The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1891-12-04
Hon. E. D. Weeds Speech.

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delivered here on Celebration Day.
The report is taken from the Great
Falls Leader and is complete:
LADIES AND This
is an occasion which the state of
Montana may fitly celebrate. ! con-
gratulate you and the people of the
entire state upon the completion of
this railroad. 1t marks the first sub
stantial step in your progress to that
mature and abundant prosperity
which is before you. 1t means to
you many things which will make
for you comfort and advancement.
1t means cheap fuel, cheap materials
and speedy supply to all the de-
mands of your business community.
1t means comfortable and convenient
transportation when you have oc-
casion to visit the different cities and
business centers of the state. 1t
means, also, ready market and sale
for your products, for your minerals,
for your stock and the growth of
your fields"
regard the opening of this rail
road to the Neihart mining district
as marking an important era in the
development of the state of Montana.
1t opens to trade and commerce
new fields and unlocks the door to
every form of business enterprise
and activity. Who would have had
the hardihood to predict ten years
ago that bands of steel would with
in the century unite these mountains
to all the marts and centcrs of the
world: But few years ago this
was an unknown and hidden land.
These mountains of silver and gold
glistened in the sunligh then, as
now; these chambers of shining
metal, surprising in richness those
Of the tabled mines of King Solo
mon, were here then, as now. But
the hand of civilization has not vet
sought to unlock them to the world;
the foot of civilized man has not yet
found these paths of riches. There
was no line of railroad within hun
dreds and hundreds of miles; no
means of speedy interchange be-
tween sections and communities.
And the widest dreamer of us all
would not have said that, within
few short years, there would be here
in these mountains a busy and en-
terprising population of thousands of
prosperous men and women, distant
only few hours by rail from Chica-
60 and New York; that there would
be in operation many of the largest
and richest producing mines on the
round globe; and that here is des-
tined to grow up one of the largest
and thriftiest mining cities of the
west.
Railroads are not necessarily the ad-
vance guards of civilization, because
again and again it has been demon
strated in the painless regions of the
west, that organized society, the
comforts and retinements of social
life, have often long preceded the
rush of the locomotive and the whir
of the train. But whenever business,
thrift and enterprise have beaten the
way; whenever the spirit of courage
GUS adventure has found the paths of
prosperity; whenever the daring and
nerve of the pioneer have challenged
the attention of commerce and of
capital; whenever the resolute hand
and intrepid brain have conquered
the wilderness and subdued the des-
ert, the iron rail has followed close
behind.
Less than forty-ive years ago, in
the year 1S47, when railroad build
ing was in its infancy, was cele-
brated the completion of short sec
ton of road from Boston to the
southern part of the state of New
Hampshire. The line passed through
the farm of that great American
orator and statesmen, Daniel Web
ster, and he made an address upon
the occasion. In it he used this IAN
guage: "Fellow citizens: Can we,
without wonder, consider where we
are and what has brought us herc?"
Think of that, my friends. Less
than half a century ago, in rock
bound New England, perhaps the
most gifted man who has ever hon.
ored our public life said, in refer
ence to the completion of short and
unimportant line of railroad, ''Can
we, without wonder, consider where
we are and what has brought us
here:" That was less than forty five
years ago, on the extreme eastern
coast of the republic, and since then
the science of railroad building has
revolutionizcd the world.
l remember standing near the
summit of the Rocky mountains, on
the Sth day of September, 1888, dur
ing the imposing ceremonies of the
driving of the. golden spike on the
Northern Pacific railroad. | remem-
ber hearing the distinguished lawyer
and statesman, Mr.. Evarts, speak
words of wisdom and eloquence to
the multitude assembled there. He
referred to this language of Mr..
Webster, and called attention to the