The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-30
ITS LAST SPIKE DRIVEN
Ceremonies a the Completion Of The
Butte 4 Gallatin Branch.
Riding Over the Peaks OF the Rock
ies-Scenery OF Surprising
Crandeur-The Famous
Homestake Pass.

mcnts with their battlcmcnts stohe anu
granite, are pierced in another spot and
the far west Is linked with the far
cast by another band Of steel. The range
of frowning, forbidding mountains across
which tho brave pioneers laborously
made their way less than "a de-
cadc ago and which 10 their
simple minds appeared as impcnetrable
as the walls guarding the future, have
been made to yield To the skill, enterprise
and scicncc Of the present day TO which
all obstacles must yield. The dark, silent
chasms and gorges whore no sound OF
civilization was ever heard until the
magnificent and wonderful riches of
Butte were made known n tempted the
cupidity of man, now csound with the
shrek Of the rushing locomotive and the
rumble of long trains OF cars laden with
human lives and the wealth extracted
from the countless mines that have
made Butte famous the world over.
Little did many of these who to-day wit
messed the completion of another iron
trail leading to the broad pillows ~ the
Atlantic, dream when years & they
trudged across these same mountains,
that they would live To see the journey,
which il took them days and weeks to
make completed in that many hours. Had
some one then told them that instead of
the docilc Jack and patient OK which they
used to transport themselves and their
humble belongings, the day would come
when the iron horse would follow the
trail they were blazing, the prophet would
rave been looked upon with pity and con-
tempt. Wild rs would such a prophecy
nave then appeared its fnlfillment Of to-
day was looked upon as only another step
in the march Of civilization whose pro-
grcss il ever onward and irrcsistable. IL
il strange how n few hours spent among
the grandeur and sublimity of natures
t.tp.,las .auSns nna'S mind In drift oil intn
poctical and romantic channels and for
get the prosaic facts of every day life in a
bustling, busy city with its thousands Of
restless energetic people.
II was a ride over the latest railroad
into Butte, the Butte 4 Gallatin branch of
the Northern Pacific, that caused the IT.
porter to take such daring flights into the
realms sacred TO all except the poet n
But forgive him, he is only
human, and therefore has his weak
ncsscs.
This afternoon shortly before 9 o'clock
j. G.. Patterson, assistant chief engineer
Of the Northern Pacific. in charge Of the
Montana division, arrived in tho city
and informed Colonel McCaig, general
agcnt of the company, that il he desired
To see the last spikes of the Butte 4
Gallatin branch driven, hc had better
"Gct a move n as an engine and ca
boose was waiting. Ii is needless to say
ttlt llIttttitfoit Nhr tAttfDttbs LII ~ " Al
extended To n number of other gentlemen
"A goodly sized party of newspaper men,
capitalists n prominent citizens gencr-
ally, were making their way IN where the
train was waiting.
When all were ON board the roll was
called and Col. McCaig, u. =. Marshal
Irvine, :. b. C~alderhcad, general passen-
ger agent of the Montana Union,
y. J.sO'Brien, superintendent of trans
portation of the same line, Capt. &. NJ.
Lyons, =. A.. Julien of the Mini7g Journal.
&. l.. Haig of the Miner, T.. NJ. Trask, Abe
Heyman and the STANDARD representa-
tive answered To their names. Besides
these quite "A number of others, members
Of the engineer corps and foremen of
various departments, also got on. and
when the little train pulled ont of the
yard ut a few minutes after . o'clock the
car was well filled. Conductor A. w.
Waits had charge of the train and was
Roberts, who looked after the brakes.
Walter Towne handled the throttle and
Alex Martin kept the iircboN Of No. Az
filed with coal.
Soon Butte was left behind and the
Northern Pacific addition was reached.
A stop OF a minute or two was made to al.
low the party to inspect the beauties oi
the location, the bell rang and the jour
ncy was resumed. Then began a grad.
ual ascent, and i'm a little while the train
was winding lis way far above the valley
below, the houses of which looked like
little toys and the people moving about
them like dolls. Higher and higher the
track led. like a huge serpent, following
the curves of the mountains along whose
idcs IL wound until finally the summit
was gained, and with a shrill blast of th,
whistle the engine entered the nov
famous Homestake tunnel.
Seven undred feet are soon passed
| nyar hN "a tnsnranfiya t.tlnt. full Gi,n,,
and daylight showed through the eastern
end Of the tunnel before the guilty repub
Leans Of the party got over their nervous
ness caused by the thoughts If the work
done by their fellow partisans in tina
same spot. George Irvine insisted on get
ting oil to SEQ " paper was really pastct
on the windows, but the building in which
tho election was held had been removed
and only n little hole in the ground
showed where IL a TODD. A short dis
lance east Of the tunnel stands
a large bnilding used as !
telegraph office and headquarters
Tor HI engineer corps. This with a stabl,
or two, a water tank and "a s~ection-houss
make up the city Of Homcstake. A bis
Sibley tent also occupies "A conspicuou,
spot in the center Of the ''city," an,
when Captain Lyons and Abe Heymar
saw IL, thoughts of their childhood day
dashed across their minds and the,
wanted to be allowed To stop and ''see th,
circus" Not having time to stop, ia.
conductor compromised with them b,
promising to have the hand organ at IN,
depot on their return.
Heretofore IL had been a continue
ascent but now the descent begar
and instead Of following the sides Of ia.
mountains the track ran across them
The very summit OF the rockies had beer
reached. The view here was one of in
describable magniiicence. Wherever thu
eye rested appeared endless chains %
mountains and s~ky-reaching peaks
A light, downy snow wa falling
through which he suns ray
would force themselves at intervals an,
color trees. rocks aud mountains will
tinis that would have caused a painter I,
60 into costa les. Still higher up, onclos
ing the tallest peaks with "a film like
bridal veil, was a cloud 81 fog drivel
hither n thither by each varying brceD
as Il forced itself through gap and pass.
The engine stops, and the party alight
at the west end OF the long trestle tina
crosses h north fork Of Beefstraigll
.UnlaI 1A..l - 49, -.