Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, February 11, 1866

In this letter from February 11, 1866, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family noting that construction on the Union Pacific has reached 56 miles west of Omaha. He states that his work is not "wearing on body and boots," but is "close hard office work."

Omaha, NE
February 11, 1866

The track is now laid 56 miles west of Omaha and there is iron enough to lay four miles more which I hope to have completed this week if the weather is favorable. Then I suppose we will have the commissioners out here again from Washington to inspect on government account, the last twenty miles. My work is not hard bodily labor but close hard office work which is not as wearing on body and boots as chasing over rugged mountains of the west.