Until the Last Spike: The Journal of Sean Sullivan, a Transcontinental Railroad Worker, Nebraska & Points West 1867 By William Durbin & Staking a Claim: The Journal of ... - Softcover

Acclaimed author William Durbin's exciting JOURNAL OF SEAN SULLIVAN is now in paperback with a dynamic repackaging! It's August 1867 and Sean has just arrived from Chicago, planning to work with his father on the Transcontinental Railroad. Sean must start at the bottom, as a water carrier, toting barrels of it to the thirsty men who are doing the backbreaking work on the line. At night, everyone is usually too tired to do anything but sleep, yet Sundays are free, and Sean discovers the rough and rowdy world of the towns that seem to sprout up from nowhere along the railroad's path over the prairie. But prejudices run rampant for both the Irish and Chinese workers -- especially when they start a deadly race to see who can lay track the fastest. Through Sean's eyes, the history of this era and the magnitude of his and his fellow workers' achievements come alive.