Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-11-23

men and studied with wonder a land
they had y visited before. H. G.
Davis, superintendent of construction.
VINO had driven the first spike in the
building Of the road, was present To
assist i IN driving the last. YOUNG
i1ligard Willard was present to assist
IN the work. Mr.. Willard made n
speech welcoming his guests. He was
not vain glorious; he had little to say
OF his W part in the work. If he
Knew that already his enemies were
encompassing his downfall and the
partial wreck of the railroad he did
not reveal it in his manner. After
MI. Willard, Frederick Billings spoke,
and then Mr.. Evarts.
The part which Mr.. Billings had
played in the completion of the sys-
TEN was no small one. After his cleo
ton as president in 1879 the work of
construction had been vigorously
pushed. lie had turned over the work
to MIR. Willard in 1881.
When the speechmaking was fin
lsned gangs OF workmen advanced to
the foreground. A gap of 1,2OO feet
had been left between the east and
west ends of the main line. Track
laying gangs, consisting of ten men to
each gang, eagerly put down the last
ralls and drove the spikes which held
them. The moment had come for the
setting of the golden spike. Mr.,
Davis placed this and gave it a slight
tap. Mr.. Willard stepped forward and
gave it the secon. blow. Mr.. Billings
was honored by having the third blow
to give. Gen. Grant delivered the
fourth. Then governors and other
honored public men came and each
gave the blow, until the spike was Sc
curely set. and the main line of the
Northern Pacific. finally completed.
There was great feasting after this and
a glorious return of the Willard party
to New York. The northwest took on
new life. The commercial interests
OF Lakes Superior and Michigan found
new markets. The richness of North
Dakota soil was discovered. The min
eral wealth of Montana received an at
tentlon deserved long before. The
world learned that Idaho was not a
waste. The lumber of Ore
gon and Washington and their abund-
ance of riches in other ways were
made known. The railroad faced the
problem Of building up the vast unoc-
cupied territory through which it
passed, but this Mr.. Willard appreci-
ated.
A short quotation from one of his
public uttcrances after he returned to
New York will illustrate this. He
said:
The stocks and bonds of the North
ern Pacific are a good investment for
the public. But the growth of the
road and it's values will depend upon
the rapidity with which we can con-
vince the people of Europe and the
east that the vast territory northwest
and west of st. Paul and Minneapolis
is worthy of permanent settlement.
Personally know that northern Min
nesota is destined to be one of the
wealthiest producing sections in the
world. Properly titled the soil Of
North Dakota is admirable for wheat
production. 1t will be no child's play
to open this vast plain land, but it
will pay. l believe that Montana con-
tains more mineral wealth than any
other territory of the union, and it has
excellent valleys for agricultural and
cattle pursuits. Idaho needs, but the
solving Of the problem of irrigation to
become exceedingly fruitful. The
great city of the Pacific coast, the one
which will eventually outstrip San
Francisco and all other present coast
towns, which will be the companion
of New York and Chicago, is yet to be
built at some point between Portland,
Ore, and the Canadian line. To bring
all this about time and patience is re-
quired. We have not completed a
speculative road. We have built an
industrial road-in my judgment the
most practical transcontinental road
now existing in this country or likely
to exist for many years to come. 1
have faith in the Northern Pacific
country"
AS to Willard, it is generally be-
lieved if capital had sustained him in
his opinions that the Northern Pacific
would have weathered the storms it
encountered and attained long ago the
reputation into which it is now con
ing. But there was a crash some
where in the stock market. The scan
dial which seems inevitable in the
early history of all transcontinental
lines did not pass it by. Gigantic fin
ancial interests clashed. Men who