The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13

In accomplishing this stupendous task
Shepard's men encountered every variety
OF construction known. Hundreds OF miles
we're laid over monotonous fiat stretches OF
prairie, where the grades amounted to no.
thing more than casting the earth up high
enough for the track to clear itself OF or
binary snowfalls. Other reaches were along
side the mighty water-courses of the West.
where long embankments and deep cuts
were in order. In some places extensive
trcstles were needed In the mountain divl-
sions there were tunnels and other diff
cult rock-work to be built. Until the con-
struction neared the Pacific Coast. all the
materials. and supplies had to be got from
the eastern end Of the line. Over aud over
again new problems arose which had to be
solved on the minute. SO to speak. Much
of the territory swarmed with Indians,
though fortunately they displayed no great
hostility.
Through it all Mr.. Shepard's was the guild
Ing spirit Like a military invader, he plan
ned each years campaign In advance and
kept himself In close touch with his forces.
They were almost as numerous as an invad-
ing army would be. 1t would make this ar
ticle read TOO much like an extract from a
statistical work to go into complete details,
but some idea Of the magnitude Of Shepard 8
operations may be briefly given by the state
ment that on the average in 1887 5000 men
and $500 teams 1.-TWO horse) were employed
on the grading, while $50 men and go teams
were employed laying track. surfacing, pill
ing, and doing the timber work. The total
average force directly employed upon the
work then was $3.50 men and 1880 horses,
but the entire number Of persons deriving
support from the work was much larger. All
hands had to be fed and cared for. and this
occupied the energies OF large NUMBER
besides there was a big contingent Of camp
follow as there always is when such an
enterprise is being pushed forward.
In some respects 1887 was Shepards star
year. The work went on from April to
November II without a break excepting the
weekly Sunday rests, and in that time 643
miles of track were built. laid. and finish
ed, the average progress being three and one
quarter miles day. The biggest days work
at track-laying was August 8. when eight
miles and GO feet were laid. July 16 was the
next biggest days work, the distance being
seven miles and 1040 feet The work on
both days was done by the regular track
layers between daylight and dark. No extra
men we're put on because there was no room
for them. and all the rails were fed to the
men who actually laid them from one end"
The days record has been claimed for the
forces of the Union Pacific. working years
before. but not quito fairly. since on the day
Of their greatest track laying the rails were
hauled ahead Of the rail-m and dumped
alongside the track. They had only to put
the rails in place and spike them down.
whereas Shepard's men were not so helped,
having facilities for the rapid handling OF the
iron that we're not invented In the days of
the Union Pacifc's construction. In that
seasons work the employees Of Shepard's
firm handled 9.70O, 900 cubic yards of earth,
$1,000 cubic yards OF loose rock, and II 500
yards Of solid rock. while 100000 feet OF
timber, board measure, and 800 900 lineal
feet Of piling were hauled ahead Of the track
laying. In a certain seven months later than
1887 about 900 miles OF track were laid, but
the force of men was then larger by more
than a thousand, while 5000 teams were en-
ployed.
The feeding Of these large forces Of men
and animals was no Insignificant task, and
any number OF figures relative to this fea =
ture Of tho work that would interest the
statistician might be dug out. The state
ment that the horses employed the first
year Of the work consumed 500, 900 bushels
Of oats is sufficient sample To accommo-
date the men with lodging and food Shepard
had lot OF two and three-story boarding
cars" built They were odd-looking struc-
lures, so high and SO narrow that they had
to be fitted with guy-ropes to prevent being
upset whenever tho wind blew hard. and
the life within and about them. tinged as
It was with the flavor OF the frontier and
Influenced by the frequent presence OF
the Northwestern Indians. would undoubted-
ly have furnished 4 Kipling or Harte
with abundant materials for literature OF
the most characteristic sort. The remInis-
cences Of Shepard himself. could they be
collected in the snappy. epigrammato form
he tells them. would be contribution to the
worlds stock Of good stories.
One Of tho items regarding Shepard
work most interesting to the practical rail-
road builder has to do with the relative
cost Of the track he built between 1887 and
1893. and other transcontinental lines. IT
took ST. 900 to build each mile Of the Union
Pacific, while the Central Pacific was still
more expensive. The Northern Pacific cost
SO, 900 a mile; the Southern Pacific $50 900
Shepard built Hills Great Northern at an
average expense of $26.O mile. This was
made possible partly through Hills genius
in locating tho lines. and partly through
Shepard's splendid organization and eco.
nomy Of energy.
Mr. Shepard Ia now seventy-one Though
he has left of building railroads, he still
takes a keen interest in affairs, and goes
regularly to his St. Paul ONCE.
BRIDGE cor Worried By CRAHKS