The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-09-20
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
Formal Opening of the Great Rail.
way Signalized by Impress
i've Ceremonies.
Driving the Golden Spike at the Join
ing of the Two Sections Of
the Road.
History of the Work---The Discourage
ments Encountered by It's
Builders.

At point fifty miles west of Helena,
Montana, which has appropriately been
christened, and will hereafter be known as
Gold Spike, the formal ceremonies OF COM
plotting the Northern Pacific railroad were
celebrated on the 9TH of September pavil-
ion had been erected for the guests, capable
ofholding cooper ons and the band of the
Fifth United States infantry furnished the
music President Willard made the opening
address and introduced Hon. w. NJ. Evarts,
who was the orator OF the occasion. Secre-
tary Teller, eX-PreSident Billings, Gen
Grant the Governors of Wisconsin, Mime
sofa, Dakota, Montana. Oregon and Washing
ton made brief speeches of congratulations
The German Minister Won Eisende cker, pre-
sented the good wishes of his countrymen,
and was followed by DR. Kneiss, of Berlin
University, and DR.. Hoffman, the greatest
living microscopic photograph was
taken of the entire assembly.
Immediately before the tinal ceremonies
took place, SO men stepped up and laid the
connecting rails on the eco feet left un-
completed, spiking them firmly, leaving the
last spike for the railroad king himself to
drive. Meanwhile the band was playing and
the crowd shouting. through all OF which
noise was heard the clanking of the bars OF
iron and the beating of the sedgeS When
nearly completed salute was fired,
and the golden spike was tapped by
President OF the road with a silver sledge
The tnal blows were given by II. G. Davis,
Assistant General Passenger Agent of the
road, who drove the first spike on the open
ing of the road The last spike was con-
nected by telegraph with New York, and
the blows were thus heard throughout the
length of the land
History of the Road, from It's Inception
to Its Completion.
Although the Northern Pacific railroad
was the first projected acl oss the continent
IL has proved the last TO be completed in the
United States In 1875, almost fifty years
ago, the newspapers of the country dis
cussed proposition TO build a railway from
New York city TO the mouth of the Column
bia river While the papers presented an
advanced theory, they confidently expressed
the belief that, although the task then
seemed to be herculean' in its nature, it
would eventually be accomplished Many
of the papers that then took part in the dis
cussion have survived the storm and blasts
that crowd upon the newspaper world, and
will chronicle the completion OF the great
railway which they then advocated
Ten years after the question was first pre-
sented by the newspapers of the country In
1916, Mr. Asa Whitney merchant OF
New York. submitted proposition to
Congress for the construction OF q railroad
from the head of Lake Michigan to the mouth
of the Columbia river, on the Pacific
coast His plan embraced provision for a
grant of land sixty miles in width-thirty
miles on either side of the line-for the
whole length of the road. After the matu-
rity of his plan, it was embodied In q bill
which was presented to Congress, where 1t
hung for many years, and in 1917 came
very near passing. Mr. Whitney traversed
the country from Maine to louisiana in sup
port of the bill, addressing public meetings
at various points, for the purpose Of Great
ing public opinion in its favor, and legis-
lative bodies, in order TO have them pass
resolutions recommending Congress TO take
favorable action in reference TO his bill. In
his efforts to accomplish his purpose lac ex-
pended his entire fortune and was forced to
retire from the scene acknowledging, fol
the time being, that his project was q
failure
For his propositions and his advocacy OF
them Mr. Whitney is entitled to be recog-
nized as the father OF the enterprise
which is now an accomplished fact, after Q
period Of nearly forty years has elapsed,
under the title OF the Northern Pacific rail
road
In 1853. 1854 and 1855, an expedition of Of
ficers and men under the leadership of Isaac
L Stevens Governor of Washington Terri
tory, who was commissioned by the United
States Government, made an exploration OF
the country lying between the forty-seventf
and forty ninth parallels of latitude TO de
termine the practicability of a route for
railroad from the great lakes and the Upper
Mississippi to the waters OF Pugets sound
The scope of the exploration included
among other data, the characteristics of the
intermediate regions, then very indehnitel,
known, or wholly unknown, as TO theil
adaptability to agricultural pursuits, theil
water supplies, their mineral, timber ant
other resources, and their conditions in gen
eral for the maintenance of civilized anC
progressive population. The official report
of the expedition confirmed the truly-na
tional character of such an enterprise a.
the Northern Pacific, brought prominently
into view its advantages in respect to dis
tances as q route of travel and commerce
its greater proximity TO Asia, its shorter dis
lance between great water lines, it
greater proximity to Europe and thu
fact that it was much the shortest ant
most direct route between Ash;
and Europe 1t also established tn,
fact that by the Northern route were thu
easiest gradients, the least and fewest engi
neering difficulties and that there existed
an abundance OF wood, water and material
of construction. With respect TO the gen
eral resources of the countries to be trav
ersed by the proposed line for the supper
of a compact population, the elaborate re
ports OF the expedition presented tn
strongest confirmatory proofs Except a
the crossings OF the mountain ranges tn
entire route was found to pass through
succession of fine arabic lands-countrie
extraordinarily well watered by large rivers
many important continents and numerou
tributary streams-and covered with veg
tation which plainly indicated the richly
productive capacity of their soils The eli
mate was shown to he universally superio
I'm the qualities which assure healthful an,
pleasant living, generally favorable for tn
production of crops, and often more pro
f,itious than elsewhere found for the growtl
OF wheat, oats rye, barley and the vegeta
bles
In 1862, when the Union and Central Pa
cific hallway Companies were chartered,
very strong effort was made to obtain
charter for the Northern Pacific line. Fo
the time being it failed, but II was agail
revived in 1874 at the time the Union an
Central Pacific Companies were askin
Congress tor legislation subordinating tn
Government TO the first mortgages OF tn
two lines
Supported by the well ascertained fact
embraced in the report of Gov. Stevens an
his corps of engineers, the enthusiastic
friends OF the Northern route again conf
IDENTIFY sought the aid and encouragement o
the Government and, by act of Congress
approved July 2. 1864, a large body of COZ
porators were created n body corporate an
politic under the style of the Northern Pa
ctfc Railroad Company. with power to bull
n railroad from Lake Superior to Puge
sound. on the line of the forty-ffth parable
The man who succeeded in getting tn
charter was Josiah Perham, who had organ
fed n company, under the sanction of tn