Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-12-04
THE UNION OF THE o 8 L. AND
o. r. q n. COMPANIES ROADS.


Of the 18th ut. gives an account Of the
I union Of these two roads at Huntington
on the 25,h. The following is his &C.
count of laying the last rail and driving
the last spike, which forns quite con-
+ irasi with the Willard eely5r4,iJn in div
ing the h-t spike On the Northern Pacific;
"Aboat @ej nicn w1rc gathered about
the Huntington dcrot az cur ,raia dis
charged Its handful Of guests. and all
were met by M R.ick nsderter, mana
ger Of the Shor, Line, Julias T'hiclson
came up aud, handel lis brother steel
spike and a maui, made b. blacksmith
in the portable shop which forms part of
the Quilt train, and the party walked
down to gap in thu track Of just two
rails length. Here was fat car with
some iron rails on it ard box of spikes.
attended by crew Of about duzen buiIy
Irish giants, every enc Of them tall enough
and stout enough TO have claimed descent
from Brian Boru ur Fin McCoul himself,
to say nothing of such inferior aristocrats
as Shaw Dhu or Grana Uaile. At
given signal the car moved slowly for
ward and three men lifted each rail and
set 1t on the ties. Spikes had been dis
iribnted BY man who always is kept for
such work, aud the big giants stood with !
up-lited manls as the fsh-platcs were
being screwed together; and then then
blows fell true as the stroke of die. At
last every spike was driven but one. and /
Henry Thielsen, taking the steel spike in
hand, set ii firmly iuto lis place, and call
ed GU Mr.. Smedes, of the Short Line, TO
drive it home. After that gentleman had
given it a blow, Senator Slater. Ii. S.
Rowe, james W. Virtue and all the rest
OF the party had whack at it. Then
the train moved up until our locomotive
covered the rail, and gentleman from
Portland proposed three cheers for the
Oregon Short Line, which were given
with a will, and then three more for the
.. X. 4 \. Co.; and the Portland party
once more got on board the Starbuck and
followed the Short Line train down the
Burnt river to the Snake, and crossed
that river five miles below the old i'm
migrant ferry at Farewell Bend. As our
train passed oyer into Idaho caught
glimpse Of the old scow that had done
such faithful work in the days of gold, ,
that never can return"
He adds: "Of all the ceremonies of
kindred nature that have taken place in
America during the last 20 years, this :
was the least ceremonious. 1t was quiet =
md undemonstrative, Cor the reason that
t was merely matter of business. L,
was done properly and quickly, and its
'ober earnestness contrastcd favorably
with the long winded speeches that char
lcterized the completion of the Northern
Pacific or the epidemic debauchery at. d
'endant upon the laying of the last tie on
he Central. But it is part of a busy {
worlds history that things of great value p
have very modest origin" II
The highest attitudes attained on the v
y. X. 4 N. road is between Pepdleton .
md La Grande, and between Baker CITY
md Burnt river, the former is 4 ,2O4 feet :
above the level of the sea and the latter NJ
1896. Between these two points, en- .
'raeing about 20 miles distance, the aver
'ge altitude is something over 1900 feet :
'bove sea level; the altitude Of Hunting
on the point Of junction of these two
eads is 2;l09 feet above sea level and
he distance from Portland 49, miles
The writer of this description pronounces
he Q. h. & N. portion of this road as
ne result Of highly skilled engineering,
md as having been built in the most
borough manner, The people of Port J
and congratulate themselves as being no {
onger dependent upon the fluctuations in =
he management of the Northern Pacific
or steady inlet and outlet to and from
he East and are ready to snap their fin-
,ers in the face of the managers of the
after company.