The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-12

Last SPIKE Drives ~ cosstl \
Gray Nssr beasmonts &


17lT ~
Beaumont. Texas. espsembsr l1.--Anla
the blowing OF locomotive whistleA ringing y
beIls and huxyaa by an snthu61astio multi
tude the rail that completed ~ trAok =
the Kansas city. pittsburS ana Gulf rnll-
road from Kansas City to Port Arthur wAo
put 10 place and spiked this afternoon Is
> o'clock at a. point Just twelve ana one-
half milo northeast Of Beaumont This
great North and South Une which prpmise 4
TO rcvolutionisc freight rates and save
thousands q dollars annually 70 the trans
mississippi country was conceived Ia Kan-
saa City about seven years ago and 10
construction began 10 1890 When nrut pro-
posed It was deemed Of little importance
by any but its promoters. but ~ N
tracks continued to extend, bringing KAN
| sas City nearer and nearer to the Cult e
Mexico, the great East and West railroad
system began to regard the youngsler With
alarm. and today It can be said that the
Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf 10 the
most talked OF enterprise In tho country
and that Il has the entire railroad world
] guessing.
| The completion Of such an enterprise 70
therefore a most important event. ana
| would Justify demonstration much more
elaborate than that INDUCED In at ths coss-
uecting point this afternoon when tho
| last rail was put in pace. in TACT, no ar
| engagements nnd been made 10 celebrate the
! went al TINS place, but iai0 yesterday AZ
tefnUon hcslduat Engineer +. u. Goblin
son AID Contractor Il. j. Smith decided
that those eBaumontcrs who had put up
Aienoy 70 secure the Ioaa Tor this city
We're entitled to see the last act that gave
Beaumont direct rail connection win Kan
} sas City. At their request d special Galh
WAS this afternoon run from Fort Arthur
ana 1t arrived In this city at O'clock
having on board about 100 citizens Of Inc
/ future great About 100 Beanmonters. ctai-
sisting Of members OF the board Of trade.
county and city officials aud ladies', Joined
the Port Arthurites here. and the tratn
moved on for the point Of connection.
} NO programme haG boon prepared Tor
the occasion, but when the train foncd up
, TO the gap, they were treated to sight
that was woil worth seeing. Two uonstruc-'
ton trains. beautifully decorated With
green shiubbery. were standing about 1000
lcet apart. Between them 800 men ware
, lined up on either side of the grade. while
, the wagons and teams, also Nprofuscly
!, decorated, were In line AZ the loot Of tho
grade.
, There were number Of kodaks IN the
party, and each was lcvelcd for a erap
. shot OF this picture as soon IA the train
stopped, For the entertainment as "eil a.
I the odihcaticn OF his guests. Contractor
= | smith lad lott about 500 feet Of track TO
4 lay. and after the visitors had gained
q pointe Of advantage the Iron car and IT.
. | crew started, and in very few minutes
i tho track was at the point where only one
y | more rail. or rather. piece or RAILWAYS
= necessary for connection.
= In putting in this rail members OF tn
IA lr-
!, service. Under instructions from Mr..
. Smith they picked UP the henvy steal and
/ laid Il in place. Driving the spike came
j. next golden spike was used. II waa
y placed by Mrs l.. j. Smith. the charms
:. ing wife OF tho contractor. and II was
!, driven by Ed =. Gray county Judge ct
: Jefferson county. Misa Reeyel Smith,
7 daughter OF the contractor. secured ko-
n dali picture OF tho parties participating
/, when the spike was struck the irst lick.
a Judge Gray did his work without even
r striking a glancing blow, and when he an
y nouuced that the spike was IN place, whis-
' tics began blowing. bells ringing and z
A shout went up from the spectators thai
0 made the leaves ON tho Lofty pines trenbic
After this demonstration short speechus
were made by the several orators IN thu
4 party, and three cheers and tiger gtver
/ for Arthur %. Stillwell. the greatest pro.
o uioter on this or any other continent, "
q Tho crowd then returned to the cars anf
a we're whirlcd back home
Contractor l.. J. Smith. who this after.
! noon laid tie rail that completes the tract
' oi tho Kansas City. Pittsburg nnd Gull
70 railroad from Kansas City to Port Arthur
!. also laid the frat rail for this now grcA
/" trunk line. He built tue road from kans1l
a City 10 PIttsburg, distance Of 160 miies
!. IIc also built tho Galveston. La Port AM
= Houston railroad track. which - recog.
J. nized AZ equal 10 any In the South. MT
:, Smith says that when he finishes the Pc
= Gee It's track will also be IN good ahape
70 and he expects TO have the section ~
- tween De Quincy and Beaumont ~ con
q d.tion for passenger traffic BY Septembe
Y 90 Through freight trrps uny bc r1
y over the road before that date.
y The following ladies were IN the part
which witnessod the completion Of tn
nj Kansas CITY, Pittsburg and Gulf railfca
:. this afternoon. and they were tho most IN
=. tercstcd spectators: Mesdamce Vlor0nc
!, Greer. Hal Greer j. L. Keith. l..
70 Smith, r. r.. Dutton. T. p. Edgar, Jon
ig Jones' Misses Nettie and Myrtle Gray
II Lizzie Shaw and Grace Dutton.
% The Kansas City, Pittsburg ana QUIZ MI
y. sell round trip tickets from Beaumont =
~ Kangns City and st. Louis on eeptcmbe
81 rs for $40. good for return until sep@m
y. Der 20. 1897. I, =, I,
er CELEBRATION AT KANSAS CITY.
l., Kansas city. Mo-. September 1i.-rh
e last rail was laid and the last spike drive
,es this afternoon on the line Of The Kanss
AZ Pittsburg and Gulf railway. uniting Kaz
iyy san City and Port Arthur. The compastto
Of the road gives Kansas CITY the shcrte
line to the Gulf Of Mexico, and rAkns
i, practically seaport.
80 Tho event was celebrated With uaanas
- programme by the Third reginent hau
-, ana with nrtng BY tho Fort RilAy cayair'
az men and artiilerymen ~ Fairmount m
NV this afternoon. This evening there ~
Ing display Of fireworks. All this = y g.
.nd tIfy 10 the realization Of A. b etlt
wall's cherished dream d ur4ttng 1e4e
City with deep water on the Gull q ~
pss leo by q railroad. The entsrprlee - g
ous sec. p0o, 900. y }. s 3!
The road will begin "a run freae9e q
passenger trains over ~ ovn tmek
tween Ksnsas City and Pert ArtA1T