The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-12
The Golden Spike.

hOOh VI pdpuiNoyj uhO OVh 'ho" - VIZ
presence of large concourse of the dis
tinguished personages of Europe and
America, with silver hammer President
Willard drove the golden spike which
signalized the completion of the Northern
Pacific railway. A brief history of this
undertaking opens with statement which
will be new as we'll as interesting to the
generation which has grown up since the
conception of this great enterprise. CAL
though the first projected railroad line
across the continent to the Pacific coast,
the Northern Pacific is the last to be COM
pleted. As long ago as 1885 the project
of building a railroad from New York
city to the mouth of the Columbia river
was discussed in the newspapers. In
1S45, Asa Whitney, New York mer-
chant, proposed to congress to build a
railroad from the head of Lake Michigan
to the mouth of the Columbia, in case it
would give him land grant, sixty miles
in width, for the whole length of the line.
This plan was embodied in bill which
was before congress for a number of
years, and in 1S47 came near passing.
Whitney may fairly be regarded as the
father of the Northern Pacific enterprise.
He traversed the country from Maine to
Louisiana, addressing public meetings
and legislative bodies, and spent his en-
tire fortune in the work." Whitney's
early paternity of this great scheme was
the subject of an apt "reminiscences by
Hon. Frederick Billings in characters.
tic speech at the ceremonies at Helena.
cit is more tnan forty years-a longer
period than the children of Israel were
wandering in the Wilderness before reach.
ing their Promised Land-since l heard
Asa Whitney discourse on Pacific Rail
road, before the legislature of Vermont
1t is thirty years since congress author
lied surveys for practicable and eco
nomical railroad route from the Missis-
sippi to the Pacific ocean. 1t is more
than quarter of century since / heard
Governor Stevens discuss this idiotica
Northern Pacific route before an audi
ence in San Francisco. 1t is nearly a
score of years since this road was char
tered. 1t is thirteen years since its first
spike was driven" In 1853 the govern
ment made surveys of five routes to thu
Pacific. The northern route was regarded
with favor, and the winter and climate o
the country reported to be much milde
than had generally been supposed, but thu
Union and Central Pacific in 1862 received
the first charter, backed by the treasury o
the United States. In 1864 Josiah Perhan
succeeded in getting charter for tn
Northern Pacific. He died in 1865, befor
the first spadeful of earth had been lifted
In 1870, under the presidency of Hon.
|, Gregory Smith of Vermont and the finan
cial management of Jay Cooke, none,
was realized and work begun. The pani
of 1873 destroyed the fortunes of ia
Cooke and for time paralyzed the North
ern Pacific enterprise. The time Unit
1879 was consumed in efforts to maintain
life in the undertaking and nurse it bacl
to vigorous existence. Its finance
were finally recognized, railway wrecker
foiled and in 1879, under the presidenc
of another Vermonter, Hon. Frederick
, Billings, vigorous work was resumed an
, the construction operations went rapid
on till the rails met aud the last spik
was driven in the Montana settlement O
. the Sth inst. Duluth is the eastern tel
minus of the road and Portland, Oregon
the western, with branch running nortf
} ward to Tacoma on Puget sound. TIL
grand total mileage of the main line an
branches is 1854 miles. OF the signific,
3 ton of the completion of this great iro
| way across the rich northern region of tn
q immense domain of this country Mr. Bi
8 lings eloquently said: "Now everybod
1 can come and see this is the best lin
Q across this continent, unequaled in il
: variety of resources. With masnificer
:. wheat fields, with cattle on thousan
r hills, with mines in its mountains an
v ravines, with an astounding wealth {
/ timber, on which in time this whole coul
!. try will have to depend, who can dout
@ the future Everything in these respect
r is yet in the very infancy of development
AS for climate, bear in mind it is in Ii
a regions where you have ice and snug vii
+ ters you will find the toughest muscle
}. the most vigorous brains, and the mo
@ earnest homes. So, putting all things +
4 gether, who can fail to see that this gre,
c new highway is to be marked all alor
3. with prosperous communities, with schoo
# and churches and high civilization
h Who can fail to see that it brings perm
'. nent peace with the Indians that I
Al more Clusters are TO be killed, no mo
q regiments to be wiped out; that ne
y states are to come here, new power an
g new wealth, and a new bond of unity
d be added to our government, and ne
te route opened to the worlds commerce Z
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