Mild—3 h*ll; pestilential, stupid, inferior, backward, primitive, barbarism, hooligans, drunkard.

Extensive—Mention of rail accidents by derailment, collisions, parts breaking, and bridges falling down, death tolls and number of those injured; picture of accident, not graphic; mention of people causing accidents, arson; more detailed description of one accident; mention of rail workers during Civil War risking their lives; Civil War attacks on railways, mention of total number of dead and wounded in war; fights among workers of different enthnicities; mention or descriptions of accidents killing railroad builders, some graphic; harsh treatment of workers; mention of US government battles with Indians; Plains Indians' efforts to stop railroad, US response; maiming, injuries, dangers to railroad workers; killing of wildlife; tactics of train robbers; action against train robbers; clashes between police, vigilantes, government troops and strikers; destruction of railroad property by private citizens; efforts to drive out certain workers; mention of deaths and brutality in building railroads in Russia, African Congo, Panama, Germany; suicide mentioned; trains took Jews to death camps, death toll mentioned; description of arriving at death camp by train.

Extensive—"Gross fraud and corruption" by railroad companies and government, "political manipulation," "sheer bribery," extortion; mention of disgrace to those caught in scandal; lying; substandard construction; inequity in wages paid; lies about strikes and strikers; train robbers seen as modern Robin Hoods by popular culture; mention of "reformed" train robber; mistreatment of slaves building railroads; depression caused by greed and speculation, workers unfairly treated; strike called "communist conspiracy," by one paper, but another noted railroad companies' dishonesty and mistreatment of employees; one owner's profiteering; cutting wages; broken promises; strikebreaking tactics; lies about who was rioting; someone slandered; indictments, arrests, jail term.

Mention that people began farming "about twelve thousand years ago"; some believed railroad travel was "sinful departure from the Lord’s plan," another believed railroads were "God’s instruments"; prejudice and discrimination against different ethnic groups; callousness of railroad companies; firing of strikers; union organizer ran for president five times on Socialist ticket; mention of current "landscape ruined by aggressive neglect"; author biased in favor of rail transportation; lack of government support; mention of dead workers in Panama whose corpses were pickled, so bodies could be claimed, if not claimed, bodies were sold; trains transported Jews to concentration camps, description of mistreatment as they were transported.

Reasons for US's "rapid modernization"; railroads enhanced economic development; railroads unified North before Civil War; drop in accidents when safer equipment became mandatory, person who worked to make railroads safer; government regulations enhanced safety; standard time and international date line established; stories of helpful conductors; most labor unions "accepted both industrialization and capitalism"; strike put an end to cutting wages; governor protested unconstitutional practice; positive effects of one man's efforts to organize blacks and use nonviolent demonstrations, positive effect of India’s railway system. A fascinating look at the railroad—it'll change the way you look at trains!