The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-09-14
THE LAST LINZ.


Formal Completion of the Northern Pa
eific Railway-The Golden Spike Driven
by President YilIar(l-The Blow Heard in
New York-A Noted Assemblage Present.
HELENA. II. T., Sept 10.
The Willard excursionists left here short y
after seven o'clock Saturday morning and
reached the scene of the ceremonies OF the
day, a point few miles west OF the Null. n
Tunnel, on the western slope of the m n
divide of the Rocky Mountains, at $50 a.
m. at 5:15 p. NJ, after a short prayer, the
last rail of the Northern Pacific Railroad
was laid and the last spikeSa golden one
was driven home By Mr.. Willard with a
silver sledge-hammer, making the iron high
way complete and ready FOR travel from
Duluth to Tacoma, distance of little
more than 1850 miles. There are also 674
miles of branches, mostly completed, giving
a grand total of more than 2654 miles Of
road.
William NJ Eyarts delivered the address
OF the occasion, in which he gave a history
Of the road, which he said was "a dream of
1885, when merchant Of New York City,
Asa Whitney, made proposition to Con-
gfeSS to build a road from the great lakes to
the mouth of the Columbia River, in con-
sideration of land grant of sixty miles in
width along the entire route, but whose plan
failed to win Congressional favor. A charter
for the road was again sought in 1862,
but the effort resulted in failure
Josiah Perham, a New England mer-
chant, secured a charter in,1S64, but failed
to obtain capital to build the road, in great
measure because of a clause inserted in the
charter by himself forbidding The company
to mortgage the road or lands, OF to issue
bonds In December, 1865, Perham sold
the charter to some New England capital
lists for barely enough to pay his debts, and
died three years later, before the first spade
full of earth had been turned on the pro-
posed road. The President of the new
company was Ex-Governor Smith, of Yer
mont. No progress toward actual con-
struction was made, however, until
Jay Cooke assumed financial di-
rection. Mr.. EvaTts then reviewed
the financial ups and downs of the company
when work on the road was begun at
Ihompson's Junction, twenty-three miles
west OF Duluth, to 1881, when Mr.. Willard
obtained control, closing with peroration
strongly eulogistic OF the ability, zeal and
energy OF MI. Willard, and the officials who
have co-operated with him in bringing the
road to a successful completion. Speeches
were made by several other prominent gem
tlemen.
At the close of the ceremonies a number
OF the guests returned eastward, while 9TH
ers went over the road to Puget Sound, and
will return home toward the close Of the
month.
ST. PAUL. Mimi, Sept. 10.
The electric flash which passed over the
telegraph wire, announcing the driving. of
the last spike on the Northern Pacific, passed
through this city at 6:15 o'clock Saturday
night and was celebrated by the firing of a
salute and the ringing Of all the fire bells in
this city.
New YORK, Sept. TO-
The last rail laid Saturday on the North
eIn Pacific Railroad was attached to a
Western Union wire running into the branch
Office at s Broad street, and while President
Willard was driving the golden spike, the
blows Of his silver sledge hammer were re-
peated in this city on the telegraph instru-
ment. General officers Of theroad gathered
around the instrument listening to the
strokes that told of the completion of O
gFss nati0nal highway