The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-09-12
was ], 1,222 miles. The 217 miles from
the Missouri to the Yellowstone were

the Missouri to the Yellowstone wer
completed in June, 1881; the %
. miles from the Columbia to lake Pen,
d'OreilIe in November, 1881. TIL
completion of the $40 miles of the roa'
in the Yellowstone valley took seven
teen months. The 1914 miles up tn
> gOrges of Clark's fork to Missoula
: nineteen months; from the head q
the Yellowstone valley to Helena
and thence to this junction, min
months. Thus, the first Az miles o
the total mileage to be completed =
that is, the Missouri and Pend dor
ellie divisions-were finished in tw,
years and eight months, while tn
other 7SO miles were completed in les
than two years. In this time, tn,
great structure of the Bismarcl
bridge was also erected. The contin
uatiOn of the main line down the Col
umbia for a length OF 21O more miles
by another company to Portland, ant
a thousand additional miles of line
of branch and allied companies, wer'
finished. Now these figures are easily
quoted, and apparently speak u very
simple language. But their true
meaning goes far beyond the mere
space of time and mileage of com
pleted road they indicate. They form
a great sum of human patience and
perseverance, energy and bravery
hardship and privation. They ex.
press long and hard tests of the power
of human ingenuity and endurance
in a mighty struggle of mechanical
and manual force against the direct
obstacles Of primitive nature. They
mean painful record of bodily suf.
fering and loss of life by disease and
accident. You have seen enough OF
the work to form an idea of it's diff
Guilty, its vastness, its costliness.
You have the testimony of your own
eyes that this highway had to be
carved, as it were, out OF very wild
erness where we found nothing to
help us-no labor, no food, no habit
ations, no material, no means of trans
portation You see the evidences of
triumph over every hindrance. But
you perceive only finished results ;
the dramatic incidents of their
achievements are not disclosed to you
Rolling along smoothly, merrily and
luxuriously over the line how can you
know that the bridges over which we
pass were built while the subdued
rivers were hidden in ice or swollen
to perilous depth and turbulence?-
that defiance was hidden to the sea-
sons, and the pick and shovel kept
flying, though the way had to be
cleared through thick crusts of snow,
ahd OH frozen ground thawed by
fires?
I have not said all this in
boastful spirit, but solely in
order to give proper credit
where it belongs for the great deed
now well nigh done, and thus dis
charge, by this public acknowledge
ment, as much as possible, the heavy
debt of gratitude that weighs upon
me.
Let ME then own, on this solemn
occasion, that 0nr edifice could have
never been reared but tor the liberal
ity of the peopl. of the United States,
acting through the Federal govern
ment, in providing a solid foundatio
in our land grant; for the
sagacity and devotion of
the men who steered our craft in the
days of distress and danger: for the
generous fOrbearance of our stockhold-
ers, the confidence Of the public, the
powerful help of financial a lies and
last, but far from least. for the biity
and faithfulness of the Off GERS and en-
ployees Of the company, and ;or the
myrials of honest toilers who earned
their bread in the sweat of their
brOws for our benefit.
And thus we are permitted to-day
to behold this mighty task as all but
finished. 1t was my proud privilege
to exercise the chief direction over its
later stages. No light duty it was,
but wearisome, and brain and nerve
exhausting. Still, its very grandeur
inspired the will and the power to
perform it, and there was com fort
and elevation in the thought that we
have built what cannot perish, but
will last to the end of all earthly
things. Let us hope anb pray that as
this great work Of man will stand for
ever, it may also forev. r be an inn
mortal honor to its founders, a noble
monument to its builders, a perma-
nent pride and profit to it's owners,
and, most of al an everlasting bless
ing to man
Upon the conclusion of his speech
Mr.. Willard was loudly and enthu-
cheered. After silence
had been restored Mr.. Willard in a
brief address introduced the Hon
VIM. NJ. EvArts, the orator Of the
day. Mr.. Erarts was received with |
attention upon the part Of |
the audience. and in clear hut not |
powerful voice delivered the follow
ing speech:
I shall find it easy to con form, for
my share of it, to the distribution of !
the entire time which has been ac-
corded for this striking ceremony, to
mark the date and place of the COM
pletion Of this great public work.
Your own address OF welcome, Mr.
has recalled to attention
the principal steps and methods by
which this noble consumination has
been reached, and the eminent gem
tlemen who are to follow me will
Illustrate, from every point OF view,
the magnitude OF the achievement,
and give eloquent utterance to senti-
ments of admiration for the great
qualities and congratulation upon
the fortunate Influences which have
secured the result which
[ see, as | look around me, swell
every breast and brighten every eye.
Indeed, [ am very glad to feel that
thus placed between what has gone
before and what is to come after, my
short speech may be fairly treated as
a mere parenthesis, which, the gram
marians tell us, may always be
omitted without injury to the sense.
1t is true, if [ were to make the
very briefest alusion to the mani
fold interesting incidents, if I were
merely to touch uponeven the many
great things which have mar~ed the
progress OF this enterprise through
all its viciSsitudes to its final success,
if | were to exhibit only its most
notable contests with and triumphs
over the difficulties and obstacles
which nature-human, alas! as we'll
as material-had put in its way, |
should transcend all limits Of time
and your patience before I had got as
far as Helena, starting at either end.
But of such ell argement, even, the
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