Railroad Problems from Within

The most serious problems the railroad faced were from within.  Durant showed more interest in lining his own pockets that in building a railroad.  He had promised not to interfere with the way Dodge managed the railroad construction, but he was constantly trying to lengthen the route to gain more land grants and government aid.   In 1868, Dodge finally told him, "You are now going to learn that the men take orders from me and not from you.  If you interfere, there will be trouble."

Dodge wasn't making idle threats.  Oakes Ames, Congressman who was also feuding with Durant, announced that General Ulysses Grant (candidate for President) would be in Laramie in July and wanted to hear the two sides of the argument between Durant and Dodge.  Grant was Dodges' friend from the Civil War days.  If elected President, Grant would also carry weight with all those federal grants and aid that Durant was so fond of.

At the meeting, Dodge declared that he would quit if Durant or anyone else ever tried to change his routes again.  Grant reportedly turned to Durant and laid down the law.  "The government expects the railroad company to meet its obligation and the government expects General Dodge to remain with the railroad as its chief engineer until it is completed."  Durant had no choice but to tell Grant that "we all want Dodge to stay with the railroad."

Dodge had his victory, but there remained almost 10 months of hard labor before the Union Pacific could unite with its rival from the East and truly span the American continent by rail.

As a side note:  In Dodges' own words he describes the building of the railroad from the chief engineer's point of view..."At one time we were using at least 10,000 animals and most of the time from 8,000 to 10,000 laborers.  They worked from 3-20 miles ahead of the track.  To supply one mile with material required 40 cars - rails, ties, bridging, fastenings, supplies, fuel.- had to be transported from the Missouri River.  We moved westward every hundred miles, adding to our transportation.  /It was so systematically planned that work was never delayed for want of materials."

Next time - the Central Pacific
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Today in Pioneer History:  "On May 7, 1763, Pontiac’s Rebellion begins when a confederacy of Native American warriors under Ottawa chief Pontiac attacks the British force at Detroit. After failing to take the fort in their initial assault, Pontiac’s forces, made up of Ottawas and reinforced by Wyandots, Ojibwas, and Potawatamis, initiated a siege that would stretch into months.