Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-09

never more significant last spike driven
on the continent than this one; never one
which had more work and faith behind it;
never one with greater future before it.
lt 10 more than forty years-A longer
period than the children of Israel were
wandering in the wilderness before reach
ing their Promised. Land-since Iheard Asa
Whitney discourse on a Pacific railroad
before the legislature of Vermont. 1t is
thirty years since congress authorized sur
veys for practicable and economical rail
road route from the Mississippi to the
Pacific ocean. 1t is more than quarter
of century since l heard Governor
Stevens discuss this identical Northern
Pacific route before an audience in San
Francisco. 1t is nearly score of years
since this road was chartered. 1t is
thirteen years since the first spike was
driven. And this long way has at times
been very dark one 1t was a
gigantic undertaking, and had peculiar
difficulties.
The Union and Central Pacific was 2
child of the war. In that crisis public sen
timent demanded that the eastern and
western parts of our country should no
longer be connected only by the way Of
SdpS hOIu VIC 1SinuuS, Dub Dy q rail-
way right across and right through the
heart of our own territory. And that line
had almost the government treasury be
hind it, and it followed a we'll known trail
across the continent, and ended in the rich
California at the Golden Gate.
The Atlantic and Pacific route on the
thirty fifth parallel by Santa Fe was fami-
liar to emigration, and had been advocated
by Senator Benton and others for years.
The Texas Pacific, on the thirty
parallel, was the one recommended in 1855
by the then secretary of war, Jefferson
Davis, who claimed it to be the best of all
routes according to his Interpretation OF
the government surveys.
The poor Northern Pacific had no such
Judgment in the public thought. There
was no trail across the continent here.
Emigrants to Oregon, even, went by the
central route. This was called region Of
desolation. It was in everlasting bondage
to snow and ice and sterility. 1t belonged
to the widest of Indians and the North
Pole. Though it started from Lake So
perior, how few thought anything of Lake
Superior. It was out of the worldi How
brief time is it since Proctor Knott con-
vulsed continent by deriding Duluth as
the zenith of the unsalted seas. And
though the road went to Puget Sound, the
magnificent northern Mediterranean sea.
what was Puget Sound? Why, will you
believe tit is said that but for the mar
velous trip of the missionary, Whitman,
across the continent, and his appearance
in the state department at Washington to
make known that imperial Pacific north
we.t-all that region north of the Colun-
bia river might have been lost to this
country in the Ashburton treaty.
With all this dense ignorance OF this
northern belt, and denser prejsdice, and
hardly any human beings on the line save
fierce Indians, and here and there a few
soldiers shut up in forts, and with no gov
eminent subsidy-how was this road to be
built? To be sure it had a land grant,
to become of immense value, IN time. But
how many at first believed it good for any
thing? Besides, if it had actual value, II
practically could have none till the road
was built, and the lands were made access
ible. But even this land grant had for
good deal of the time been put under &
sort of cloud by guerrilla attacks in con-
gress, which, thank God, never succeeded.
The maiorities of both houses OF
congress, and all the presi-
dents from Abraham Lincoln. who signed
the charter, to the present graceful chief
magistrate, who has passed upon and ac-
copied SO many miles of the road, have
stood by the company in its rights. And
from first to last the company has had the
firm and invaluable friendship of the great
soldier statesman, President Grant. who
makes this memorable occasion still more
memorable by his presence.
But this is no time for historical details.
The great fact is that the road is built. 1t
has taken faith and time, and pluck and
patience and hard work, with weary days
and sleepless nights. It has took line up
on line, and precept upon precept, until
there in an immense Northern Pacific
literature to educate the world,
step by step, up to the situation.
At last capital took courage
through the enthusiastic, big hearted Jay
Cooke, who is entitled to great share Of
the honor of the event we celebrate, and
the work was grandly begun on both sides
of the continent. Then bankruptcy en-
quilted Jay Cooke, the road, and pretty
nearly everybody and everything else. That
was ten years ago this very month. But
after awhile the enterprise was clearly
brought out of insolvency, with every
body's rights preserved, and Jay Cooke,
bankruptcy, and is to-day swelling a new
fortune.
The faithful friends of the road stuck
fast to it in its adversely, put mp more
money, and after awhile the work was
again started on both sides OF the con-
tinent. And then, when later the skies
frightened all round, outside capital once
more took courage, new life audnew blood
came, and at last we are here.
1t is great day. I look back to the
time when you could count the friends of
the Northern Pacific almost on the fingers
of your two hands, and now l behold the
triumph of their faith. Now every body can
come and see this is the best line across
this continent, unequaled in its variety Of
resources. With magnificent wheat fields,
with cattle on a thousand hills with mines
in it's mountains and ravines, with an as
founding wealth of timber, as yOn will see
further on, on which in time this whole
country will have to depend, who can doubt
the future? Everything in these respects is
yet in the very infancy of development
Then, as to scenery, you have had taste
Of it. Be prepared for still greater things
as you approach the Pacific coast And as
for climate, bear in mind it is in the regions