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