normous. 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