Wages and Rail Fares in the 1860's

... I have just been asked some questions about pay rates for railroad workers on the UP and Central Pacific during the construction of the line leading up to the driving of the golden spike. The questions come from one of the teachers working with the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. They are:

Men's salaries while working on the RR: Men were paid between $1-$5 dollars per day. Immigrants were paid the lowest amount. Is this just for laying track? What were blacksmiths, cooks, carpenters, surveyors and telegraphers paid? What was a masons or a teamster paid during this time? ...

—Ron Goldfeder, St. Louis

[from the R&LHS Newsgroup.]