The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-10-05

shall spell City or spell v-i-l-l-a-g-e
Without It our claim for metropolitan
ism Is unwarranted and unfounded
With 1t our opportunity to make good
is here. have travelled much over
every portion Of the United States and
tell you here and now no city is sur
rounded by superior agricultural
country. There Is no other equal area
of such land in the United States. Our
own people do not appreciate it-not
fully. If they did their enthusiasm
for the growth. development and won
derful wealth bound to come to this
section, would be unbounded. The op-
portunity is here, citizens, for the
building of big, rich city. In large
measure, 1t is up to you to say what
its future shall be.
Think, act and work metropolitan
ism and a greater Grand Forks and
1t will surely be yours. The CONNER
clay club takes just and I believe a
pardonable pride in this movement. 1t
has been again demonstrated Its value
to this community and it's committee
of which Mr.. Griffith is chairman, is
entitled to all honor for the work
done. To him. then, justly belongs
the honor of driving the first spike
that marks the beginning of this i'm
portant event.
P. Mcdonnell at this point tender
ed to Mr.. Griffith the sledge hammer
and spike, but before commencing
operations, he said:
A Source Of Pride
Il believe this Is the greatest enter
prise our citizens have started this
year for the growth and development
of our city. 1t gives me great pleas
ure to drive the first spike in the
building Of the Grand Forks street
railway. I do SO with the sincere hope
that the work begun this day will be
successfully completed expect there
will be no wind or water in the stock
and all the management will be up
right and honorable. phophesy this
railway will be the source of pride
and pleasure to our citizens as we'll as
profitable to the stockholders"
Then, while the assembled citizens
cheered and give advice and with the
band playing, Mr.. Griffith drove the
spike that marked the opening of the
great work. Following this, Mayor ].
D. Taylor addressed the party assem-
bled as follows:
Important Events
THE driving of this spike which
has just been driven so successfully,
marks the beginning OF new era Of
prosperity for the city of Grand
Forks. Within our own recollection
we can remember number of impor-
tant events in the growth of the city.
We recollect the laying OF the first
water main and Of the first sewer. We
Will not soon forget the building of
the city filter plant. = All can remem-
Der different things that had to do
with making new era, The first rail-
road ever constructed was in the
Seventeenth century when a track or
tramWay as 1t was called was laid for
carrying coal from the mines to the
sea- The track was built with a wide
Hange SO that the wagons which had
been In use before could be used
1here was not much progress in rail-
road building until the construction of
the first locomotive during the early
part Of the Nineteenth century. Now
wherever the railroad in introduced
development and prosperity follow.
In the early days We were without a
railroad until Mr.. Hill decided to
build one for US and from that time on
the development of this section has
been steady and rapid. l predict that
the construction of this street railway
line means that Grand Forks will be-
greater and grow more rapidly from
this time forward"