The graders worked as much as two hundred miles ahead of the track. They were housed in tents, and all supplies for their sustenance and material used by them were necessarily hauled from the several terminal points. This resulted in the employment of a good sized army of teamsters and freighters. In the buffalo they had a food that, while cheap, was of the first order, and the number thus utilized was away up in the thousands. No pretense was made to ballast the track, as the construction work was done. The ties were laid on the grade with just enough dirt on them to keep them in place. Speedy construction was considered of the first importance and then the ballasting could be done much cheaper after the track was down. To a very great extent temporary trestles of timber were used, to be replaced later by more permanent culverts of stone. In some places where the piles were thus replaced by masonry, it was necessary to tear out the stone and put in piles again. The heavy freshets proved more than the culverts could carry off, and besides the stone work would wash out much quicker than did piles. The bridges were mostly Howe wooden truss uncovered, with stone or wooden abuttments. Where the span was short, wooden trestles on piles were used. One reason for deferring the masonry work as well as the ballasting was the inability to handle the necessary supplies. Every engine and all the equipment were kept in constant use hauling construction material to the front. Notwithstanding what, to the contractor of today, would seem antiquated and expensive methods, the work progressed and made headway to an extent that has never since been equalled. It was the immense army, as high as twelve thousand men at times, that enabled this to be the case. One-fifth the number of men with modern methods and labor-saving devices would have been equally efficious. The expense of hauling water and supplies for the army of men was enormous. The statement has been made that this cost more than it did to do the actual grading. The great bugaboo of the day was the question of operating the line during the winter season, it being the general impression that the snow fall was so great through the Rocky Mountain region as to render it impossible to keep the line open. To ascertain the facts in regard to this as well as to obtain data as to the best method of overcoming the same, engineers were stationed at points where it was anticipated there would be trouble. For three winters they were kept in tents and dug outs to obtain information on this point, and on the spring and winter freshets which it was anticipated would be a source of great annoyance. CHAPTER VIII. _Completion of the Line._ Connection Made Between Union and Central Pacific Railroads May 9th, 1869--Ceremonies at Promontory May 10th, 1869--Celebrations in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Omaha, Salt Lake City and San Francisco.