Westward the Dream by Judith Pella & Tracie Peterson

Author:Judith Pella & Tracie Peterson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

21

To the best of Brenton’s knowledge, the sole purpose of the Chicago railroad gathering was to continue creating a foundation for the Union Pacific Railroad and Telegraph Company. Congress had passed the Railroad Act last year, and Lincoln had signed it into law with the most generous of details put into writing. From there, one hundred and fifty-eight commissioners from twenty-five states and territories were somehow to transform the dream from paper to reality. They would meet along with five additional men, appointed by the secretary of the interior to represent the government’s interests.

Brenton had studied the basic details of the act and understood most of it. Congress had decreed that work on the transcontinental railroad would begin simultaneously from both a western and eastern site. The Central Pacific Railroad Company, apparently headquartered in Sacramento, California, would have permission to run track east from Sacramento to as far as the company could manage. Of course, they would have to contend with the granite barrier of the Sierra Nevadas from the very start.

The Union Pacific was to create a main line and central branch that maintained a close proximity to the forty-first parallel. However, to everyone’s amazement, the railroad terminus was not to be fixed at the Missouri River, as most had assumed it would be, but rather somewhere around the one hundredth western meridian, which placed it some two hundred fifty miles west of Omaha.

“You look deep in thought, Mr. Baldwin.”

Brenton glanced up from his notes to find a man whom he’d met earlier at breakfast. “Mr. Madison, correct?”

“That’s right.”

Brenton considered the man for a moment. He was tall and lean but younger than most of the other men in the crowded lobby. Perhaps it was his youth that had drawn him to seek Brenton’s company; after all, neither one seemed overly suited for the argumentative business of the day.

“My father is tied up with the commissioners,” Madison told him.

“Ah, so you’re here with your father?” Brenton inquired.

“Yes. He’s quite delighted by this railroad expansion business. How about you?”

“I’m a photographer. I’m recording some of these events for posterity.”

“How fascinating. But I see no equipment.”

Brenton put away his paper and pencil and smiled. “I’m still arranging for some of the settings. These things must have a very definite order.”

Madison nodded. “So what do you discern of this affair? Quite a bit of madness, don’t you think?”

“I suppose so. I am curious about one piece of information I learned,” Brenton said, deciding to just come right out with some of his questions. Surely Madison wouldn’t concern himself with why Brenton cared about the details of the railroad.

“And what would that be?” Madison replied, chest puffing out a bit as he threw his shoulders back, obviously pleased to be treated as an equal.

Brenton nearly smiled at the sight of the man, who was so easily made to feel important. “I wondered about this issue of putting the Union Pacific eastern terminus in the middle of the one hundredth meridian. What is that all about?”

Madison nodded as if he had anticipated Brenton’s question.

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