Join the discussion on the following article:
U.S. Labor Department to induct Chinese railroad workers into Labor Hall of Honor
Where in the story does it say they were the “only” ones to face danger or hard work. There’s nothing wrong with recognizing a group of people for what they did to help build our railroads and our country under extreme conditions. Why do you always have to be so negative Jim?
Where in the story does it say they were the “only” ones to face danger or hard work. There’s nothing wrong with recognizing a group of people for what they did to help build our railroads and our country under extreme conditions. Why do you always have to be so negative Jim?
I didn’t know they were the only ones to face danger and hard work. Interesting.
From the stories I have read the Chinese were treated even worse then the laborers of other origins. All in all they were ALL treated poorly to say the least.
Are there any cemeteries along the CP/UP that have graves of railroad workers?
Like the Irish didn’t have the same experience.
Do not forget the Hundreds ( maybe more?) of Italians, Irish, Germans, & Negro, RR Workers, and local civilians; that were killed Building the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio RR… Accounts of the line being lined with all sorts of memorial crosses, and even mass burials in ROW Fill areas, witnessed by rail passengers on their first ride over the line.
That’s the reason for the saying; “A Chinaman’s chance”. They certainly were treated as expendables.
When I was in university I told a Chinese student (who was very boastful about her country) that the Chinese where responsible for three of the greatest civil engineering projects in history:
The Great Wall, Grand Canal, and the Central Pacific Railroad!
I’m glad the the “coolies” are getting this recognition, Asian-Americans played an important role in building up the infrastructure of the western US and Canada in the 19th Century. Some even return to China to build railways in the mother country, and not just as laborers but as bona fide civil engineers.
And don’t forget, they didn’t make it into the iconic photo of the golden spike ceremony at Promontory Summit.
Pandering for the Oriental vote?
Martin, yes. Google Union Pacific cemetery, Ellis Kansas
Mr. Hays:
Your latest racist comment has also been brought to the attention of the editors.
Some 200 years ago, before the industrial revolution, China was the most technologically advanced society on earth. Their skill, toil and sacrifice built our western roads. It was anything but a free ride for those laborers. The Chinese are still building railroads today, at home and around the world, using modern technology. This recognition is the least we can do to say ‘thanks.’
My wife’s family were these Chinese workers. How do we know who is being inducted? When? Where?
This is a quote from the document, “The Sins of Stephen E. Ambrose” compiled by G. J. “Chris” Graves, Newcastle, Calif., Edson T. Strobridge, San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Charles N. Sweet, Ogden, Utah concerning the story of the baskets that the Chinese workers were supposedly using. Ambrose repeats the story in his book, “Nothing Like It in the World”;
The construction of the railroad around Cape Horn is the basis of much legend, and it is difficult to separate fact from fancy. There is no mention of the Cape Horn construction in the internal papers in the Collis P. Huntington collection, no records found in the archives of the Southern Pacific Co., no description in the 1887 Senate Pacific Road Commission Hearings and no descriptions found in the contemporary newspapers that were covering almost daily the construction activities of the Central Pacific railroad. There are at last five publications that date between 1869 and 1884 that each describe “daring workman” as having been “lowered by ropes”, “securely tied around their bodies”, “held by ropes,” etc., one railroad guide quoting Leland Stanford “with ropes around their waists, picking away in that solid granite to make places to put their feet to begin drilling and blasting for the road.” The theme of all these early references describe the first workman being let down the precipitous slope, suspended by a rope firmly tied around their bodies while they hammered away to make for themselves standing room on a narrow ledge from which to work. None of them describe the use of baskets for suspending the workmen.
Where is National Civil War Memorial?