, 1883-09-15

transportation were reSOrted too
While to reach it overland required
the slow and doubtful hull team
Now it is brought Immediately in
communication with the populou,
states east Of the mountains, and
thence in direct connection with
Europe. 1t will be the means OF
throwing II vast number Of people
andac0rrcswndingamountofw Of wealth
at once into the country, and in 1881
it will proFaHly make more rapid
growth than during any five prcced,
ing years. 1t also gives an outlcftc
the productions Of this territory,
whether they be the products Of the
soil, the factories, or the mines. Our
people understand the importance
connected with the building of the
Northern Pacific road, and therefore
hailed the driving Of. the last spike
with acclaims Of rejoicing, and eager
ly went to work preparing to give
the President and his large number
Of invited guests, made up Of some
of the most noted celebrities of the
Old and New World, a reception be.
fitting the occasion.
For week prior to the date when
the party was expected the public
were busy, and notes of preparation
could be heard on every hand. a
vast amount of evergrcens We're
shipped over the road and distribu-
ted among the business houses. Red,
white and blue cloth was in such Il
( demand that the stock ran short, and
flags Of all sizes were displayed to the
best advantage. BY Saturday night
the city was decked out in gludy
tinery, far surprising the exhibition
OF the 18th Of July. Along the route
that the guests were expected to-
travel waved forests of pine, fir and
cedar, while the national cOlors
caught the eye in every direction.
Arches had been built across the
principal streets, appropriately
decorated and bearing suggcs-
tive notices. On the west side
Of the arch across Riverside
avenue, in front of \. NJ. Cam
mons bank, was "AT hail to II.
Nilllrd and his Associates" and on
the opposite side "The Steel Rail has
at last United our Common Inter
ests." On the south side of the arch
at the corner of Howard and Main
streets the following motto appeared:
"The Northern Pacific Railroad, the
Great Bond which Unites US with
the rest of the World" while on the
other side was spokane Falls, the
Minneapolis of the West" The arch
ut the intersection of First and How
ard streets, read "Spokane Falls, the
Gem City of the Inland Empire,
gives First Greeting from Washing
ton Territory to our Eastern Guests"
The bridge leading to the mill, where
the exercises were expected to be
held, rcscmbled Il shaded avenue.
The enormous room on the lower
floor Of Havcrmale Il Davis Touring
mill had been changed from a bare,
empty space into a beautiful grotto
by the deft hands Of fair women,
aided by male assistants. Ever
greens covered the walls and were
twincd about the pillars, a large
Welcome" constructed from ever
greens looked down upon the stage,
and an immense flag formed 4 suita-
bic background. Flags flew from
all the mdsthead5 in the city. The
depot was covered from roof to floor
with decorations. \ magnificent
display of grains and vegetables was
also made at the depot. The EXccu-
tive Committee put their heads to-
gcthcr and made up an elaborate
programme that was printed and
scattered broadcast. Everything that
could be thought Of to make the
demonstration a rattling success was
vCntured into, and had things turned I.
out rs was expected the travellers
would have been surprised with a
reception little short Of the one
rendered them at Minneapolis.
Sunday morning at an early hour
people commenced pouring in from
every direction, and soon the streets F.
were crowded. 1t was soon asrer-
tanned that there was a hitch in the
affair, and news was spread that the |.
excursion trains would not reach the /.
Falls until noon. This threw a
slight dampness on the spirits of .
the people, but even at that |.
late hour a great deal could be |.
done before dark, and our citizens
clung on to hope, ready to cnthusc |
at the proper moment. BY noon it |
was learned that the party could not |
possibly reach here before 1 o'clock |
and it was generally conceded that |
all chances for carrying out the liter |
ary programme were lost. From .
that hour until after 7o'clock when
the first tdivisiOn arrived vast crowd |
fingered about the depot, eagerly |
seizing upon every crumb OF infor-
At last, after long and pa-
tient vigils, the first train, contain
ing the Portland, San Francisco and |
guests stopped at the sta
ton. The band footed glecfully, a .
black cloud Of people lowered about .
the train to catch a glimpse Of those .
on board, and the travellers pokcd |
their heads out and glanced over the
crowd. With only few minutes
stay the train pulled out, and in half .
an hour the second section, bearing
President Willard and his foreign
guests, reached here. Mr. Willard