Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-03-14

with you in this tribute Of regard for Mr.
Shields. I know from my own expert
ence in the field how we'll he deserves the
high rank which he holds in the railroad
world. 1t was largely owing to his un-
tiring industry, executive ability and
methodical management that we were
able to complete in five and half months
$50 miles Of railroad through new
| sparsely peopled region. With Minot as
| his headquarters and our base Of supply,
Mr.. Shields worked day and night to keep
the men in the field provided with mate
rial as they advanced in steady column
toward the falls of the Missouri. (Cheers).
The construction work which he thus
promoted involved the movement of
100000 feet of lumber, $4,000 tons of
Of rails, 4 miles Of bridging and material
for 40 miles of side track. Tgese figures
do not tell onehalf the story Of the effici
ent work which Superintendent Shields
performed at that critical time when
every nerve was strained to complete the
Montana division within the specified
limit. As the result Of the ardor, energy
and resolution which he and others dis
played the railroad is now at your doors
and will stand comparison with any road
in the country" (Applause).
| THE CITY OF GREAT FALLS.
After brief speeches by Mr.. Ingersoll
and Mr. Burke, Mr.. Eggers called on
Hon. I. E. Collins to respond to the toast
of "Great Falls, the metropolis of north
| western Montana, may she continue to
| grow in greatness and may her prosper
| ity be as vast as her cataracts."
Mr.. Collins said: | appreciate highly
the good fortune Of being in such pleas.
ant company and respond readily to this
toast, for l love Great Falls, that
bright gem in the diadem of our peerless
Montana. believe firmly that this city
| will have grand future and will, before
long, take its place among those pro-
gressive cities which are the glory of our
common country. (Cheers.)
My love for Great Falls causes me also
to hold in the warmest regard the Mani
toba railroad, and in that term l include
all connected with it, from the lowest
grade to the highest. The Manitoba
the advancement Of Great Falls. 1t is
also taking the lead in the development
of that region which is an empire in
itself-which extends from the Gate of
the Mountains to the frontier and from
the lofty peaks of the Rocky mountains
to the fertil plains of the Judith
basin. (Cheers).
You, my friends, of the Manitoba rail
road, have served to open up this vast
region-to link it with the railroad system
OF the Union-and to provide it with those
means OF transportation which in this
commercial age are essential to the
growth of even the most favored region,
| (Cheers.) / believe also as the result of
the development Of our agricultural
and mining resources that many here
present will live to see 100000 people in
Great Falls. The great reduction works
which have been so auspiciously begun
is the pioneer enterprise in that indus
trial movement which will attract to our
factories and smelters the products of the
east and west to be redistributed in man
ufactured form over the great system of
which the Manitoba and Montana Central
ailroads-extensive as they are-are
only the nucleus. (Cheers)
l rejoice that, as the result Of this
growth in town and country, the Mani
toba and Montana Central will reap the
just reward Of their enterprise. Under
the management Of Mr.. Hill and such
lieutenants as Marvel, Egan and Shields,
any road must proper. (Cheers.) AL
though Egan and Shields have left the
ranks, we all bear them in kindly regard.
OF our guest this evening, will say that
he richly deserves this splendid compli-
ment, the highest any railroad official
can expect to receive when the offer of a
higher position induces him to leave one
road for another. The merchants-the
people at large-as we'll as the railroad
staff, all like Charles Shields, (cheers)
whose name will always be associated with
the completion in less than six months of
the $50 miles Of the Montana extension.
Of those who remain I will only say
that you might draw three from any
pack and not match Eggers, Scott
or Kelly. (Cheers and laughter). 1
will conclude by wishing health and hap
piness to our esteemed friend Charles
Shields. (Cheers).
THE PRESS.
In response to the toast of "the Press"
Mr.. Dwyer said:
| join heartily in this tribute to our
friend Mr.. Shields, who began his rail
road career with the venerable Milwaukee
and attained continental fame in the
building Of the Canadian Pacific. On
the Manitoba he has enjoyed the conf
ucACo uAu cstoolu VI JdlIleS u. I1lll VINO
is good judge of railroad aptitude and
executive ability. He joins our friend
Egan on the Chicago, St. Paul s. Kansas
City, which like the Manitoba Is full of
enterprise and vigor. He was offered
charge of division on the Canadian Pa
cific, but in "spite of all temptations he
remains Minnesotian." Gentlemen I
am confident that he is now on an easy
grade, may he arrive promptly at the
terminus where fame and fortune await
him. (Cheers). He we'll deserves both.
Mr.. Scott expressed briefly his wishes
for the prosperity Of Mr.. Shields. Mr..
Kelly made an excellent speech in which
he said: "Mr. Shields, you leave with
ardent desires on our part for your pros
perity. We have the fullest confidence
that you will never be disappointed in
the bright fnture which your friends have
mapped out for YOU" Mr.. Dowd made
a good-humored speech in which he re-