Congress distrusted the Union Pacific Railroad ( UP ) and in 1884 forced it to hire Adams as the new president . Adams had long promoted various reform ideas , as in his book '' Railroads , Their Origin and Problems '' ( 1878 ) , but he had little practical experience in management . As railroad president , he was successful in getting a good press for the UP , and set up libraries along the route to allow his employees to better themselves . He had poor results dealing with the Knights of Labor labor union . When the Knights of Labor refused extra work in Wyoming in 1885 , Adams hired Chinese workers . The result was the Rock Springs massacre , that killed scores of Chinese , and drove all the rest out of Wyoming . He tried to build a complex network of alliances with other businesses , but they provided little help to the UP . He had great difficulty in making decisions , and in coordinating his subordinates . Adams was unable to stanch the worsening financial condition of the UP , and in 1890 the railroad 's owner Jay Gould forced his resignation
Rock Springs massacre
Rock Springs massacre
Charles Francis Adams Jr.