Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, December 6, 1868

In this letter from December 6, 1868, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing the difficult grading work still being done. His men work "night and day without cessation" because the work "goes very slowly on account of the hard frozen ground which it is impossible to move without [gun]powder." He places the blame for this difficult work on Thomas Durant, whose interference with Reed's plans caused the work to cost twice as much and take twice as long.

Carmichael's Camp
December 6, 1868

Another week has passed and I am still working hard to get the grading done. It goes very slowly on account of the hard frozen ground which it is impossible to move without powder. We are working night and day without cessation. The Doctor made a great mistake when he put our grading forces on ties and timber. Had he left them as they were all the grading to Weber Canon would have been done long ago, before there was frost in the ground to interfere with successful work, and the ties and timber would have been as well advanced as now. It will take twice as long now to do the light grading with double the force as it would before the ground was frozen so hard. I shall remain here until the grading is completed to the head of Echo Canon. No rest for the weary until the road is finished. I fear my dinner at home must be postponed a few days. My horse is at the door of my tent and I must go over the work. A ride of twenty miles on this cold day would be dreary in the states but here I think but little of it.