The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-31
DRIVING THE LAST SPIKE.
The Last Days Work in Laying the
Track of the Northern Pacific.
The Gap Closed Without Waiting for the
Grand Excursion-The Wild Enthusi-
asm of the Workmen.

Yesterday it showed and rained, so that all
work stopped, and left time for reconnois-
sance of the situation. 1t had been intended
by the contractors to complete their work
day after tomorrow, and the general sup
position was that only the rails on the siding
would be joined, leaving the gap on the main
line Enclosed until the arrival OF Mr.. Viii
lard's grand excursion with "the golden
spike" 1t was found that the gangs OF men
laying the rails were but nine and a quarter
miles apart. 1t became known, also, that the
contractors had no official knowledge Of ''the
golden spike" and were going ahead to finish
their work without reference to the long
talked-of ceremony.
Last evening, therefore, the word was
given out that the grand eliminating act of
meeting the eastern and western ends of the
Northern Pacific would take place to-day.
Messages were passed along the line by the
telegraph operators so that large number
of persons who were waiting at Helena could
come out
There was no sleep in this camp, at least,
last night. Busy preparations were under
way for the supreme effort of to-day. The
distance across the gap had been accurately
divided, and the American flag foated from
the top of high pole at the spot. The work
at the western end was in charge of Mr.. P.
B. Winston, and his brother, Mr.. w. o.
Winston, was in command at the east. These
brothers have laid over one thousand miles
of the track west of Bismarck, and to them,
as well as to the officers of the road, the Ter
ritory OF Montana and the country at large
the day was an epoch in their lives.
The men became infused with their enthu-
siasm, and the excitement of grand contest
for the honor of reaching the flag first took
possession of everyone. There were $50 men
at the western end, and about fifty less at
the other. This difference was made to Offset
the distribution of ties and rails ready
curved The point of chief activity, there
fore, was with the party approaching the
flag from the west.
At o'clock in the morning the air was
redolent with fumes of coffee, and Chinese
cooks went fitting about the dining-cars of
the construction train by the light of Ian
terms The men did not have to be called a
second time, and hastily swallowing their
steaming coffee and steak, we're soon on the
track, sedge and bat in hand. Everything
moved like clock-work, although there was
an eager appearance of haste. Not man spoke
except the foreman. Ties were put in
place, rails snatched from the trucks
that rolled up with them, and then began
the ringing chorus of sledges that woke the
mountains in the gray dawn. Now the
wagons dashed up and distributed ties ahead
of the men, and the rattle and clang went on
for nearly two hours, when the sun, bright
and smiling, looked over the tops of the
Rockies upon the strange scene. mile
and half had the track moved eastward be-
fore he was mp.
A courier arrived from the Eastern division
to announce that the men there were just
going to work. With a shout of enthusiasm
that was half suppressed in breathless hurry
the men redoubled their efforts
Although the morning in the mountain
air was chilly, the men were reekng with
perspiration like puddlers at forge. By 8
o'clock they had done days work, but they
were not tired. The great flag in the dis
lance seemed to beckon them on. 1t waived
calmly now in plain view at Independence
creek.
Although the announcement of the tardy
start on the eastern division had given
courage to the other side, still the former
had advantages that made the contest doubt
full. The ties for the western end were three
and half miles away. To meet this draw
back seventy-five teams had been pressed
into service, and the drivers were ordered to
spare nothing, They rushed at break-neck
v,
where to reach the grade ahead of the track
men, who could not stop to allow them to
20 down the beaten road. In desperate
haste they moved on to 10 o'clock without a
moments rest; to II o'clock without pause,
and high noon found them breathess and
sweltering, both man and beast, but without
thought OF delay. sThere was no thought of din
ner. They fed upon the grand inspiration of
the event The headwaters of the great valley
we're this dsy to be welded to the Pacific by
enduring bonds of steel. The armed hosts of
Alexander, Caesar or Napoleon never did as
mighty work as this. The rat-tat clink,
clink, OF these sledges rang out chorus of
triumph over defiant fortresses that had stood
since time began.
AT l o'clock the approaching parties came
in sight of each other hut the workmen on
the east end had evidently met with some
unexpected obstacle. 1t was reported by a
messenger that a trestle across the Hellgate
lad been forgotten. The horses drawing up
the fiat cars loaded with iron could not cross
Fhe men had to be called from the work OF
laying ties to push the cars over. This over
sight lost the day to the party on the east
People from Helena Deer Lodge, and the
ranches, began to arrive to witness the Gull
mination of the event so vital to Montana
The crowd, swelled to about 200, watched in
silence the toilers on the track.
Among Others were the Hon. Martin Magin-
mis-, delegate to Congress from the Territory;
Heneral Auna Anderson, englneer-ln- chlef OF
the road; Judge George II. Sage. of the sou TIL
ern district Of Ohio, and his wife (the daugh-
ter of the late Hon. Tom. Corwin), and sew
era Territorial officers.
Al exactly two o'clock the western end Of
the track was completed to the halfway post
where the flag floated. 1t was within fifty
feet of Independence creek, and as the point
was reached cheer after cheer went up from
the crowd which gathered under giant
cottonwood, a few yards distant, to escape
the heat OF the sun which now beat down
hot from mid-sky.
In moment all was disorder and confu-
sion. The men and spectators SO long silent
San tl5g,,tqlk at once, 1t was an uproarious
babel of voices