Chinese peasants began arriving on the American shores in 1850, they came over because of poverty and the overpopulation of their hometown. These Chinese immigrants faced growing prejudice and increasingly restricted laws. In early 1865 the Central Pacific had work for over 4,000 men but the contractor Charles Crocker couldn't even hold onto 800. working the railroad was a hard job, and not too many people signed up. The workers were mainly Irish immigrants, the Irish were known for spending their paychecks on liquor and the Chinese had no better reputation. But due to the shortages Central Pacific agreed to start hiring the Chinese.
The Chinese workers were organized into groups of 20. Each group had 1 white foreman. The pay for the Chinese workers were about $25-30 a month. The workers lived in canvas camps along the grade. Toward the end of the line, Crocker was convinced of the skills of his Irish and Chinese workers that he decided to try for a record of laying 10 miles of track in one day. The Chinese and Irish workers were working like an organized army laying tracks, making Crocker very proud.
