The Worthington advance., 1882-10-12
DRIVfN0 1,HB LAST SPIRa.


Last Saturday, Oct. 7tll, was mem.
orable day in the history Of WorthinR-
ton. The " connecting the Burling-
ton with the Omaha track was com.
pleted about IL O'Clock and the ceremo.
ny of connecting tho two roads by lay
ing the final strip Of rail and driving
the last spike was deferred until half
past one Mayor Smith took charge Of
the preliminaries and arrangements
were made to have the bells Of the town
rung and an anvil chorus fired.
Soon after O'Clock the ring and
clang of cutting the last rail was heard
resounding through the town, and q
stream OF people flowed toward the
point of junction. Marshall Lyons
brought up the cannon, two anvils
from Mr.. Haegle's blacksmith shop. and
Mr.. II. stood ready " tn the fuse. The
last piece of rail was laid, the spikes
were driven but one, and then Mr..
Dows announced to the multitude that
the last spike was ready to be driven.
The spike was placed in position and
Rev. u. G. Gum, of the Episcopal
church, stepped forward and took tho
hammer in hand, saying that since the
day that Miller, Humiston & Co., foun-
ded the village of WorthinQton no such
important day rs this had been known
in its history. Mr.. G. the1 hit the
the spike several taps and sunk it part
ly into the tie. lie then handed the
hammer to Mayor Smith, saying that
he would turn the work over to more
skillful hands. Mayor Smith, then,
after several very amusing misses,
drove the spike down to its head, and
the last blow was given which opened .
new world to Worthington.
The signal was waved and the .'an-
vii chorus" doomed for the new road.
Simultaneously the School bell and tie
bells Of the Presbyterian and Congre-
gational churches pealed out the glad
news to the world.
Mayor Smith then called on tho edi
tor of the ADVANCE, who came for
ward with blush and bow, (wew) and
said:
Ladies and gent|emen: III the pres
ence of the assembled world and these
witnesses, now pronounce the Bur-
li"gton road and the Omaha road man
and wife. What these track layers
have joined together, let no man put
asunder. Amen and hurrah!
Mr.. Dows was then called on to speak in
behalf of the Burlington. and in a few
we'll chosen words and striking points,
he presented the advantages of the new
line to Worthington, showing how it
crossed all the important east and west
lines and greatly shortened the distance
to Chicago and st. Louis.
Rev. II. II. Hart Of the Congregation
al church, was next called out. Mr..
Hart said that the difficulty with
NortlIington heretofore was like that
of the churches, too much narrowness.
We hal teen confined to one track but
now we had broadened our facilities.
He had been looking over the tables of
distances and found that the BurIing-
ton shortened the distance to the east
a hundred miles or more.
Mr.. Dows then announced that the
Burlington construction train was
ready to move onto the OMAHA track.
''Then and there was hurrying to and
fro' aud scrambling on the fiat cars to
get ride on the first trAin.'' When
the cars were we'll covered with people
the engine moved forward, and rs the
train passed to the Omaha track, the
crowd SPLIT their throats and the air
with loud cheers.
The crowd then dispersed, leaving
the cannon booming and the bells
ringing, aud feeling AS proud over their
new road as man does over his Sec
ond baby