 Within several days, the company sold $300,000 in stock, but were unable to raise further funds to begin construction.The efforts seemed to be on the brink of failure when Evans was able to persuade Congress to grant the company of land on the condition that the company build a line connecting the Union Pacific line in Wyoming with the existing Kansas Pacific line, which then extended only as far west as central Kansas.Racing to beat the Golden investors, the company broke ground on its Cheyenne line on May 18, 1868 and took approximately two years to complete.