The year was 1863 in Dublin Ireland. Our country was falling apart, due to these harsh times food was scarce. There was much war happening many innocent lives lost due to those two main causes. There was word around the town that there was a faraway land that people could live free and happy lives, all you needed to do was put a little effort into the work that they provided you with. this work was a dangerous job but not many people cared they we would all die this treacherous wasteland soon anyway. So late one night I made the harsh and painful decision to go, move on to a new live in America.
The next morning all of our bags were packed myself, the wife and kids all packed into this small charter boast filled with many other families and off we sailed. We arrived after about one month, to see the great land of opportunity. Once we got off the boat we found an old saloon and asked if they had any rooms for rent upstairs. The kind man said that will be five cents a night. I told the man I have no money up front but I’m looking for a job if you could point me in the right direction, the gentleman sitting next to me at the bar told me that they are building a railroad and need all the help they can get. So the next day I found a guy to hook me up and I started the following morning the put me on as a track layer to start off with. The days to come were dreadful and horrible.
During my many years that passed by I came in contact with one of the most admired people working on this project, his name was Theodore Judah. He was the first chief engineer of this whole project across America. We talked day after day met each other at the near by saloon every night for a drink and became very good friends. Over time he thought I was ready for a promotion and gave me many options on what I could learn, such as a silversmith, explosives expert, engineer, etc. I decided that I wanted to be an explosives expert. I was trained for weeks upon weeks when I was finally ready to go on my own. Things were going great for awhile then this fatal accident occurred. I was placing blast powder in a hole when the canister dumped almost a pound more then needed I got as much out a possible and expected it to be fine, but I was wrong.
By this time I had made many friends and many had died because of these horrible work conditions or fatal accidents. But when you cause the accident you feel very ashamed. My great friend and co-worker Phineas Gage was tucking in the explosives when because of the over exesive amounts of powder the charge exploded, logging his large iron rod through his skull and injuring many others. To my surprise he was fine but his personality had changed greatly. Years and years have passed and we learned that the work was going to be cut short because we were meeting another group of workers in the middle of the country coming from the pacific coast. This was great news to all of us who had worked so hard for our life here in America. Then that special time came, we were only a few miles from completion we could see the other group of workers diligently trying to finish this masterpiece. Once we met up we exchanged greetings and all took a sigh of release. The next morning we were all called out to stand right in the middle of the intersecting rails and watch the golden spike be driven to connect the rails. I cant express in words how over joyed I was at that moment in time. We all posed for what would be one of the most recognized innovation in American history. That night when everybody was fast asleep my dear friend Theodore Judah walked into my tent with a small box wrapped in cloth.
He told me it was my gift for all the hard work that I had accomplished. He told me that we could keep in touch through telegraph. I unwrapped the box and took a look inside, there was a picture of us watching the golden spike being driven into the ground this was about the best item I had ever owned. Under that was a train token which I could not afford in my wildest dreams. Then I looked up and all I saw was the emptiness of my tent, wishing that he was there I just stared into blank space thinking that this wasn’t just a train token, it was a token for a new beginning, a new life with my family in the land of opportunity. This journal ends May 10, 1869.
Strategies Of Working Effectively With Parents Social Workers And Teachers
Strategies of Working Effectively with Parents, Social Workers and Teachers in Providing Disabled Children with Full life and Education in their Community The paper is designed for defining the possible strategies of ensuring and persuading parents, social and educational workers in the need for disabled children in getting full school education in normal surrounding without any limitations and ...
One hundred and forty years later….
Now moving on to the exhibit on the transcontinental railroad we have this very interesting journal written by one of the many Irish immigrants that helped built this wonderful masterpiece of all American innovations.
