econd 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,