I went to get the mail this morning and found a card addressed to Matthew. Hmmm. Probably a party invitation from one of his friends. I handed the card to him and he looked puzzled. I asked if it was one of his classmates. He said "Nope." OK. Thoughts running through my head. Who is writing to my child? Yes. I am overly protective. Can't help it. I opened the letter to find it was sent by the Stamford Chapter- National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The letter was to notify Matthew that he has been awarded first place in the American History Essay Contest for Stamford. The American History Essay was a school project assigned early in the school year. Every seventh grader had to write an essay about the Transcontinental Railroad. He decided to write it from the prospective of a Chinese immigrant child, the same age as Matthew, who came to the U.S. to work on the tracks. He took his own experiences of living in Shanghai and incorporated it into the essay. We never heard back about the assignment. Out of sight, out of mind. That was, until today. He will be presented his award at the end of this month at the Colonial Tea Ceremony. Matthew's essay has been submitted to Hartford for the State Essay Contest. We hope that it will win the State Contest. Keep your fingers crossed for him!
So, here's the essay that won first place. Let us know what you think.
THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD
THE JOURNAL OF WANG LI
This journal has been translated from Chinese to English
September 1, 1868
My name is Wang Li and I am twelve years old. My family and I live in the village of Pudong in Shanghai. I have two sisters May, she’s the oldest, and Lin, my little sister, but I really don’t like them much. The two people that I care about the most are my mom and my dad. My dad’s name is Zhen Li. He is a farmer but the crops are very bad this year. He also makes little statues made of bamboo that my mother sells at the local market. My mom’s name is Fen Li. She is the nicest person in the village. She is also the best cook and the best negotiator at the market.
I love my family but we do not have a lot of money. I can hear my mom cry at night because she is worried that we will not have enough to eat. I just hope some good will come to my family. Maybe tomorrow we will be happy.
September 2, 1868
Today, two strange men came to the village. One was a foreigner named Charles Crocker and the other was a Chinese man named Chin Lin Sou. The foreign man spoke to us while the Chinese man translated. He told the whole village about a great railroad that he was building in the United States that was called the Central Pacific. He said there would be plenty of work for everyone and that we would all become rich. My dad and I decided that we would go to America and work on this great railroad. I am so excited about the adventure I will have. We would come back to China as rich men and my mother would never cry again.
September 15, 1868
We have been at sea for a long time. The conditions on the ship are terrible. My father and I sleep on the cold floor without a blanket. They make me work in the hot kitchen and my father works in the engine room. They give us very little to eat and I cry every night. I miss my family, even my sisters.
December 15, 1868
I have been in America for two weeks. They make me carry heavy loads to the railroad line. My fingers are blistered and dirty. My father hammers spikes into the tracks all day. We are both very tired. They feed us watery rice and I often go to bed hungry and we make very little money. Many people are sick or hurt and some are dying.
March 8, 1869
I am thirteen years old. My father and I have new jobs. We put explosives in the rocks to clear a path for the track. I am very good at my job because I am small and light and can fit into small places. Every time we light an explosive we have to run for cover. We make more money now because it is dangerous work but I am not scared. This is the best and most important job of all, now I feel like a man.
April 1, 1869
This is my worst day. One of the explosives went off accidentally when a man struck it with his mallet. My dad was next to him when it went off and he died. I have been crying and crying. I thought that if I wrote about what happened it would make me feel better but it makes me even sadder. I know I should be strong but it hurts me too much.
April 28, 1869
I worked very hard today. Mr. Crocker made us work from sunrise until sunset. My arms are so tired and I cannot raise them anymore. Mr. Tong told me we laid ten miles of track today. Many people were hurt and I am very tired now so I will go to sleep.
May 10, 1869
This morning I heard people laughing and cheering. I ask my friend Mr. Tong what was happening and he said, “Look outside the track is finished.” I stepped out of the tent and I saw two locomotives face to face where the track was connected. A man drove in the last spike made of gold into the track. Everyone was cheering. I stopped and looked up at the sky and said, “We did it dad! We finished!” I felt tears roll down my cheeks. I am going home!”
May 15, 1869
I do not have enough money to travel back to China. Mr. Tong told me that the Chinese immigrants made much less money and because I am very young, I was paid even less, and they won’t give me my father’s pay. I have decided to stay in America. I will go with Mr. Tong to a place called San Francisco. There is a Chinese community there; maybe I can find a job and make more money. I will have a new life in America. I am a man now. I have helped to build the great railroad and someday I will be a rich man. Maybe then I can go back to China to see my mother and sisters again.
