What It Takes to Build a Railroad: A Lot!

1916

What It Means When the Contractors Begin Operation

With the right of way established, a great army of men enter into the field. The company does not build its own road. It is turned over to contractors and is usually let in sections of from 200 to 300 miles.

The contractor must live up to certain specifications, just as though he were building a house, and he furnishes everything — men, teams, machinery, food and material. Few people realize what this means. A contractor must be very near to a king.

For instance, there is the Hazelton section in the mountains. It is less than 200 miles in length. Before a single shovel or pick was engaged in the building of this section the contractors had to equip themselves with a fleet of steamboats at a cost of $200,000. They had to build scores of camps at from $2,000 to $4,000 a camp. Each of these centers had to be stocked with provisions, supplies and materials almost before a builder was brought in. Before these contractors moved a shovelful of earth or fired a single blast they had spent over $6,000,000.

Each contractor's camp is like a small city, with its stores, hospital, scores of sleeping shacks, kitchens, dining rooms, warehouses and barns.— James Oliver Gurwood in Leslie's.

—Stevens Point Daily Journal, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, July 29, 1916, page 7.

Throwing Passengers' Trunks Around

1920—

They Were Soon Undeceived

Travelers' Amazement Fades When Station Master Chirps

The traffic was at its height and there were the usual piles of passengers' baggage on the platform. In the usual way the porters were banging it about, while the owners mournfully looked on. Suddenly the station master appeared, and, approaching one of the porters, shouted in stern tones:

"Here! What do you mean by throwing those trunks about like that?"

The passengers pinched themselves to make sure that they were not dreaming, but they returned to earth when the official added:

"Can't you see you're making big dents in the concrete platform?"



Just Ask Jones, He Knows!

So Will Brown When Those House Repairs Are Finished!

Brown was going to have some alterations made on his home and asked Jones – who had just got rid of the builders – the best way to go about it.

"Oh," said Jones, "you call in a decent builder and tell him the limit you are prepared to pay out, being sure the sum you mention to him is about a quarter of what you have for the alterations; and then, if you are lucky, and keep your wife away while the work is proceeding, you may get half of what you want done for about twice the total sum you want to spend."

--The Saturday Blade, Chicago, May 22, 1920, page 9.