The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-15
SPIKING And SPEAKING.
Completion Of the Fairhaven +
Southern Railroad.
UNITED At THE BOUNDARY.
British Columbia and Washington
People Join in the Ceremonies.
Tho steel Nail Driven with silvas
siedge- -Hammers-A Message From
James g. Blaine to the City Of Blaine
Festivities 1T Fairhaven.

stroke which unites Washington and Brit
ish Columbia by rail was struck today. As
was fitting, 1t was struck by woman.
Two little silver hammers welded by the
wives Of Governor Nelson, of British CO.
lumbia. and Acting Governor Laughton,
of Washington, struck the finishing blows
on the four polished steel spikes which
fastened down the last rail in the line
which connects Seattle and New Westmin-
stcr and gives the metropolis of the Sound
a through line to the East by
means of the Lake Shore, Fairhaven Il
Southern and New Westminster Southern.
The gathering at the boundary was a
veritable international lovc-feast. Amer
leans and Canadians mingled in friendly
greeting, and the imaginary line which di-
vided them was for the time entirely wiped
out. The visitors came from three direc-
tons, and with the residents of the town
and the neighbors made crowd Of
about 1900 at the boundary. About
300 came from Fairhayen and What
com as the guests of the Fair
haven & Southern road, an equal number
from New Westminster and Vancouver
and about the same number on the
steamer City of Seattle from Seattle, Ta-
coma. Port Townsend, Anacortes and
the Bellingham bay towns. The two
trains, decorated with the American and
British flags, arrived at the boundary al
most simultaneously about 1915 a M,
the Canadian being slightly the later.
The excursionists crowded around ar
evergreen arch decorated with the Ameri-
can and British flags and tri-colored bunt-
ing. The Americans INDUCED in some
good-natured annexation by scizing their
Canadian brethren and dragging them
across the line, which is marked by a
trench running to the Sound mile and a
half distant, with iron stakes
The Fire Department band of Fairhaven
and the Artillery band of New Westmin-
ster alternately regaled the waiting crowd
with music. It was a frosty day, with two
inches of snow on the ground, and snow
shower occasionally descended.
At last the bugIe sounded, announcing
that the ceremony was about to begin, and
Chief Engineer Donovan announced the
programme. A gang of men who had
taken part in the construction of the road
laid the last rail in its place,
the American band playing sHail,
Columbia" Governor Nelson, of
British Columbia; Acting Governor
Laughton, of Washington; John Hendry,
president of the New Westminster Sou
thern. and G. X. Larrabte, president Of the
Fairhayen g. Southern, drove the spikes,
which were specially prepared of polished
steel, two being made at Fairhaven
and two at New Westminster. Then
Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Laughtou, each
armed with a hammer of solid silver, gave
the spikes finishing blow, and three
rousing cheers from both sides of the line
proclaimed that British Columbia and
Washington were united by bands Of steel.
Acting-Governor Laughton remarked, as
the finishing touch was given, that he
hoped all the blows ever struck between
the two nations might be as friendly as
these. The Canadian band played "God
Save the Queen and followed it with
1.-THE Star-Spangled Banner"
This ended the programme on the bound
ary line. The two trains Joined and were
loaded to overflowing for the short trip
into the heart of Blaine, while two-thirds
of the spectators walked, Americans and
Canadians mingling in friendly inter-
course.
The ceremony was Just over when the 300
excursionists by the City of Seattle arrived
from Seattle and Tacoma The party then
repaired to the Blaine opera-house, which
was crowded to sufioca.ion. The New
Westminster band played at intervals
during the proceedings. S. A. Cornish.
mayor of Blaine, opened the proceedings
with an address of welcome to the
visitors. He SAID they had Just
completed a continuous line of rail-
road from New Westminster to Olympia,
and spoke of the invitation that such
facilities for transportation offered to i'm
grants, and confrasted the conditions with
those existing when the Beaver, the first
steamer on the Coast, arrived in 1888. The
change had occurred as though by magic.
He bade the visitors welcome and to the
Canadians thrice welcome.
Governor Nelson. of British Columbia.
in replying TO this welcome, contrasted the
present means of transportation with
those existing when he first came to the
Coast by the Panama railroad, the only
road between the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. The construction of the Fairhaven
Il Southern marked new era in the his
tory OF the country. They, the
Canadians, thought they would de-
rive even greater benefit from it
than their friends in Washington. He
attributed the prosperity of Washington
to the construction of railroads. Since the
completion OF the Canadian Pacific the
population OF British Columbia had nearly
trebied, but the increase was not nearly
so great as that of Washington. In thank
ing the mayor and citizens of Blaine for
their welcome he said:
You have rejoiced with us when we were glad,
and You have sorrowed with US when we were
sad.
Acting Governor Laughton, replying for
Washington. said:
But few years ago the active brains OF the
brave hearts and the willing hands that have
made IL possible for us to mark this epoch in the
history of the Northwest We're as lar separated
and diverse in their habitations, aims and OBJ
jeets as the miles OF intervening space, the va
riety OF pursuits aud conditions and surround
ings could well make them, but sturdy manhood
seeks new fields for the exercise OF its energy
and ambition. From the great commercial
cities of our Atlantic seaport; from the golden
grain fields of the Middle and Western states;
from the older civilization of Europe. and from
the various provinces OF Mother England.
you have gathered here, actuated and
inspired by a common purpose and tie
promises presented by tie glowing possi.
oliities OF the grand new Northwest
and have peopied country, where but little
time ago the signing waves Tapped the shores of
the wilderness. whose green yerdure served as
q mantle TO cover the hidden wealth which
awaited but the breath of the locomotive to