo City, and were quietly waiting on the sidetrack for +further developments. The excited crowd, alarmed by the repeated +whistling, was soon informed of the cause of these screams, and +immediately went up the track to the scene of the disaster, to bring +in the dead bodies of the unfortunate Dutchmen, who were surely +crushed and torn in pieces. When they arrived at the scene of the +disaster, they found the poor unfortunates sitting on the bank, +smoking their pipes and unharmed, having just woke up. The first they +knew of the trouble was when they were pitched away from the broken +cars on the soft green sward. The debris of car frames, wheels and +ties gave them the first intimation they had received that something +was the matter. + + + + +APPENDIX V. + + +The following verbatim report of the engineer in charge of a surveying +party on the Kansas Pacific Railway in 1869 will illustrate the +difficulties encountered by those engaged in building the Pacific +Railroads. + + Engineer's Office. + Phil Sheridan, June 20th, 1869. + + Colonel William H. Greenwood, + Chief Engineer, Kansas Pacific Railway. + + Sir:-- + +On resuming the location of the line up the North Fork of the Smoky, +on Monday last, I made the change in the line mentioned in my last +report. + +Commencing as far back as Station three hundred and forty-five, and +producing tangent to Station four hundred and thirty-eight by +twenty-seven. We then bore to the left with a two degree curve and +continued to Station five hundred and forty-one, leaving the line for +the night. The location of the line was continued on Tuesday to +Station seven hundred and nine and ninety-five hundredths, making a +total distance from Sheridan of eight and nine-tenths miles. The line +is an easy one for gradients; no heavy work occurs on it, but the many +crossings of the stream obtained, make frequent bridges necessary. +These should be of such a character as to allow a water-way of at +least thirty feet, but bridges of simple construction could be used, +stone of any kind being difficult to obtain. The soil is sandy and +easily worked, but will make a substantial road-bed. Having received +your verbal orders to run a rapid line from a point west of here on +the North Fork, where that valley makes its deflection to the South, +eastward to the three hundred and eighty-fifth mile post, I provided +myself with ten days' supplies and rations, and on Wednesday, the +sixteenth, moved up the North Fork as rapidly as the nature of the +ground permitted, camping at night near the four hundred and +twenty-fourth mile, on Mr. Reynold's preliminary line. Before camp was +fully arranged, a heavy squall struck it, tearing down all the tents, +destroying one old one used as a cook tent and injuring some of the +new ones. The herd was also stampeded, but was recovered without loss. +The next morning I went up the valley about ten miles and ascended the +divide to take observations. I found the course of the valley here was +south of west and continued four miles westward. Several large +branches, with deep, broad valleys, almost as large as the main +stream, came in from the North, which it would be impracticable to +cross. I returned, therefore, to a point in the valley near the four +hundred and thirtieth mile of Mr. Reynold's line, where ascent from +the valley seemed easy, and commenced my line at Station fifteen +hundred and fifty-seven by eighty-three and ascended to an upper +plateau in about one and a half miles, with a grade of fifty-two and +eight-tenths feet per mile. I then turned to about Magnetic east, and +we held this course with some deflections northward until night. This +day's work, some six miles, is extremely heavy, the first two miles +averaging about forty thousand cubic yards of earthwork each. On +Friday we continued the line, swinging more to the northward, as the +heavy ravines and rough country forced us away from our course. +Running ten miles, we found a good camping place at end of line, at +night, in a large branch of the North Fork, (the same which comes in +two miles west of Sheridan), where there were numerous large ponds of +water, the drainage from the late rains. The line during the day had +crossed the water courses at that immediate level, between the heavy +breaks near the divide and those near their outlets; still, the work +is very heavy, the crossings being wide and deep. Any attempt to +improve the line would only result in throwing it northward to the +divide, coinciding with your preliminary line of 1867. At the end of +the work, Friday, I obtain a grade of sixty-three feet per mile for +six thousand and one hundred feet with extremely heavy work on +straight lines. Saturday morning we made one and a half miles further +and were obliged to abandon the line for the day. On seventeen miles +of this work we obtain average per mile: + + Excavation 5,500 cubic yards. + Embankment 9,600 cubic yards. + Total per mile 15,100 cubic yards. + +I have suggested in the transit notes a change for three or four +miles, which will save considerable work and improve the alignment +materially. + +On Saturday morning while looking up the line about two miles ahead of +the party, I was attacked by ten mounted Indians who came out of a +ravine and were very close before I discovered them. My horse was +wounded by a pistol ball in the hip at the first start, but I was able +to dodge them and was gaining enough distance to enable me to dismount +and fight them on foot, when another party, about forty in number cut +me off in front and surrounded me, leaving as I supposed, no chance of +escape. + +Shooting down the nearest as they closed in, my horse, though wounded +in four places and drenched in blood, carried me bravely and broke +through their line, they closing up in my rear. One having a fast +horse closed in with me as mine stumbled and partially fell. He +emptied his revolver at me, but without other effect than to tear my +clothes, then striking me on the head with his lance-staff told me in +good English to "come off," which, under the circumstances, I did not +feel justified in doing. Having him then in good range, I placed my +gun against his side and fired, shooting him diagonally through the +body and dismounting him. + +Feeling my horse giving away I threw myself from the saddle and +catching the nearest Indian as he turned disabled him so that he fell +to the ground in a short distance. + +They were now all scattering under whip and spur, having turned the +moment I leaped from my horse. I had now come in sight of the party +and observed a fresh band endeavoring to cut off the level party and +back flagman. + +Mr. Morton (rear flag) finding his pony too much excited to be managed +jumped off, successfully repelling the Indians with his carbine. +Messrs. Schuyler and McCarty, rodmen, went to his assistance, though +only armed with small revolvers. The Indians shooting as they passed, +struck Mr. Schuyler in the leg, the ball passing through the fleshy +part of the thigh, wounding him severely, but not seriously. + +The mules of the line wagon becoming unmanageable were unhitched and +fastened to the wagon securely while the instruments were being +secured and preparations made for a general attack. By the time I had +reached the wagon the men were concentrated and prepared for any +attack in force. The Indians now molested us but little, occasionally +making a dash and firing a few shots then dashing away again. We moved +slowly towards camp keeping out-flankers and in a short distance met +Lieutenant Smith with a few dismounted men. The first alarm being +given by Morton's pony coming in followed close by a few of the red +devils, camp had been struck and the wagons loaded preparatory to +moving out to meet us. An attempt was made to stampede the stock, but +it resulted in a miserable failure, the Spencer carbines of Lieutenant +Smith's detachment telling with effect. + +As it was unwise to separate the force, and as Mr. Schuyler's wound +needed attendance, we deemed it best to come into Sheridan, it being +only fifteen miles. I cannot too highly commend the conduct of the +men, they were all cool and ready. Messrs. McCarty, Morton, Schuyler, +Scott and Wheeler (leveler), were especially noticeable for presence +of mind and cool courage at a very critical moment. Lieutenant Smith +and his men, by prompt and vigorous action alone, saved the stock and +rendered the safety of the line wagon certain. About seventy Indians +were engaged, of whom four are known to be killed. Several others +seemed hurt from their actions though nothing certain is known. + +The fight has demonstrated to me the inefficiency of our escorts and +the need of more men upon the line, especially with the front and rear +flag and level party. + +These men, engaged as they are, have no chance to observe any +movements about them and could be surprised very easily and shot down +without an opportunity of defense. The fact of my being surprised +myself, and allowing these Indians to get behind me and within fifty +and seventy-five yards before discovering them, although always on the +lookout, proves that we cannot feel safe without extraordinary +precautions. My horse was severely wounded, but was able to come in +here where he will receive every attention and will in a short time, I +think, be fit for service--say one or two months. I must repeat +urgently what I have before reported, the necessity for a good strong +horse, fast enough to outrun an Indian pony, strong enough to carry my +heavy weight, with endurance to keep up his speed for miles if +necessary, and hardy enough to stand constant hard riding such as will +enable me to see all of the country as we pass it. + +Our loss in property was as follows: + + Two shovels--(abandoned from necessity.) + One flag-- + One chain--overlooked and left lying on the ground. + Private loss.--One field glass (mode of loss unknown, probably + cut off by a ball.) + One spur--(cut off by ball, saving the foot.) + +Part of this property may be recovered. + +I shall start on the line again tomorrow and try and get through to +Carlyle Station. + +I omitted last week to report some changes in the party. + +I have been too much occupied as yet to send in an estimate for my +supplies for the month of July, but will do so from Monument Station. + + Very Respectfully, + + Howard Schuyler, + Resident Engineer. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Story of the First +Trans-Continental Railroad, by W. 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