History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

754 COMMERCE AND COMMUNICATION.
ham and a superintendent of construction on the
Union Pacific, for grading and other work on the
road between the head of Echo canon and the terminus
of the line, yet to be located. At Weber canon,
through which point it entered the valley, there was
much tunnelling, blasting, and mason- work to be done,
including the heavy stone-work of the bridge abutments.
The contract amounted to about $1,000,000,
gave employment to 500 or 600 men, and, according
to its terms, 7 eighty per cent of the payments were
to be made monthly as the work progressed, and the
remainder when it was completed and accepted. As
soon as the contract was closed, the superintendent
urged that the work be commenced immediately,
promising that if men and teams were collected he
would have the line surveyed and made ready for
them within a few days. On this understanding,
workmen were concentrated at various points on the
line, but weeks passed, and still the line was not surveyed.
Many of the sub-contractors were thus compelled
to wait until the cost of their operations was
largely increased by the severity of the weather, and
to incur debt from bankers, merchants, and farmers,
who supplied them with funds, goods, grain, and material,
thinking that the money due from the promoters
of the Union Pacific would be promptly paid;
but the payments were not made as specified.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks, the contracts
were faithfully executed, and it was acknowledged by
all railroad men that nowhere on the line could the
grading compare in completeness and finish with the
work done by the people of Utah. Before the last
tie was laid, 8 all the contracts with the Union and
7 Particulars will be found in the Deseret News, May 27, 1868. See also
S. F. Call May 22, 1868; S. F. Times, May 22, 1868. At this date it was yet
uncertain where the junction between the U. P. and C. P. R. R. would be
located. For act to fix the point of junction, see House Ex. Doc., 46th Cong.
3d Sess., 973.
8 For celebration at S. L. City on the completion of the railroad, see Deseret
News, May 12, 1866. On March 8th a railroad celebration was held at Ogrlen,
an account of which is given in Id., March 8, 1869; Tullidrje's Mug., i. 476-7.