Philip weekly review. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1907-1912, 1907-07-19
THE LAST SPIKE.

| the Northwestern extension, an
nounce that the last spike has been
driven in the railroad connecting the
eastern with the western part of the
state and that passenger traffic will
| probably be started August l. The
exact time of the driving of this last
spike was ten minutes after five o.
clock, July 10, 1907. 1t is q date
that will be memorable In the hist
DRY of the development of the state
of South Dakota. This develop
ment has been hampered all through
the early history of the state by the
great gulf which has been fixed be-
tween the wonderful richness of the
/ agricultural east and the wonderful
/ richness of the mineral west.
i To both the Northwestern and the
Milwaukee roads will be given due
credit for the linking of the sections,
| for the latter has It's span of steel
nearly completed across the interven-
ing space and will share with the
road which won the race across the
ranges, the carrying business that
has been waiting and the new busi-
ness that will be developed.
+ Between the wealthy and resource
ful district of the Black Hills and
the states of Minnesota and Iowa is
both the capital and the metropolis
Of the state, yet to get to either of
them, it has been necessary some
times to traverse both these states
and always one of them. This has
been the condition which has hinder
ed the development of South Dako-
ia and which is eliminated by the
completion of the lines of railroad a.
cross the state.
! at never rains but 1t pours" is an
old saying that applies to the pres
ent situation, for blessings of trans
state lines have not come singly. In
lplace of the pony express, and the
Istage coach there is to be the power
lful freight train and the comfortable
passenger coach, and not on one rail-
road but on two. And 1t will require
1.-TWO lines to handle the immense
amount OF traffic which will lind its
way across the range country. Home
! seeking people have been quick to an
, ticipate the coming of the railroad
: and in advance of the rails slowly
reaching outward from east and west
they have pushed their wagons with
the household goods and farm imple-
ments, and have builded homes in
the land of promise, once called the
Great American desert, which has
!. already been made to blossom as the
traffic almost as soon as they begin
to turn, will be made to groan with
their weight of grain and other farm
products and with livestock and wool.
Probably nowhere In the United
!, States is there parallel for the rap.
: i'd development of such q large sec.
tion Of country, but lately pronounc'
]. ed lit only for grazing, into popu
! lous and productive agricultural dis
trict. And yet its development las
only just begun. There Is evidence
!, Of I further rush westward next fal
of those who will purchase lands. q,
those who viii come prepared to re-
= main and wrest wealta from the soi
\ as the earlier settlers were not All
prepared to do. SO there will be
coming and going OF human freight
!. and pulling and hauling Of belonging,
!, SO that the rails upon the new roads
win be kept hot with traffic.
: Among the towns To he beneftted
!. by the new order Of things. R.nid
CITY at the gateway 81 the RlacI
: Hills and the conyerrinc notnt a. the
! two railroads across the state. viii
] most notably nrofit. hut there 4
: Something n II for many towns q
7 the state For tho arst time Sionr