The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-11
OPENED FOR TRAFFIC.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC FINISHED,
The Golden Spike Driven by President
Willard in the Presence of a Notable
Company-The Blows Repeated by
Telegraph in New York.
DRIVEN HOME.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC OPENED.

THE NORTHERN PACIFIC OPENED.
HELENA, NJ. T., Sept. IL
The Willard excursi0nists left here shortly
after seven O'Clock Saturday morning and
reached the scene of the ceremonies of the
day, point few miles west of the Mullan
Tunnel, on the western slope OF the main
divide of the Rocky Mountains, at $50 a.
m. At 5:15 p. M. after short prayer, the
last rail of the Northern Pacific Railroad
was laid and the last spike-a golden one
was driven home by Mr.. Willard with
silver sledge-hammer, making the iron high
way complete and ready for travel from
Duluth to Tacoma, a distance of a little
more than 1,0S0 miles. There are also GA
miles of branches mostly completed, giving
grand total of more than 1854 miles of
road
William NJ. Evarts delivered the address
of the occasion, in which he gave a history
of the road, which he said was adream of
1885, when a merchant of New York City.
Asa Whitney, made proposition to Con-
greSs to build road from the great lakes TO
the mouth of the Columbia River, in con-
sideratiOn of land grant of sixty miles in
width along the entire route, but whose plan
failed to win Congressional favor A charter
for the road was again sought in 1852,
but the effort resulted in a failure.
Josiah Perham, a New England mer-
chant, secured a charter in 1864, but failed
to obtain capital to build the road, in great
measure because of clause inserted in the
charter by himself forbidding the compare
to mortgage the road or lands, or to issue
bonds. In December, 1865, Perham sold
the charter to some New England capital
| lists for barely enough to pay his debts, and
died three years later, before the first spade
full of earth had been turned on the pro-
posed road. The President of the new
company was Ex-Governor Smith, of Yer
mont. No progress toward actual con
| sruetion was made, however, until
| Jay Cooke assumed financial di-
| rection. Mr.. Evarts then reviewed
| the financial ups and downs OF the company
| when work on the road was begun at
| Thompson's Junction, twenty -tlTee miles
| west of Duluth, to 1881, when Mr.. Willard
| obtained control, closing with a peroralion
strongly eulOgistic of the ability, zeal and
| energy of Mr. Willard, and the officials who
| have eo-Operated with him in bringing the
! road to successful completion. Speeches
| tlemen.
| At the close of the ceremonies a number
| OF the guests returned eastward while 9th
/ ers went over the road to Puget Sound, and
| will return home toward the close of the
| month.
| ST. PAUL, MINI, Sept II.
The electric flash which passed over the
| telegraph wire, announcing the driving of
| the last spike ON the Northern Pacific, passed
| through this city at 6:15 O'Clock Saturday
| night and was celebrated by the firing OF
salute and the ringing Of all the fire bells in
| this city.
NEW YORK Sept. Il.
The last rail laid Saturday on the North
| EN- Pacific Railroad was attached TO a
| Western Union wire running into the branch
| Office at Broad street, and while President
| Willard was driving the golden spike, the
| blows of his silver sledge hammer were re-
peated in this city on the telegraph instru-
| ment. General officers of the road gathered
around the instrument listening to the
| strokes that told of the completion OF a
great national highway