The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-08-29
IT is FINISHED.
The LAST SPIKE HAS BEEN DRIVEN.
The Northern Pacific Completed at 3
O'clock Wednesday.
Helena E,deDendeat

brlgnt an early the men OF DOtn OlVls-
ions ate hasty breakfast and then started
in to get to the red flag first, or break
something. They worked like heroes,
and, as was remarked yesterday, each
man strained himself as if he was per-
sonally responsible for getting there on
time At the time the excursion arrived
on the ground the ends were less than
two miles apart, and were closing as fast
as muscle could accomplish it.
The visitors took position under a
tree near the central point marked by
the red flag, and waited anxiously to gee
which side would win. In few min
utcs the tie distributing gang moved up
from the west, laying the ties in place as
fast as man would walk. In fifteen
minutes more, the tie men from the east
came round the bend half mile east,
and it was but a few minutes until every
tie was Strengthened and ready for the
rails.
Then came pause while awaiting the
tracklayers, who were not yet in sight,
from either direction. In about half an
hour those from the west came around a
point quarter ofa mile distant. Steadily
they marched Tor warked) toward the
red flag (the winning point, like an army
Of well-drilled soldiers. Not a false
motion made they. but every move by
any individual, forwarded the work just
so much.
At ten minutes before two o'clock the
work from the west reached the central
flag, but the gang from the east, having
suffered several unexpected delays, were
only just coming around the curve three
quarters of mile away.
The locomotive from the west moved
up to the end of the track and INDUCED
in good deal Of triumphant whistling,
which was answered by the locomotive
from the east-not triumphantly, how
ever. The engine from the west stated
that rather than waste time in watering
his locomotive he had let her run down
almost dry, feeling sure that he would
have enough water to carry the machine
to the meeting point and after that
well, he didn't care much what.
At 3 o'clock the tracklayers from the
east came up and the ends Of the track
met. The last two rails were cut to a
proper length to fit the last gap, after
which they were spiked down. Michael
Clifford (spiked from the west) drove the
last spike, and the next to the hast was
driven by F. NJ. Wilson, the Heralds
travelling man, after good deal Of wild
sledge-hammering which struck almost
everything in the vicinity except the
spike.
After the last rail was spiked down.
Mr.. Winston called the tracklayers
together, and introduced Major Maginnis
to them, who delivered a short but ap-
propriate address, congratulating them
upon the important part which they had
played in the building of this great trans
continental route. During his speech
Major Maginnis was loudly cheered.
After this the men returned to their
camp, and the excursionists boarded the
train and were brought back to Helena,
arriving about 3 o'clock.
The point at which the two divisions
of the Northern Pacific meet is at Gold
creek, where the first gold discovery in
Montana was made. The discovery was
made in 1861 by "Gold Tom" and Gran
vile Stuart. It was not heraldad abroad
until the next year, when singularly
enough Gold creek was the accidental
meeting point of an eastern exploring
party (under the leadership of S. T. Hau-
ser) and similar party from the Pacific
coast, of which Bud Meadow was leader.
Both parties met at Stuart's cabin on
Gold creek, learned of the gold discov-
cries, and it is doubtless to that acciden-
tai meeting Montana is indebted for one
at least of her most enterprising citizens.
The track-laying armies will remain
where they are for a few days, part Of
them engaged in blasting the road, after
which they will scatter. Their chief oc-
cupation is gone, but at last the Northern
Pacific is built, and Montana rejoices.
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