Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1920-01-11 | Page 48 | Road Builders Grip Hands Give Tabloid Biographies

Grip Hands p r 1 c 4 4 1 Give Tabloid Biographies BY B Whit hit Burnett and anti bent with years G GRAY HAIRED of or hard and rue rue-o rugged western service se ice more than of ot tho time boys bOR of or the theold theold theold old gang yesterday met shook hands and In little confidential groups on the mezzanine floor of ot tho the Hotel Utah went vent back In memory to those grand old days das fifty years tars ears ago o when with picks and shovels Rho teams and scrapers the tIme able bodied men inca of at Salt Lake Lalo and antI other points rolled up their sleeves anti and a l railroad Fifty years to tho the day I a since Bince the tho driving ln of or the tho last spike yesterday saw many of oC the railroad workers who helped con construct the Utah Central CromO from Crom O Ogden den to Salt Lake linking the capital with the outside world world found found them not only reminiscent but In man ninny many cases saddened for many of oC the time boys of at the time gang Jang have Ion long since been lIeen dead Among Amon some sonic of or tho the veterans who sat down at tho the banquet In their honor at 6 6 o'clock last night were the tho followIng followIng following follow follow- ing who have contributed short statements state state- meats ments on their bit In the job AV v. 11 II of f SIl I l I hauled ties tics from Crom rein to Salt Lako Lake to help holp i build the first railroad Into the tho city ht of ton For For my part In fn the time construction of or the tho road I still bear benr a memento My 11 thumb was mashed mashe b by a n railroad tic tie while I Iwas Iwas Iwas was employed on oa the tho road After Arter that I slid dill grading and antI leveling O P. P Hunter homIer of Suit Salt Lake I Lake I helped sur e survey time the line of or l Crows I Cros I drove e an ox team hauling dirt for tho the roadbed I made mado a dollar ollar a n day This however was not In cold cash I had to take tako my pa pay In transportation from Woods Cross to Salt Lake The fare tare was 70 cents round trip Thus I would work worle nearly nearh all da day for my l' l railroad fare T. T I 1 V. V LrI of oC Salt Lake t I nipped the tic while Brigham ham Young drove thelast tho the I last spike We Ve all knocked off work worle for tho the da day to celebrate During tho the construction of at the time road I was foreman foreman fore tore man with seventy five or elgh eighty men under me working all the way Va from rom Salt Lake to Ogden Most of or tho the men were wore Thoro w were r three other foremen on the tho line lino all of ot us serving under John W. W Young Brigham Young YounS' struck the spike five 11 times I remember remember remember ber distinctly Joseph G O. O Youn Young Young-I I I was the first brakeman on tho the railroad John Lea Lea- Itt now lead dead was my conductor working out of Farmington After service of ot three or four years ears I went to Ogden Osden where I w was wa made mado ter tel at nt 2 a day uY J J. J AV v. on of oC Most fun Most of ot the time pay I got from rom tho the railroad like others oth oth- ers s with whom I worked tl came cam in the form of oC merchandise Wo We didn't care Colre though In what form Corm It was given We e wanted a railroad d and we didn't hesitate heal hesi tate tato to worl work vork to that e end d. d G O. O I Taylor of Snit Salt Lake I Lake I chopped and antI hauled tics ties The wood 1 hauled camo caine from Crom Bingham canyon and was mostly red pine and balsam m. Ono One of oC the happiest moment I can n re remember remember re- re member was when on a a. winter da day In 1870 wo we all nil stood around and watched I time the last spike sink in the time l last st tie lie marking the completion of at our long hard work