Why do they name the place they stop for lunch "Camp victory"?
They have already laid six miles of track so they're sure they will accomplish their goal.
200
How far did they actually build the track?
Ten miles and fifty-six feet.
300
Which railroad, the Central Pacific or the Union Pacific, said they could lay 10 miles of track in one day?
The Central Pacific Railroad.
300
How many "Ironmen" were there? How fast could they lay one rail on average?
There were eight ironmen and they could lay one rail in about 10 seconds.
300
What was the job of the 400 tampers and shovelers.
They had to make sure the track was level and the dirt was hard.
300
What was different and more difficult about the second half of the day, after lunch?
They have to take the tracks up the mountains, so they are working uphill and they have to go around corners.
300
Why does everybody celebrate at the end of the story?
They accomplished their goal.
400
Give two possible reasons men might want to work during the extremely difficult "ten mile day"?
They get paid four times extra, they also get a bonus if they succeed, and they have the glory of holding a record for the most track laid in one day.
400
The author specifically mentions Irish and Chinese workers. Why do you think so?
The author is showing that the workers came from many backgrounds and she is showing that no matter where a worker came from, they all had valuable parts to contribute to the work.
400
They laid two miles of track by nine AM. How long did it take them?
They started at 7AM so, about two hours.
400
What does it mean to "judge the curve by sight?"
They don't have tools to measure out how much they should bend some track, so they have to look at it and guess.
400
What do you suppose the author is hinting at when she says "The Chinese workers had once again proven themselves to their biased rivals"?
Perhaps they had competing crews of other races and people thought Chinese workers couldn't do as much work or work as well as workers of other races.
500
Based on the information on page 149, how many miles of track could they lay if they had 160 flatcars of building materials?
Twenty miles.
500
Why is it so necessary to have "bosses" and people in command of work or some sort of project?
Especially with larger more complicated groups and projects, there needs to be somebody who can look over and coordinate everybody's effort so they all work together.
500
Why is it necessary for workers to continuously bring food and water to the track workers? What would happen if they didn't?
The men need energy to keep going and water to keep them hydrated. If they couldn't get water they could pass out. If they don't get food they won't have energy to continue.
500
Explain exactly how the process is different, including how they make curves and what they had to do with horses, once they reach the mountains.
They have to bend rails manually by hammering them against blocks until they make the right shape. Horses had to be changed every two hours to rest them and they could no longer run, they had to walk.
500
What is amazing about this story? Give a well reasoned response for credit.
Possible answer: These men not only broke a record, they shattered it. They showed what it means to take pride in your work and that they were willing to work extra hard for a bigger reward. If that is true, then employers everywhere can look at this story and think of demanding more from their workers in exchange for a higher monetary reward. Everybody wins.