The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-09-09

i Us
They will at no distant day be pop
ulated by millions of happy citizens.
The Governors of Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Dakota, Montana, Ore
gOn and Washington Territories
were seyerally introduced and made
brief and appropriate remarks. The
Governor of Idaho was absent on
account of sickness. There were
loud cries for Grant, and as the
General came forward the air was
rent with cheers. He made a few
brief remarks perfectly suited
to the occasion and character
istic. He said he was re-
minded by the speeches toI
which he had listened of the fact
that he had something to do with
the great Northern Pacific enter
prise. When Governor Stevens,
thirty years ago, organized his sur
veying expedition, he was lieu
tenant, acting as quartermaster and
commissary on the Columbia, and
he issued the supplies for the ex-
petition. Was he not then entitled
to have the credit which Mr.. Bill
lngs had appOrtiOned out to others ?
It was true, while Mr.. Billings
contributed Of his own money, he
paid out Uncle Sans. This sally
greatly pleased the audience, largely
made up of veterans, who became
perfectly wild when he said that
these inter-colonial railways would
have amounted to but little but for
the men who, after the war, sought
the Territories as a field of enter
prise. They had made these rail-
roads possible and prosperous. At
the conclusion three cheers were
given.
The foreign guests were then
given seats on the platform by the
railroad. A photograph was taken
of them, of Mr.. Willard and fam
lily, and the most distinguished
Americans. After that a horse
that had helped to build the road
from its inception was brought upon
the platform: then there was wit
messed most extraordinary spec
tacle. Three hundred men with
brown arms quickly laid the iron
and drove the spikes on the thou
sand feet Of uncompleted track,
except the last spike. During the
progress of the work, which
was witnessed by the for
eigners with amaEement, the band
played and the people shouted.
When nearly completed cannon
salute was fired by The detachment
of the Fifth Infantry present. The
last spike was finally driven home
by Fl. G. Davis, assistant general
passenger agent of the road, who
drove the first spike On the opening
Of the road, and this spike was the
same one first driven by him. The
end was reached as the sun was
setting behind the mountains. The
enthusiasm of the people, variously
estimated at from 3,0Qato 5000 was
indescribable. The heights rever.
berated with the mingled sounds of
cannon and shouts of men. This
was brought to a happy con-
clusion, a very remarkable
event in American history.
The trains were reformed and
the guests departed, the English and
part of the Americans, including
George M. Pullman and Vice-Pres-
ident Harris, to the east, and the
rest west to Puget Sound. The As
ISOLATED Press secured a special en-
CINE which had steam up ready for
a special run with their correspond
ents to Helena, where sufficient tel
egraphic facilities could be secured.
This ride was an exciting one and
was made in the shortest time
possible, Helena being reached at
11.30 at night, the run from the last
spike station being made in three
hours-quick time considering the
grades over Mullan pass.