Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-09

we're finished in two years and eight
months, while the other 7SO miles
were completed in less than two years.
In this time, the great struc-
ture of the Bismarck bridge was also erect
ed. The continuation of the main line
down the Columbia for length of 21O
land, and thousand additional miles of
lines of branch and allied companies were
finished. Nov these figures are easily
quoted, and apparently speak very sim
pie language. Bat their true meaning
goes far beyond the mere space of time
and mileage of completed road they indi-
cate. They form great sum of human
patience and perseverance, energy and
bravery, hardship and privation. They
express long and hard tests of the power of
human ingenuity and endurance in
mighty struggle of mechanical and manu-
al force against the direct obstacles of
primitive nature. They mean a painful
record Of bodily suffering and loss Of
life by disease and accident. You have
seen enough Of the work to form an idea
of Its difficulty, its vastness, it's costliness.
You have the testimony Of your own eyes
that this highway had to be carved, as it
were, out of q very wilderness where we
found nothing to help us-no labor, no
food, no habitations, no material, no
means of transportation. You see the evil
dences of this triumph over every
hindranoe. But you perceive only finished
results; the dramatic incidents of their
achievement are not disclosed to you.
Rolling along smoothly, merrily and luxu-
riously 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?-thatd defiance was hidden to
the seasons, and the pick and shovel kept
flying, though the way had to be cleared
through thick crusts of snow, and on frozen
ground thawed by fires?
have not said all this in boastful
credit where it belongs for the great deed
now well nigh done, and thus discharge,
by this public acknowledgment, as much
as possible, the heavy debt of gratitude
that weighs upon me.
Let me then own, on this solemn occa-
sion, that our ediice could have never been
reared but for the liberality of the people
of the United States, acting through the
federal government, in providing solid
foundation in our land grant; for the de-
votion and sagacity of the men who steered
our era fl in the days of distress and dan
gcr; for the generous folbearance of our
stockholders, the confidence of the public,
the powerful help of financial allies, and
last, but far from least, for the ability and
faithfulness of the officers and employees
of the company, and for the myriads 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.
II 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 and pray that as this great work
of man will stand forever, it may also for
ever be an immortal honor to its founders,
a noble monument to its builders,a perma-
nent pride and profit to its owners, and