The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-09-12
THE LAST SPIKE.
A Memorable Day in the An
nails Of Montana.
The Celebration Of the Wed
ding Of the East
With the
West.
Speeches Of President Vii
lard, VIM. NJ. Evarts
and Others.
The Spike Driven Home by
General Grant.

Yesterday was a memorable day IL
the history of this Territory, and in
deed it may be said it marked an ep
och in the annals of the great North
west which will stand out on the
pages OF its history in characters a
iadestructible as its everlasting hills
The S:h of September will be
remembered by Montanians as
Il day which witnessed the fruition
of their hopes III the cOnsummation
OF an enterprise in which their sym
pa,hies were enlisted and their closest
interests We're involved. The last tie
was put in place, the last secti n oI
the great band of steel which binds
in indissoluble bonds the East with
the West was laid and the last spike
was driven to it's home. The North
ern Pacific is no longer the dream of
visionary nor the offspring of an
impracticabie mind, but a real, d
tangible, an accomplished fact. An
other great highway is opened to the
world, another channel through
which the commerce of nations may
flow is opened up. A great country
capable disappearing millions OF peO-
ple is rendered accessible and the
d -sers and the wilderness are wrested
from the savage aud given over to
the lower and dominion of civilized
man.
At an early hour yesterday morn
ing nearly two hundred of the most
prominent citizens Of Butte, Deer
lodge and Intermediate points were
at Independence creek four or five
miles west of Garrison, the junction
of tne U.ah & Northern with the
Northern Pacific. Nearly the same
nu,n,er came from Helena, while the
sa:rpl.l;ur country added It's quota
to ti.s swell ing throng. AZ 2:3O p.
IA wlan Il! .le traius from the east
au w.t. Ii IA arr4ved aua emptied
t,,e,r oIr,,,n of human freight
IL .lr !; ur lli,e three th'ustna
sr.', lai ',nsr-5tted 1t ihe place.
Naver batt,:e in the history OF the
w.. las sa:h 4 sight Deen seen.
ana ,.e uri,., MAJ come and go un-
iii IA. l;t,1 moment OF tine shall be
recorded bat never again will such
sight be seen. Tnere where but
few weeks ago the wild beasts sought
their lar, and tne echoes were undis-
turoed 10y the voice of man were
gathered representatives OF the say
are yej INDECENT aborigines of the
W,si, the wealth, the nobility, the
learning of Europe, and the enter
prise. the energy, the courage, the
craftsmanship, the orAtory and the
genius Of America. Never before
were cnngregat+d in the fastnesses of
the Rocky mountains represent
aiyes of 80 much wealth.
men $, e,rnest, 50 eloquent and
enterprising ~ We're assembled at
Independence creek yesterday. The
honest, har,:-wurking farmers of the
valley, the rough, but well disposed
cowboys of the surrounding noun
tains, tle s.iiriy, ambitious miner,
The industrious mechanic, the mer-
chant, the lawyer, the physician and
illt. celestial aui savage interni1gled
witi, AID j,st'ed Tie patrician bloods
Of Eurnpa, and the orators, statesmen
and inpney-bags OF the new Worid.
Those who saw the upus.lai spectacle
vii! never live to see ano.her.
Northern Pacific railroads are con-
>IrucIe.l bot once, and the daring OF
Il jas Cooke, the organizing power
ani executive ability of Billings,
and the energy, the perseverance,
and the COURAGE OF a Willard, are not
The outerowlh of every generation,
nor are they always united iii the
pres nu:ion Of common oo)ect.
\ large pavilion provided win
anpe SEATING room had been erected
for tie purpose Of holding the cere-
ln"nes preceding the driving OF the
spike. The building was testoonedi
with everyreers on the inside ana
decorated with the flags OF America
Gernl.uy aud Enylard upon the out
Side. Upou The .tacddc and IN pam
View Of the Multitude on the OUTSIDE,
picks, sl,.5vrl4, crowbars ami other
ini;,Ien ents entpl' yed III 'he con
strurtIon # the road were arra"s'u
in an artistic. manner An eie'a'eo
platform upon viii IA seats Wer" ." aI,
ragged :.s 10 give Tie occupants 'Hii
view ni the speaker, Occuple,t abou'
one lllrI oi tIe building. Inc fss
MAS supDiied with seats. bat some
Of ,henl 50 lellote that h'uc'
that was said was lost 10
those p,esynt In front Of the hul'u-
if4 and extending back from 1t near,
~ fifty feet, was a wrsi P'aIhr,
pl"EI-Iad skirlea by a dai5 nr fa'se"
ii"'r wi,irh was arpra'sci'e' "y SIPS
tha' served rs steps, or staining roo'n
as d; sired.
Up n Tie raised platform were
seated General Grant, Preslhent VII
lard, Secretary Teller, ex-Secretaryy
Srituz, sackvile West, the Ehgi,sn
mini.cF, li:.. German minister, MI
Billings, 9 irral Cass. Goverhors
X s., ri W!-runsin, Huhhsh; "
NAuu.snla NrdxaA. OF DAkOta, J