The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-10-27
THE GOLDEN SPIKE
Driven In the Northern Pacific
Railroad.
Mr.. Brooke Describes the Scenes.
Distinguished Visitors Attend.


4 WHITEHALL, MONTANA, Sept. 20
Doubtless your readers have all heard
ere this Of the ceremony of driving
the last spike in the Northern Pacific
railroad, on the Sth. This completed
the great line over and beyond ths
Rockies. / am free to acknowledge
that ! was vain enough to hitch ut
q team on the morning Of the 9TH
and drive across the main range ol
the Rocky Mountains to Butte CITY
pronounced. BEAUTY distance 81
miles; the next morning l was ono
Of several hundred to leave at G
o'clock on the Utah Northern r. r.
to be present at the driving of the
| gold spike. As Butte City is located
high up in the Rockies, some 5000
feet above the level we had down
grade passing through the beautiful
and fertile valley Of Deer Lodge,
through almost continuous green
field and past several mining camps
with Mount Powell oyertowering
them with its white mantle 14.OOO
feet above the sea. Forty miles
from Butte brings US to the city of
Deer Lodge, thriving town of sew
eral thousand inhabitants, located in
the midst of a good farming country.
Running from here down the He'll
Gate river IA miles we arrive at the
terminus OF. the U. N. r. r., and here
the little Blackfoot river flows down
from the main range on our East,
down which the N. p. is built. 1t is
four miles by trail from here to
the spot where the spike is to be
driven. A number Of wagons were
here ready to convey passengers, but
as they demanded $3.50 each, /
thought as knew the trail, having
driven 1900 head of cattle over it
three years since, I could not put in
three fourths Of an hour to, better adj
vantage than to walk, which / did
and beat most Of the wagons. About
300 other persons followed me over
the trail. We arrived on the spot at
1890 o'clock at which time the first
train from the East also arrived with
President Willard and the second in
stallment Of his invited guests, in
Gliding VIM. NJ. Evarts, Secretary
Teller, Carter Harrison, Mayor Of
Chicago, Carl Schurz and a few les
ser lights, including Iron Bull, Chief
of the Crow Indians and 10 or II of
his best looking bucks and his hand
soonest squaws. Iron Bull is so
moons, old. 1t has long been the
boast Of the Crows that they have
never shed white mans blood. This
may be true and it may not be. But
I started to tell you about the spike
driving.
It was understood that the little
man of destiny, Gen'l Grant, was to
be there. Many began to inquire:
(Which is Grant," Some one pointed
out Carter Harrison as Grant, but to
those of us who had fought bled and
died under Grant the joke didn't
take. 1t was amusing to hear some
OF the odd remarks made about him
by some of the old settlers and their
families. At 1:2O o'clock the second
train from the East arrived and we
are just informed by telegraph that
the third and last section will not
arrive until 3 o'clock. The two or
three thousand people on the ground
made up their minds to put in the
intervening time the best they could,
as the performance was not to com
mence until after tho train arrived
that bore the balance Of the distin-
guished. The location here selected
is good one. 1t is in small mar
row valley on the South bank Of the
Hell Gate river with high hills all
around. At this place where the
ceremony of driving the last spike is
to be held, President Willard has
erected seats for 1000 Of his invited
guests. The railroad track on each
side is floored with plank. A painted
sign board informs us that we are
f,l98 miles West Of Lake Superior
and S47 miles East of Puget Sound.
There are 1900 feet of track to lay;
flag staff on red painted tie de-
notes the center 900 feet on each
side. The Winston Bros. have had
the contract, one working East and
the other West. 1t has been race
between them, which could lay the
greatest number Of miles and it was
deemed proper to let them finish the
race here in the presence Of Mr.. Viii
lard and his guests. ] forgot to in
clude in arrivals on the first train
the splendid band of the 9Th U. S.
Infantry. They have been giving
us music all day. l forgot also to
mention that General Grant did ar
rive sure enough on the - o'clock
train and has been making the &C
quaintance of the Montanians. One
old Virginian, an ex-rebel, introduced
himself to the General and said to
him that the one act of returning
General Lees sword after the sur
render was the browning act of his
eventfnl life.
1t is now in the afternoon and
about 5000 of US are getting a good
appetite, but to our great disappoint-
ment there is nothing to be had in the
way of eatables.