"We've pulled the ralls as far as Chamita"

"WE PULLED 41 miles of rails --
for the Burma Road" explained
Blair Shoemaker of Santa Fe yes-
terday, as he looked tired: He rest-
ed for a shoe shine and a smoke.
He is with the D&RG accounting
department; has office in an ex-
press car, narrow gauge, on a sid-
ing. No trains pass Mr. Shoemaker
as he toils with pen and long col-
ums of figures: "We've pulled the
ralls as far as Chamita" he con-
tinues, “with hard work since Oc-
tober 6 th, eight days out for rains,
Got 83 and one-half miles to go:
job to be done by March first, next
year—the dead line.' Mr. Shoe-
maker says the rails are loaded on-
to cars and sent to Denver, from
there they are shipped to San Fran-
clsco, en route to China. The ties
will be used for bridges—new ones.
The right of way will be given
back to original owners — pueblos
and land grants. The Denver and
Rio Grande, narrow gauge, will
soon be a memory — it will pass
into history with the high wheeled
bicycle, and the hoop-skirt; with
the buffalo robe and the sleigh.

Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, December 7th, 1941