Okay, so it’s 1869, and you have been building the first transcontinental railroad
Okay, so it’s 1869, and you have been building the first transcontinental railroad - laying track eastward on the Central Pacific across Utah… The competing Union Pacific has bragged about putting down four miles of track in one day. Then, you beat that by doing six miles in one day. Then, the UP did eight miles... So now, your boss, Charles Crocker, has decided that you can do 10 miles in one day... And, you’re going to get four day’s pay if you can do it. Construction Superintendent Strobridge is a bit dubious, but Crocker assures him that he has it all planned out. The ties will be distributed ahead of time, the gangs will lay down the 500-pound rails, each spiker will drive home his particular spike, and the levelers and fillers will perform their tasks, all carefully choreographed with no man getting in another’s way. Dawn comes on April 28th, and off you go. Union Pacific officials are invited to watch the work… At midday, you’ve done six miles! You stop for an hour lunch. You kn...