Letter to the Editor in today's AUBURN JOURNAL

From: "chris graves" caliron@cwnet.com

The Auburn Journal printed a letter to the Editor today (December 26, 2005) headlined thus: "PROBING LOCAL RAILROAD STORIES LED TO ADVENTURE:"

The story reads:

It was with great interest I read your article concerning the Myth of Cape Horn, Journal, December 13. During the time I was a young boy growing up in Martinez, Cal. our family took the train to Utah at least once a year, which caused me to be very interested in the story of the Central Pacific. I read anything I could get my hands on, including "A Work of Giants", mentioned in your article. I am not sure if that was my first exposure tothe story of Chinese being lowered in baskets to carve out the right of way at Cape Horn, but whatever the source I was determined to find the spot where this had taken place.

Alas, I could never find an area that I felt qualified. I began to wonder about the truth of this story, but I was just a kid. What did I know? Since then I have heard the basket story repeated many time, including the Railroad Museum in Sacramento.

Thanks be to you, Mr. Strobridge, Mr. Duncan, and the Auburn Journal for devoting the time and space to the truth of the Cape Horn basket case.

This sort of thing can't help but make you wonder about accepted "facts" of history.

(The letter then goes on to describe in detail a walk the writer took thru Tunnel #6.)

(The letter is signed) GRANT SHAW, Auburn, Cal.