The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-10-27

an hour and a half. Sec'y Teller
made the next speech and was fol-
lowed by exPres. Billings Of the N.
y. II. X. A number of the distin-
gnished Germans also spoke and they
were followed by the British Minister
who resides in Washington. Next
in order were the Governors Of Wis
consin, Minnesota, Dakota, Idaho,
Montana and Washington Terri
tories. At the close of each speech
we border rufiians called for General
Grant. He was not on the pro-
granmc and paid no attention to the
calls until informed that, the pro-
gramme could not go further until
General Grant was introduced. The
General appeared and had the good
breeding and good sense to address
the crowd instead of turning his
back upon us and addressing the
invited guests as all the other speak
ers had done. Several of them had
alluded to the gigantic undertaking
of organizing company and issuing
bonds, and finally building the great
est railroad across the continent
General Grant thought the people
and especially the pioneers who
opened and subdued the great West
were entitled to no little of the credit.
Said the speaker: Had it not been
for the nerve, pluck, courage and in
domitable perseverance of these peo-
pie, there would have been nothing
in sight worth building a railroad
for"
Possibly the general thought we
were voters and wanted To sound us
on the third term question.
At this stage the sun had disap-
peared behind a mountain in the
West, and there are 200 feet of rails
to De laid before the last spike can
be driven. All is in readiness to
commence and at given signal, the
work begins at each end by separate
companies each under management
of the Winston Bros. The 1,2OO feet
were laid in the marvellous time of
ten minutes, the East end heating the
West little. The throng around
the tie in which the last spike is to
be driven is immense. The soldiers
that had guarded the vacant seats
to keep them from being occupied by
the common people had only child's
task to preforln. Had Mr.. Willard
kept them iii reserve for keeping the
crowd back from the immediate To-
cality, all might have witnessed the
great hnmbug. Repcarcd calls were
made for Mr.. Willard to hold up the
gold spike so all could see it. He
finally held up an old rusty iron spike
which he said was the first spike
driven in the N. p r. r, and new it |
was about to be the last. President
Willard starts the spike, then his A
month old baby's hand is held on the
handle Of the silver hammer by his
nurse while Willard strikes the spike.
Oil Iron Bull, Chief of the Grows is
led in and strikes two light blows;
the General Grant strikes two blows.
A wire leading from the telegraph
office near by is attached to the spike
so that all the telegraph offices in the
principal cities Of the United States
as well as those in Germany know
that the golden spike in the Northern
Pacific railroad is being driven.
Elk Governor Curtin, of Pennsyl-
vania, is one. Of the invited guests
and is too Democratic to remain
seated. He puts in his time hcing
introduced to us Montanians. Think
he has an idea Of emigrating here
and running for the first Governor of
the State of Montana.
f. G. BROOKE.