16 WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

ander the authority of the United States Government, to build by
the shortest and most direct line toward the Pacific Ocean, and as
that one authorized by the United States Government, for which the
Government gave land grants, went along it employed the settlers
and gave employment to countless hundreds of people who needed
the jobs; and the one with the American laborers on it, if I remember
correctly, overlapped the construction of the other. There was some
conflict in respect to the land grants, as to whether they would go
clear through; but I believe they settled it by unifying them and I
believe the private corporation got paid. So it was demonstrated
that with the American labor they could build a railroad across the
sountry faster than with coolies. Is not that so?
Doctor PeTerson. I presume it is true.
The Caairman. Were coolies employed?
Doctor PerersoN. I remember rumors of Chinese coolies being
1sed.
The CuairmaN. That led to the sand-lot orators starting an agita-{ion
 that worked up a handful of people on the Pacific coast to demand
and to get from the Congress of the United States the Chinese
exclusion act.
Doctor Peterson. I am glad I came to this meeting. I never
knew before personally the author of the Peril of the Republic. I
read that book, when a young man, and at that time the favorite
song of the laborers in the lumber camps was about the “Heathen
Chinee.”
Mr. ScaneipeEr. The heathen Chinee was brought in to supply a
particular brand of labor that was said not to be available from
local labor and they are now scattered throughout the United States
in every hamlet and city. Do you know anything about where these
itinerant laborers that you must have, you say, come from? Are
hey newcomers from Mexico; and if so, what percentage?
Doctor Prrerson. One of the deterrent factors is that we have
not sufficient facts on this. I know men who own ranches in northern
Utah and southern Idaho. "They have found the Mexican is the best
sheep herder. Their experience is that when a Mexican comes there
and works and finds the conditions desirable, he writes to another
Mexican in Mexico and says, ‘I can get you a job here.”
The Cuairman. That is historically correct. That is, the European
immigrant writes home. There is also pressure on the committee
to take in selective immigrants and there is a large demand for
sheep herders from Europe, but they want theirs from Scotland and
Ireland.
Mr. Scaxeiper. You heard Mr, Chandler’s testimony about all
the itinerant labor that comes into southern California and goes
out each year. In your State there is probably a small percentage
of labor that does likewise?
Doctor PETERSON. Yes, sir.
Mr. Scuvziper. However, the big percentage of Mexicans that
some into your State either remain there, and when they are not
employed by you, on the railroads or other kind of work, whatever
it may be, of lesser skill than what we term ‘high skill,” such as a
railroad trainman, etc.—in other words, after a little training and
axperience they are competent to go into practically any kind of
work as janitors in hotels and other work of that kind. They do
all that work, don’t thev?