Tracklaying race of 1869 participant Union Pacific Railroad
History
Rivalry
In July 1866, the Pacific Railway Act was amended, authorizing the Central Pacific (CP) to build east until it met the line being constructed by the Union Pacific (UP). The amount of land and money each railroad would be granted was proportional to the number of miles of track laid, causing the two railroads to start building in earnest.Their rivalry was notably unfriendly. In February 1869, crews for the UP and CP were grading parallel routes on the Promontory Range.: 303  At that time, the UP's primarily Irish crews began bullying the CP's primarily Chinese crews, first throwing clods of earth and escalating to a series of raids in which the UP crews attempted to dislodge the CP by attacking while wielding pick handles. Eventually, the UP crews began setting off heavy charges without warning, seriously injuring several CP workers; when the CP crews began grading at a higher elevation, they retaliated by setting off a surprise explosion, which buried several UP workers alive.: 303Record-setting pace
On August 17, 1868, UP crews laid 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) of track in a single day; their bragging aroused a competitive instinct in Charles Crocker, head of the CP, who instructed his construction superintendent James Harvey Strobridge to beat it. CP crews responded by laying a few feet beyond 6 miles (9.7 km) on August 19, and UP's riposte was to lay 8 miles (13 km) of track in a single day on October 26, working from 3 AM until midnight.: 307 The disparity in pace continued into 1869; on February 18, Oliver Ames Jr., president of UP, testified before the Congressional Pacific Railroad Committee, pointing out that while the CP was 200 miles (320 km) from the prearranged meeting spot in Ogden, Utah, the UP was only 30 miles (48 km) away, and should be entitled to continue building west past Ogden. CP's Huntington, also testifying that day, retorted UP's pace was purchased at the cost of quality. On March 12, 1869 Mark Hopkins sent the coded message "Roving Delia Fish Dance" to Huntington, letting him know his crews were laying 4 miles (6.4 km) of track per day regularly.: 306  This proved the production gains of adopting Casement's techniques and set the stage for the Ten Mile Day of April 28, 1869.