ed at this time as though they
might build 150 miles, but not more. But from this time on very rapid
progress was made. On July 17 the track reached station 7,000, making
however up to this time but about 50 miles of track-laying, including that
laid on the old grade; but large forces were put on to surfacing, and the
track already laid was put in excellent condition for getting material to
the front. The weather from this until the freezing-up was all that could
be desired. Work ceased about the 1st of January, 1883, for the season,
and the final estimate for the work was as follows: 6,103,986 cubic yards
earth excavation, 2,395,750 feet B.M. timber in bridges and the culverts,
85,708 lineal feet piling, 435 miles of track-laying. This work was all
done in 182 working days, including stormy ones, when little, if anything,
could be done, making a daily average of 33,548 yards excavation, 13,150
feet B.M. timber, 471 feet piling, 2-38/100 miles track-laying. We never
had an accurate force report made of the whole line, but roughly there
were employed 5,000 men and 1,700 teams.

The admirable organization of the contractors was something wonderful. The
grading work was practically all done by sub-contractors, Messrs. Langdon,
Sheppard & Co. confining themselves to putting in the supplies and doing
the bridge work, surfacing, and track-laying. The grading forces were
scattered along about 150 miles ahead of the track and supply stores,
established about 50 miles apart, and in no case were sub-contractors
expected to haul supplies over 100 miles. If I remember rightly, there
were four trains of about forty wagons each, hauling supplies from the end
of track to the stores.

As can be readily seen, the vital point of the whole work, and the problem
to solve, was food for men and horses. 1,700 bushels of oats every day and
15,000 pounds of provisions, Sundays and all, for an entire season, which
at the beginning of the work had to come about 170 miles by rail, and then
be taken from 50 to 150 miles by teams across a wilderness, is on the face
of it considerable of an undertaking, to say nothing about hauling the
pile-drivers, piles, and bridge-timber there. To keep from delaying the
track, sidings 1,500 feet long were graded, about 7 miles apart. A
side-track crew, together with an engine, four flats, and caboose, were
always in readiness; and as soon as a siding was reached, in five hours
the switches would be in, and the nex