Michael J. Heney helped build railroads in
Canada, Washington and Alaska but it was his work as a labor
contractor for the White Pass & Yukon Route that brought
him wide recognition and fame. He was born in Ireland and
immigrated to Canada with his family. At 14 he ran away from
home to work on the Canadian railroad. He learned to lay
rail, measure grades, blast cliffs, build tunnels, estimate
costs and run crews. Heney had a natural gift for leadership.
The
partnership between Heney and the men who would become his
friends and colleagues in the construction of the railroad
was successful. The White Pass & Yukon Route was built
in twenty-six months for ten million dollars. The "Scenic
Railway of the World" secured Heney’s place in
history.
