The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1883-09-15
DRIVING TIE GOLDEN SPIKE,
Speeches by President Willard, VIM
M. Evarts, Ex-President billings,
and Others,

At about 6:15 p. M, on the Sth inst, the
ceremonies of driving the last spike on the
Northern Pacific Railroad, connecting st.
Paul and Duluth at the eastern terminus
with Portla I'd, the western terminus, were
held at a place called Gold Spike, titty-hVe
miles west of Helena, Montana. h &C.
casiOn was regarded as a remarkable one
and as presaging Il prosperous future. All
present were impressed st what they beheld.
Instead of The wilderness of the Rocky
mountains. they beheld a man.
moth pavilion capable of seat
irg more than q thousand people,
over which fOated the national colors OF
American, German ard British nations. In
front, reaching to the roadbed was a. ex-
tensive promenade, sklrted by a platform
with comfortable seats. To the right was a
a baud stand and on it were 8 ated the
Fifth infantry band, who were to entertain
them, and who came all the way from Fort
Keogh. But even stronger than this EVIL
denGe of civilization were the scores Of We
hiCIes and the hundreds Of hardy noun
! taineers gathered to welcome Henry Viii
lard. AS soOnaas the last the guests ar
rived and his party, the ceremonies were
opened by President Willard, who divided
t1e attention Of the enthusiastic multitude
with Gen. Grant, seated on the platform.
Mr.. Willard spoke for half
an hour giving brief
history of the Northern Pacific rail-
Poad from its inCipanCy to its completion,
and making honorable mention OF all who
had been Instruments in building this great
t~rancontinenta tnrOughtare. He concluded
his remarks amid tremendous applause, and
then introduced the Hon. Wm. NJ. Evarts,
the orator of the occasion. Mr.. Evarts
paid a glowing tribute to the founders OF
| tho rrraat wnrk He oaiH. tGip oil tha lon y
route from st. Paul, to Portland and Puget
Sound the work has spoken and
will speak the praises of its conception,
its projection, its completion, in more inn
pressive tones, and with a juster emphasis,
than words can express" His address was
long and eloquent, and was well received
and heartily applauded. Mr.. Evarts was
followed bv Secretary Teller, VINO spoke of
the great euergy and capital required to
complete the various t~ranscontinental lines,
and tue prospective benefits to the nation
this enterprise of the Northern Pacific, along
whose line OF road there would be in a few
years 1000, 900 people, could not De called To-
cal in its character. T. was more than nation
al. II concerned the welfare of other people.
It now remains for the managers to justify
in the future the vision of the government
in what it has done and that will be if the
policy announced by President Willard is
| dllAS Oub NNNlCANAy ANAACA hoo AOllONCG
by ex-President Billings, Gen. Grant, Sir
James Harmop, Won Eisendesker, DR.. Kniss
of the Berlin I'm Versity, the governors of
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota, Montana,
Oregon and Washington territory.
At the conclusion three cheers were Civ
en-. The foreign guests were then given
seats on the platform by the railway, pho
tos were taken of them, Willard and family
and the msst distinguished Americans. At
ter that a horse that had helped to build
the road from Its inception was brought
upon the platform, Then there was wit
messed q most extraordinary spectacle,
Three hundred men with brawny arms
quickly laid thereon and drove the spikes on
the Thousand feet ~ofuncompleted track ex-
cept the last spike. During thesprogress of
the work, which was Witnessed by the for
eigners with anIa2ement, the band played
and the people shouted. When nearly
completed q cannon salute was fred by
the detachment of the fifth infantry present.
The last spike was finally driven home by
III. @. Davis, assistant general passenger
agent OF the road, who drove the first spike
on the ~openi.5 nf 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 enthusi-
asm of the people, variously estimated at
from 5000 TO 5 600, was indescribable. The
high rcverberation, the mingled sounds of
cannon aRd shouts of men. Thus was
brought to a happy conclusion a very re-
maFkable event in American history. The
trains were reformed and guests departed,
the English and apart of the Americans,
including George M. Pullman and Vice
President Haines, to the east, the rest west
ward to Puget sound.
at st. Paul Private George Cady, of the
Emmett battery, with a brass field piece,
WAS nTl hand az Smith nark Hu.E q .inI-1L
his gun charged with a five pound blank
cartridge. AT a later hour an electric wire
was inserted into the vent, and this wire
connected with a dynamo machine in the
telegraph Office of the Northern Pacific rail.
road. An unbroken circuit was completed
between Golden Spike, sixty miles nest Of
Helena, Montana, and New York, a
total distance of ,595 miles. The wire was
! cut at the scene of the days festivities,
ihe wire was affixed to the silver sIedge
hammer, the other to the golden spike. and
whsu the first blow was struck, q circuit
you'd be completed, and the blow
tucked" simultaneously ia Portland, ST.
PaE,s, chicago, R9ston, Buffalo, and New
1t was expected that the las. spike would
be driven between the hours of 10 and IL q.
M, but tile watchers at the instrument in
the Northern Pacific Offices in ST. Paul,
and ct the cannon in Smith Park stood at
sneir posts untif6:l8 p. M, railway ii nc.
when the first .tticko Was
heard on the instrument which
was switched into connection with the cam
non. In less than two secondsI Booml went
the GIN in Smith park, Soyfully pealed the
bells, and shrill and deep blew the whis-
ties in the city Of st. Pauk The last spike
was driven. The Northern Pacific railroad,
conceived nineteen years ago, was con-.
pleted. The great work had colne to d sue
cesstul completion.
~
The Denver q Rio Grande Pro
gramme.