Page 12 - CCBA-LA-125th-2014

歷史沿革 DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

spoke their home dialect, the “Tang” dia- 中央太平洋公司承擔的工程，受到地理的
lect. 條件影響，修築工程格外艱難。因為，必
須穿越險峻的雪山山脈，這是加州與內華
1848年，加州發現黃金的消息就從太平洋 達州的分界山脈。最高峰海拔四千四百一
傳回了廣東，於是吸引了大批的移民前來 十八公尺，鐵路工程沿著陡峭，幾近垂直
淘金；但是，並非所有的華人移民都是懷 的峭壁上開山築路；華工利用中國傳統的
著淘金夢來到美國的。據史料記載，1870 鑿山法，與一座又一座的高山，以及惡劣
年的前後十年，入境美國的華人約有十二 的氣候搏鬥，可以想見當年修築鐵路的華
萬之多。 工為了美國東西部交通的發展，付出了多
Although the majority of Chinese immi- 大的勞力、心血，和貢獻。
grants from Guangdong arrived in 1848 The construction of the Central Pacific
due to the enticement of the Gold Rush in Railroad was a Herculean undertaking due
California, not all were prospecting for gold. to the terrain, as it must cross the precipi-
According to historical records, in a decade tous ranges, perpendicular cliffs and snow-
after 1870, there were more than 120,000 capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, climb-
Chinese immigrants in America. ing as high as 4,418 meters. The Chinese
railroad workers, using mountain-digging
1862年至1869年間，美國聯邦政府通過建 methods passed on through the ages, con-
築一條連接東西部的跨州橫貫鐵路，由 quered inclement climate and formidable
聯合太平洋公司和中央太平洋公司承建。 topographies with their sweat and hard la-
聯合太平洋公司從密西西比河開始，由東 bor. They were instrumental in the com-
向西修建；中央太平洋公司則由西海岸開 pletion of this ambitious transcontinental
始，向東修建。許多華人是因為美國的勞 project.
力極度缺乏，在鐵路開發上需要大批勞
工，所以，刻苦耐勞、忠誠可靠的中國人 開拓西部與淘金熱促使華人迅速進入美國
被大批招募，承擔了修築鐵路的苦工。當 西部各區，並加入其他行業的開拓；另
時，中央太平洋公司先後雇用了一萬多名 外，縱貫鐵路建成，交通便利，加州地處
的華人。 太平洋沿岸，氣候溫和，雨量充足，土壤
From 1862-1869, Congress authorized 肥沃，適宜農作物生長，華人便將中國的
two railroad companies, the Central Pacific 農業技術帶到加州，不僅成為墾荒的勞動
Company and the Union Pacific Company, 力，也豐富了加州的蔬果品種。1877年，
to undertake one of the most ambitious 加州眾議院報告：「我們承認，本州早期
projects ever contemplated: the construc- 歷史，當白人勞工未充分得到之時，在許
tion of a transcontinental railroad. It would 多特有產業中，華人是非常有用的，他們
span 1,800 miles across expansive plains, 在建築鐵路、開礦、園藝、一般農業及家
arid deserts, and the rugged granite walls 庭僕役曾有很大貢獻，他們當中有許多具
of the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. 備卓越專才，且是容易相處和廉價的且受
The Central Pacific Company hired over 管理者。」
10,000 Chinese immigrants to labor in this Development of the West as well as the
low-paying, back-breaking job. The Chi- Gold Rush attracted more Chinese to im-
nese, known for their endurance and dili- migrate to the West. They also engaged
gence, were recruited as the railroad com- in other trades as the completion of the
panies ran into acute labor shortages. Transcontinental Railway vastly improved
the transportation system of the United

羅省中華會館125週年 125 Anniversary CCBA LA | 13