Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1908-07-02
CHAPTER xxXV.
The Wedding Of the Rails.

CHAPTER xxxV.
The Wedding Of the Rails.
A glorious, cloudless day! The tenth
Of May, 1852
Beside the majestic inland sea, gath
cred there from near and from half
the world away, men and women had
come to celebrate the elimination Of
Two tremendous enterprises.
Against calumny, against plot and
counterpart, against the power Of
money and bribery, against old Time
himself had the Central Pacific rail-
road come to completion. On pork,
beans, ''Gcey," and pluck had it been
euiIded, teaching the world its great
est lesson in iron.
Surmounting similar obstacles the
Union Pacific had come westward to
meet it. And here, in the heart of
the continent, amidst cheers, speech
es, and the screaming of whistles, the
final blow was struck, the day made
historic.
Early in the morning magnificent
trains came from each way bearing
officials and dignitaries. Following
them thronged the sightseers.
Esther and Alfred were there
standing near the Central Pacific Of
f1cers, both radiant, unmasked of re-
serve, young, beautiful with happiness
Close at hand were Uncle Billy, the
liarmons. and Amabel Hamilton, deli
! cate, fower-like, bravely carrying a
| heartache that Alfred least of all sus-
pected.
And Sally B.! No pen could paint
| the vividness Of her cardinal plush
| gown, the sweep of the forty-dollar
| plume above her red >Gainsborough
| hat, the CLEAN of her jewels, or the
| pride in the uplift of her dark head
Regal, brilliant, as glad of the great
triumph as if it were her own. she
| drew every eye, dominated the scene,
DANGEROUSLY red against the surround
ing gray.
Not the least striking among that re-
markable assemblage was George
Gregory. Erect as he had not been
for months, we'll groomed and hand
some in his faultless clothes, jubilant,
he was yet restless from the very
lifting Of his burden, and tackled from
shore tc shore in the human sea, COM
ing tc anchor at intervals beside his
wife.
| But the eye OF the vast throng, shift
Ing from notable to notable, came
oftenest to rest upon the valiant
Four" a quartette of keen, compile
nlenting minds, the power that had
driven to completion the most difficult
enterprise of the era
| Mark Hopkins, the treasurer, looked
small beside the others; yet his body
was vigorous, his eye vigilant, his lip
firm. A fine, penetrating exactness,
a rigid carefulness, enveloped him as
a garment. A stern man, just, en-
| ployees and fosterchildren yet testi-
| fed to his kindness, his consideration.
Bluff, hearty Charles Croker, the
superintendent, irascible, obstinate,
yet reasonable, was also the daring,
the generous. the pioneer!
| Next stood Coils P. Huntington, the
vice president, tall, stately, elegant,
the keen financier, the astute business
man, the subtle politician, the keeper
Of secrets; tireless worker, a courtly
| gentleman.
Leland Stanford, the president, ex-
governor Of California, beloved by the
people, this man was the cynosure;
imperial head powerfully set on mas
sive body; eyes of the seer, brows Of
the conqueror; mind of steel and heart
Of gold; brother Of men and respecter
Of man; orator, friend, patriot
Talleyrand once declared to the En-
peror Napoleon, The great republic
is giant without bones These four
men had put into the giant a spine of
iron.
| Under tie desert sky the spreading
MULTI 1e vcs called to order. There
followed 4 solemn prayer Of thanks
/ giving The laurel tie was placed,
amidst ringing cheers. The golden
spike was set The trans-American
telegraph wire was adjusted. Amid
GREATNESS silence the silver hammer
was lifted, poised, dropped, giving the
gentle tap that licked the news to all
the world! Then, blow on blow Gov
ernor Stanford sent the spike to place.
A storm of wild huzzas burst forth;
desert rock and sand, plain and noun
tain, echoed the conquest of their
terrors. The two engines moved up,
touched noses" and each In turn
crossed the magic tie.
/ America was belted! The great
Iron Way was finished
i THE END.