The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-05-20
The Pacific Railway.

| Exercises attending the Laying Of the Last
| Rail at Pronaontory. Utah-PreSentdtion
| ofa Siluer Spike-1he Last Tie Speeches
and Dispatches.
PRoMoNToRY. Utah, Tuesday, May H.
In presenting the silver spike to DR.. Durant
yesterday, in performance of his part in the
exercises attending the laying Of the last
rail of the great Pacific Road, Hon. T. A.
Tuttle, of Nevada, offered the following SEN
timent:
To the iron of the East and the gold of
the West. Nevada adds her link of silver to
span the Continent and wed the oceans.
Hon. A. X. Stanford, Governor of Arizona.
offered a spike of iron, silver, and gold. as
an Offering from Arizona, with the following
| sentiment
Ribbed with iron, clad in silver, and
crowned with gold, Arizona presents her
offering to the enterprise that has banded
the Continent and dictated the pathway 10
! commerce.
SPEECH OF GOVERNOR STANFORD.
| Governor Stanford then responded as fol-
lows in behalf of the Union Pacific Road
| Gentlemen The Pacific Railroad Compa-
nies accept with pride and satisfaction these
golden and silver tokens of your apprecia-
ton of the Importance of our enterprise to
the material interests of the sections which
| you represent on this occasion, and to the
material interests of our whole country,
! East and West, North and South. These
| gifts shall receive fitting place in the su-
! perstructure Of our road. And, before lay
ing the ties and driving the spikes in com
! pletion of the Pacific railway, allow me to
express the hope that the great importance
which you are pleased to attach to our un-
! dertaking may be in all respects fully real
| lied. This line of rails connecting the At
/ lantic and Pacific, and aft riding to com
merce new transit, will prove, we trust,
| the speedy forerunner of increased facilities
The Pacific Railroad will, as soon as com
merce shall begin fully to realize its advan-
tages demonstrate the necessity of such inn
| provemen's in railroa5ing as to render practi-
cable the transportation of freights at much
| less rates than are possible under any sys-
tenn which has been thus far anywhere
adopted. The day is not far distant when
three tracks will be found net esSary to arc m
modate the commerce and travel which will
seek transit across this Continent. Freights
will then move only one way on each track,
and at rates of speed that will answer the
! demands IF cheapness and time-cars and
engines will be light or heavy, according to
the speed required and the weight to be
transported. In conclusion, will add that
we hope to do ultimately what is now i'm
| possible on long lines: transport coarse,
heavy, and cheap products for all distances
at living rates to trade. Now, gentlemen,
with your assistance. we will proceed to lay
the last tie and rail and drive the last spike.
SPEECH OF GENERAL 3opGE.
/ General @. Nj. Dodge, Chief Engineer of
the Union Pacific railroad, in responding
for California, Nevada. and Arizona, said /:
The great Benton prophesied that some
day granite statue would he erectel on
| the highest peak cf the Rocky Mountains
pointing westward. denoting the great route
across the Continent. You have made the
/ prophesy to-day fact.
| THE LAST TIE
! The Superintendents of Construction, S.
| B. Reed, os the Union Pacific Railroad and
/ S. Y. rawbridge, of the Central Pacific,
| placed the last tie beneath the rails. The
tie was of California laurel, French polished.
! and on the centre a silver plate bearing the
/ following inscription THE last tie laid on
! the completion of the Pacific Rsilroad, May
/ 10, 1862 with the names of the directors
| and officers of the Central Pacific Company.
The Union Expressj Company presented "a
/ silver hammer for the purpose Of driving
| the spikes.
| THE LAST WORK
All being prepared. Governor Stanford
stood on the south rail, Dr.. Durant on the
north rail, and on the signal of go K" from
the telegraph offices both gentlemen struck
| the spikes, and the work was done. The
| vast multitude cheered Justify, and DR.. Du-
rant and Governor Stanford cordially greet
! ed each other and shook hands. The doctor
| proposed three cheers for the Central Pacific
/ Company, which ~as followed by the Gov
ernor's proposing three cheers for the Union
| Pacific Company. The utmost eordialitv
reigned, Durant exclaiming, "there is hence
forth but one Pacific Railroad [cheers1 Of
! the United States" Cheers followed fol
the engineers, contractors and the laborer:
! who have done the work
DESPATCH TO PRESIDENT GRANT.
The order of exercises was read by Edgar
Mills. banker, of Sacramento also the fol
| lowing message:
PRoMoNTARY SUMMIT,
Nay 10th, 1902 nooD
To HIS Ercellency General U. S. Grant
President Of the United States, Washing
ION, d. c.:
SIR We have the honor to report tha
the last rail is laid, the last spike is driven
and the Pacific Railroad is finished.
LELAND STANFORD,
| President Central Pacific Railroad Company
DR.. DURANT,
| Vice-President Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany.