Book Reviews to the conclusion that I ain totally unfit for the work, &: must be content to see others do it." The letters are remarkable for their candor; far from being the asexual embodiment of the cult of true womanhood, Martha's letters addressed her feelings as well her disquieting physical disorders. Over the two years she was unable to maintain her bouyant sense of adventure and expressed more freely the pain, anger, jealously, and sense of abandonment occasioned by her choice of plural marriage to a man twenty-seven years
407 her senior. The letters are beautifully reproduced; minimal editorial notes do not detract from the letters themselves, but neither do they help much in keeping track of peripheral events and people. This book performs a priceless service to the historical community; I applaud the courage evident in its publication, both in content and quality.
VALEEN TIPPETTS AVERY
Northern A rizona University Flagstaff
The Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad Company, Union Pacific's Historic Salt Lake Route By JOHN R. SIGNOR. (San Marino, Calif: Golden West Books, 1988. 258 pp. $54.95.) Everyone knows about the Union Pacific Railroad— one-half of the fabled Golden Spike scene—the long, long trains pulled by monstrous yellow diesel locomotives across the western deserts, through canyons, and over the western mountains. Like all presentday rail systems, the UP is the culmination of numerous mergers of smaller lines, some of which still retain their corporate existence although swallowed up in the ultimate conglomerate. The Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad is one of these entities, itself a product of the combining of several short railroads in Utah, Nevada, and California. This particular 780-mile stretch of the Union Pacific has been mentioned in a number of previous railroad volumes, and photos have appeared in many different publications. This book, however, is unique in that it covers in complete detail the formation of the line from the various small roads, the development of a
mainline artery across the vastness of the American west desert, and the present high-speed, high-tech rail system so important not only to parent Union Pacific but to the nation. The history of this line, originally known as the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, affectionately referred to by old-time railroaders as "The Pedro," is written in a down-toearth manner befitting the nickname, yet still in an accurate and scholarly way. The story details the aspirations of Sen. William A. Clark of Montana, the well known mining speculator, capitalist, and western railroad organizer. His role and that of Edward H. Harriman, who eventually controlled the Salt Lake Route and merged it into the Union Pacific system, are examined and explained. Also mentioned are how the Utah Parks Services originated to provide access to Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Grand Canyon national parks and Cedar Breaks National Monument John Signor, a trainman employed
