, 1883-09-22

bring 10 the United States the highest bene-
Ills IL opens up 10 settlement one OF The
gTandest and most fertile sections OF the
country. IL promises 10 be one Of the great
est civilIZers Of the age. Tie Government
had acted wisely when II lent lis aid to the
enterprise IN the way Of such an immense
land grant, As the benefits Go be reaped far
exceeded the cost which il had been 10 the
Government. Great applause
EN-PfeSident Frederick Billings, in re
spouse % calls, said that the present driving
of the golden spike Vas of the utmost i'm
pCriarce 10 the entire interests, not only of
the great Northwest. but OF the entire Uni
ted States. The completion Of the North
ern Pacific marks & resting place IN one OF
the greatest works Of the age The strug-
giles which il had for an existence
can never be properly appreciated
except by those workers who stood in the
breach and carried il onward, when the
days were dark. indeed. and when nought
but acyersity appeared 10 overtahe il. But
the road has struggled on. It's true friends
have never fsltered in their faith and now
We come 10 you, on this our proudest day
and say, At last lis done; We are here;
The road is completed; We ar here and We
have demonstrated that our enterprise is
success. We clam that we have the best
road 10 The Pacific coast that is now in
existence This is 4 proud day 10 all friends
Of the Northern Pacific road. Would that
there could be with us today those grand
old workers whose faith in the enterprise
began many wears ago and whose devotion
| To II can never be known. but who are now
| no longer in this world of flesh and blood
To NE, say, this is the proudest moment IN
nv life.
The mos; enthusiastic applause greeted
Mr.. Billings upon the conclusion OF his re
| marks.
The British Minister, Hon Siackville-
West, made few congra,ulatory remarks.
lie was followed IN an appropriate manner
by RI Hon Sir James ilannem. DIR. Eisen-
decker and Prof. kneis, representatives Of
the German Government made short ad-
dresses.
Mr. Willard introduced Minister Lionel
Sachviile West. Of England, who said that
Sir James iannen would speak for the
English guests.
SIR James Hammer said that the
English visitors were filled with
wonder and admiration by the
sights of lhis magnificent country and It's
institutions. Mr. HelryEillard WIS a per
son about whom their warmest sympathies
and gratitude for tins splendid hospitality
could well cluster He said: We have had
the happiness of seeing what manner OF
msn he Is We have been able 10 see IN
HIM the qualities which have earned for him
the confidence OF those who have been asSo-
ciated with him throughout his life, and We
rOw shall carry back the recollection OF hay
ing known a real man. IL was happy
thought that the representatives of the coun
tries which have contributed the population
| 10 the American nation should be present on
| this most extraordinary occasion II fills
me with wonder and awe TO see the pros
perity which has advanced with such rapid
strides. and which has at once reached the
| highest development Of civilization
The German member, Won EiSendecker.
| was then presented and expressed the hearty
| good wishes Of his fellow coantrymen for
| this enterprise. lie said: We are sorry 10
have lost Mr Willard. but as he has come
TO a country which has always been closely
| allied IT, my own, here he may remain.
| DIR. Kneiss, of the Berlin University, was
| then introduced and spoke at length in be-
| half of the Germ an visitors and expressed
the hope that the Northern Pacific would
| be the new highway-thc main line OF ali
| western colonization of America and
| Europe May il, he said, be forever mon
| ument in favor Of the noble son of Ger
many, Henry Willard You may be sure
| our mother country Is proud of such son
| Dr.. hoffman. The greatest mieroScopist
| 0! the d4y. said the construction OF the
| Northern Paific was Il modern miracle
| and unlikeaEcient miracles was performed IN
| compliance with the laws of nature and not
against them This was an International
festival of civilization. The Northern Pa
cific country presents features OF unprece-
dented fertility, such as our eyes have never
seen before Here are provinces Of mineral
wealth surprising everything which the
bollcst imagination scouid have expected
They viii af 10 distant day be populated by
millions of happy citizens.
The Governors of Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Dakota, Montana, Oregon. and Washington
were seyerally introduced and made brief
and appropriate remarks The Governor Of
Idaho was absent on account Of sickness.
There were loud cries for Grant. and as
the General came forward the AIR Was rent
with cheers He made Il few brief remarks
suited TO the occasion, and characteristic.
lie said he was reminded by the speeches TO
which he had listened of the fact that he
had had something 10 do with the great
Northern Pacific enterprise. When Cover
nor Stevens thirty years ago organized his
surveying expedition, he was a lieutenant,
acting Is q!!aYtcrmaster and cOmmissary on
the Columbia, and he issued the supplies for
the expedition. Was he not, he said, then
entitled To some Of the credit which Mr.. Bill
linrs had apporiioned out to Others2 Ii was
true that while Mr. Billings contributed OF
his own money. he paid out Uncle Sans
This SILLY greatly pleased the audience.
largely made up Of veterans. who became
perfectly wild when he said that these inter
colonial railroads would have amounted TO
but little but for the men who after the War
sought The territories as fields Of enterprise,
for they had made these railroads possible
and prosperous At the conclusion three
cheers were given.
The foreign guests were tnen gwen sea.s
on the platform by the railroad track, anda
photograph was taken Of them, together
with Mr. Willard and family, and the most
distinguished American guests After that
a horse odd Nigj that had helped 10 build
the road from lis inception Was brought
upon the platform
The last blow upon the last spike tthe
spike WAS Of iron and was the first one
driven al the commencement Of road build
ing, was struck by Il C. Davis, As sslstahl
general passenger agent OF the road and VINO
also welded the sledge when 1t was driven
wears ago. President Willard next struck II,
then General Grant, then Mr.. Evarts, and
several Of the foreign guests. after winch