The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-04-06
AT BOLIVAR POINT
The First Dirt Thrown on the Gulf
and Interstate Railroad.
BUFFALO JONES AND HIS sCRAPER
Tear Up the GrOund-A Big Outfit Ready
fer Business-HOn. Noah Aliens
Eloquent Address.

Yesterday came off bleak and chilly and
many thought that the public breaking of
dirt at Bolivar point as the commencement
Of the construction of the Gull and Inter
state railroad would be postponed until
some fairer day should come. Such an
event was not thought of by the Gnlf and
Inter state people, however, and they had
determined to break that sod if they had to
wear bathing suits while doing it.
At O'Clock at noon the Bessie-a big
cotton lighter-was wabbling at the east
end of the Mallory pier she being under
charter to take the excursiOnistS to and
from Bolivar Poiat. The Bessie has a lie
ense to carry $50 passengers, and nearly
that number boarded her.
at about lis Pres ident Stoddard of the
Gulf and Interstate road heaved in sight
packing bran new, long handled, round
nosed shovel, with which to turn the first
dirt. Mr.. Stoddard was followed by G. j..
Jones buffalo Jones), Il. NJ. Kimpton and
Noah Allen, all Interstate men.
By 1:30 everything was ready for getting
away, and besides carrying several ladies,
the 'tBessie'' had among her passengers \
large number of GalYeston's business men
besides 20 or 80 men from Kansas and the
territory. When all was ready Captain
Smith gave the order to cast off, and after a
deal of fiddIing the ''Bessie" got away and
down the harbor she went. At the same
time two carloads of mules and car of
food sailed down On the south jetty. These
mules had been in the cars sc hours from
Houston, and Contractor Jones was wrathy
that they had not been delivered promptly
at Bolivar Point early yesterday morning.
At the landing at BOlivar-the jetty con-
!. tractors slip-everyone scrambled on the
dock, and after 15-minute wait a lOcomo-
motive with two fiat cars came after the
party, who were then taken to the point
where the road was to be started, about 600
yards east of the lighthouse AS the light
house was reached there were to be seen
packed'a huge grading outfit consisting of
two 12-mule scrapers andt'40 or so 2-mule
machines. At the point where the ceremo-
mics were held we're two more 12-mule
scrapers.
THE party got down from the cars and
w. B. benson Immediately clambered upon
one of the machines and announced to the
crowd that the. ceremonies would be initia-
ted by an address by Mr. Noah Allen, gen
eral solicitor of the Gulf and Interstate
railroad and ex-assistant attorney general
of Kansas. Mr.. Allen peeled off his over
coat, laid aside his hat and said:
Gas we stand here between the great
gulf and the beautiful bay on this occasion
we can look into he past and get inspira-
ton and hope. for the future. When Chris
topher Columbus first proposed crossing
the waters he was characterized as a visi-
Onary enthusiast almost ready for the lu-
matte asylum, but America was discovered
and his name is at the top of the page in
the history of the world. When Fulton
proposed the use of steam as motive
power the idea was ridiculed as an utter
impossibility, but today we fly across the
country at the rate of 90 miles an hour as
the result of his supposed lunacy Morse
climbed over supposed impossibilities, har-
messed the lightning, and routed the croak-
ers- The crazy Cyrus W. Field turned a
deaf ear to the conservative drag weights
on the wheels of progress and enabled us
TO know what our European brothers are
doing hours before the things are done.
Edison astonished the world and routed