The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-05-20
MILWAUKEE OFFICIALS AND
THEIR GUESTS WITNESS
COMPLETION OF TRACK.
RAIL SPIKED INTO PLACE
At 2:o6 O'clock in tho Afternoon Re-
manning Steel Is Swung Into Place
and Spike Is Driven, Completing
Band of Steel Connecting Chicago
With the Pacific Coast.

AT 2:06 p. m. yesterday the last
rail was swung into place in the main
line of the Milwaukee, the first rail-
way to connect Chicago directly with
the Pacific coast. and at 2:21 Division
Engineer George Nick swung the
hammer upon the last spike which
was driven home by four strong
blows The scene of this interesting
incident was just a mile and a half
west of the historic spot where the
golden spike of the Northern Pacific
was driven quarter century ago
There was not, however the formal
ceremony attendant upon yesterdays
affair that characterized the event
which Henry Willard made so dra-
matte When the Northern Pacific was
completed. The audience was not as
large as the one which MIR. Willard
assembled and there were no arch
dukes or royal highnesses in the par
ty that watched the final act in the
Milwaukee construction yesterday,
but the assembly was eminently se-
lect and it included the men to whose
credit must be placed the wonderful
performance In railway building
which has been made in pushing the
Milwaukee through to the coast.
The Party.
Chief Engineer f. ]. Pearson was
of the party and with him were w. O.
Winston, H. E. Stevens and J. II.
Ellison of the Winston Brothers COM
pany. who have done the construc-
ton through the mountains east and
west of Missoula There were several
of Mr.. Pearson's associates and as
sistants in the party and representa-
tive citizens of Missoula and Deer
Lodge watched the proceedings with
deep interest.
1t was a simple enough affair." this
spike driving. There was no red fire
burned and there was no wine bottle
cracked; the little group of specta-
tors gathered about the last opening
in the long line Of steel; the signal
was given and the traclsmen swung
the last rail into place; the fish plates
were bOlted on and the spikes were
driven in the tie west of the joint.
That was all there was of it, That
was all there was to see, but it was
immensely suggestive; the driving of
that last spike closed a chapter in
railway construction that is remark
able; it marked the end of period
of work that has been notable for the
rapidity and accuracy with which
serious obstacles have been overcome
and the precision with which plans
have been carried out In but one
instance has there been failure and
that was where last years floods
ifnt nd {J,n ,,nh, =
vision which the high water caught
half finished and wiped out. With
energy and determination the work
was resumed and the event of ycster-
day marked it's successful compile
tion.
Officially Closed.
And it was, Indirectly, the results of
that flood which made necessary the
driving of the spike at Gold Creek
yesterday, weeks after the cast and
west lines of track met at Missoula
and the line was officially closed as
to it's steel. The extensive Washouts
of a year ago necessitated a lot of
swapping of right of way between the
Milwaukee and the Northern Pacific
and the construction of the new line
of the latter Was delayed in consc-
quence. This delay prevented the
Northern Pacific from vacating the
Milwaukee right of way near Gold
Creek and Hell Gate until this month.
There were two gaps left in the Mil
Waukce main line when the westward
moving track layers came along. 1t
was the last of these gaps that were
closed yesterday.
The weather man was most kind
for the occasion. There We're many
old timers in the party yesterday but
there was not one who could remem-
Der ever having seen a better day
Tho bright skies had their effect upon
the spirits of the party which left Mis-
soula at $40 yesterday morning over
the Milwaukee for the scene of the
event of the day, so miles to the
east. Everybody was in good hunor
and everybody enjoyed the ride over
the new track which is in good con-
dition most of the way. The train
went through without an accident and
was the first Milwaukee train to run
from Missoula to Butte, all the way
on it's own rails.
Special Arrives.
It was just 2 o'clock when the spe-
cal reached the point, east of Gold
Creek, where the rails We're yet open.
Everything had been made ready. The
last rail lay on the ties, ready to be
swung into place. There was no time
lost. Roadmaster Nick gave the word
to the track foreman; the rail was
pushed into place at 2:06 and was
quickly spiked to the ties. At 2:21
the last spike was handed by Di-