Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-14
The LAST sFlkEl
Which Rivals Memphis to the
AtIaatlo Ocean,
Driven ut EsRtelsie Bridge, Yes.
terday---Deligh ass Ofthe Day.

KA1 NAA1AA 49, HHHNN - -4 4
& Southwestern railroad from Memphis
to Paducah. The last spike, r~iveting the
last rail which connects these cities with
each other and both with the Atlantic
ocean, was driven homo about two 0'clork
in the evening and the sound Of the last
blow of the hammer echoed in the hearts
Of every man, woman and child in the
fertile country through which the road
passes.
The officers Of the road, feeling that the
public appreciated its importance, con-
cluded TO make the day of its compile
ton a gala day, and, providing a special
train, extended a cordial invitation TO a
number OF representative citizens to wit
ness the interesting ceremony. The train
leaving Memphis about eleven o'clock
yesterday morning carried about 80 rep
r~esentative citizens.o all occupations. The
whistle Of the engine, announcing the
exit of the train from the city, was the
signal for q burst of hilarity, which grew, !
and grew, and grew, until 'hilarity'
would have TO be spelled with letters u foot
long to indicate the state of mind of hese
solid citizens by the time they reached
home again.
The frst stop was made at "Bob Gal
lOway's Lake which Bob used to tell his
friends, confdentially, was four miles
wide. nine miles long, and seventeen
miles and a quarter deep by actual meas
urement. Everybody got off to see this
wonderful lake, supplied by eleven gush-
ing springs. A lame gentleman kindly
offered his eye glasses to the crowd, who
finally succeeded in finding the great
fountain head, which is not less than
twelve inches wide by four inches deep,
and makes q lake deep enough to float a
very small darby in a very small dug-out.
There were a few Gaping critics who
said something aboutthe water being very
weak and under proof, but no attention
was paid to them. The locomotive grew
impatient waiting, beloved a time or
two and everybody tumbled aboard.
Another halt was made at Kerrville, and
| another at Covington, the train finally
lepositing its load at Hatehie Bridge
about dinner time. The train from Padu-
cah had already arrived and the represent
ratives of thetwo cities mingled pleasant
ly together for u few minutes when il was
| announced that the moment for driving
the last spike had arrived. The place Sc
lected was about two-thirds of the way
across the bridge, and the trestle work had
to be traversed to reach il. Slim men
walked with a foot on either side of the
rails and fit men walked between as the
ties were tolerably close together and they
we're pretty certain OF falling no further
han their legs were long. President
aadden, Of Memphis, and Mayor Reed,
Of Paducah, were selected TO drive
in the spike, made of iron
If the kind ordinarily used. They
were to have Ave whacks apiece and
| Mayor Reeds turn came first. He stood
with his legs bridging the space between
Two cross ties and waving u heavy sledge
| over his head cried 10 the crowd to look
nut for tight bosts. The hammer des-
| cended upon the rail like q pile driver
| and rendered a small 10y at Coyington,
| VINO had his cart the track TO see II the
train was returning. completely deaf.
The second blow struck the cross tie with
80 much force as to make the spike bounce
from its "holt." All was made ready
| again and the third blow sent the pin into
the wood at least an inch, the fourth bent
I and the fifth Strengthened it M again,
the hammer glancing of and sowing o
| perfect harvest for the chiropodist.
President Hadden spat on his hands and
grasped the hammer with an awful sense
of the responsibility resting upon him and
determined not to let Memphis loose thi
great railroad by his inability to send the.
nailto the head in five blows. Firm in his
resolve to take no chances he straddled q
cross tie and locking his legs under him
brought down the hammer with fatal eff
tect to the hopes OF those who hoped to
see him IN IS it. His aim was q deadly one,
the fifth blow clinching the head Of the
pike upon the edge Of the rail. Then
everybody yelled pnd everybody drew
closer to gaze ut the sacred but battered
spot. ii was a sight worth seeing and
once seen never forgotten. They looked
upon the nail as if it were a corpse, and
upon the cross tie as if 1t were a
! coffin. And the nail was deader than
any door nail that ever was and rs IL
| was driven into the wood Ike a CORK
| screw, il will be as impossiblet to withdraw
it as to withdraw the good will Of Mem
| phis from the railroad itself. nf
Then began the march back over tue
| trestle, when eyerybody's head swam-on
account Of the running water beneath. It
was too early in the day to account for it
otherwise.
Arrived at the train, the crowd was
brought to order by Mr.. Holmes Cum
Minis, who mounted a hen coop, and. after
a few happy remarks, introduced Colonel
II. ID. McHenry, of Kentucky. He 50 d:
II am peculiarly gratiied to be with
you on the present occasion. The rail road
which is Just completed is not simply a
railroad from Paducah TO Memphis. but
| rom Memphis TO New York and toNew-
| port News, the SRest harbor upon the
Eastern coast, and from Newport News to
| San Francisco. The last link in n Of.
the grandest railroad systems in the
| United States has just been completed, but
this gigantic enterprise is not to rest here.
for the day is not far distant when it will
| form a part of a distinct highway from
| ocean TO ocean. 1t is a question Of a very
| short time, because II would not only be
to our Interest, but to the interest Of this
| railroad. II is a new line from Memphis
to Louisville, Ky. Those OF my audience
who are Kentuckians and those who arc
Tennes.eeans are the same people, with
| identical interests. / never saw a Tonnes
seean but what | took him 10 be a Ken
tuckian, and never a KentuckiaR that /
did not think him a Tennesseean. / re-
member upon n occasion being in
Canada, and Boosting that / would know
q Kentuckian wherever / saw him, j
pointed out two persons as natives Of that
State. They we're DR.. Cheatham and Tom
OConner, Of Tennessee.
"This may properly be called the cele-
bration OF u wedding between Memphis
and Paducab, TO the contamination Of
which they have long been looking for
ward, feeling that their commercial inter-
ests are identical"
Mr.. Calvin Vance was next introduced
as the representative of both Tennessee
and Mississippi. He said;
Gentlemen, / am not here by my own
v%olition, but / am not at all sorry l came.
| was picked up on the train, aud never
had tho least idea. Of talking. III say
anything that sounds ike an inspiration,
pray blame my friend Cummins, who has
been tempting me like the Cid Boy all
the morning, and not with bread and
stones, eithei. This is Il great day, and