"The Mountain Divide" by Frank H. Spearman is the story of western rail service through a telegrapher vision. It's about the building of the transcontinental through the Continental Divide and the rough and ready times in the west right after the Civil War. Relies on the premise that law derives from the people and their natural right to life and property. Largely taking place in the lawless parts of the US, this story shows how self-reliance can assure survival.