Assignment 9, The Canadian Pacific Railway

March 8th, 1882

Dear diary,

This is my first entry in this journal and I hope I get to read my entries when i get back home to China. Just in case I don't make it I should tell who I am. I am a Chinese woman named Cybele P.Lin. Yes I know, I am a girl working on the railroads. So far I am the only woman here, though they don't know that because right now they think I am a man names Julian P. Lin. When Mr. Delory showed up with his group of workers to higher (more like tell) Chinese men to work for him that needed the money and had troubles filling there families needs, they wouldn't let me go with them. I am a strong independent women that doesn't need big men to tell me what I can and and cannot do! So I did it. I disguised myself as a man and got in with no problem. Its amazing how short hair and baggy clothes can change a persons perspective! Anyways so after I got in with the 17 000 Chinese men, we all traveled to BC to face the crazy bombs and exploding mountains while trying to build a railroad to stretch from one side of the country to the other. And now I'm just about to go to sleep in a crazy, crowded tent on the first night of being a male. Wish me luck! ill talk to you tomorrow, Goodnight.

March 8th, 1882

Dear Diary,

Today I am frustrated, sad, and tired. I have just finished a long day of running in and out of exploding mountains, carrying wood around and traveling 40 km with all my gear, when needing to a leave to a different area to build. Its very exhausting work, especially when you are only getting paid 1$ a day! Now if everyone was getting paid 1$ a day, I wouldn't complain, just the thing is that only people from my country are getting paid 1$ day! The rest of the people here are getting 1.50 to 2.50 a day!! How unfair is that! And we need the money more then they do anyways! Well, I guess that's what I'm going to have to live with for the next billion days I'm here. At least I'm getting some money to come home with for my 3 kids, if I end up surviving to get home to my kids! Its absolutely horrible what they are making the people from my country do! they are the only ones risking there lives to blow up these huge mountains! I have already seem many people not make it out in good condition, or even alive. At least i have not been assigned to do anything too dangerous, well.. at least not yet.

March 10th, 1882

Dear Diary,

This is horrible! There's people dieing all over the place! Including my friend Maadai Cabal that I just met a few days ago. I don't think I can stand it anymore! Sseeing body's after body's coming through to get help. lucky for me, I haven't gotten instructed to do one of those dangerous bombings of a mountain but I might have to soon. Its funny, you see many workers exploding the mountains but no Europeans ! What a surprise. We do all the work and they get paid more, it makes me sick. Oh, and speaking of sick, not only are people dieing of explosions but there dieing of scurvy. No wonder everyone's dieing of scurvy! All you eat is rice, dry salmon and some disgusting tasting tea! No fruits, no vegetables, no vitamin C. All I hope for, is to survive.

I found my informantion from these sites.