Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-09
BY General Granville M. Dodge

early as 1919, before a mile OF railroad was built in any
l. part of the world. 1t took practical form when Asa Whit
ney, in 1916, in petitioning congress in behalf of a Pacific
railroad. said: you will see that it will change the whole world"
Senator Thomas H. Benton in 1S4S pleaded that the great line when
built should BE adorned with its browning honor, the colossal statue
of the great Columbus, whose design it accomplshes, hewn from the
granite mass of a peak of the Rocky mountains, overlooking the
road. the mountain itself the pedestal. and the statue a part of the
mountain. pointing with outstretched arm to the western horizon,
and saying to the flying passenger. There is the east! There is
India!'" Charles Sumner in 1853 said: 'The railroad from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, traversing a whole continent and binding
together two oceans this mighty thoroughfare when completed Will
mark an epoch of human progress second only to that of our Declara-
ton of independence. May the day soon comet" And it did come,
and all the prophecies were fulfilled when the first transcontinental
line was completed and the tracks Joined at Promontory Point, Utah,
on May 10, 1869, just forty years ago.
This ceremony was one of peace and harmony between the
Union Pacific, coming from the east, and the Central Pacific, coming
from the west. For a year or more there had been great contention
and rivalry between the two companies, the Union Pacific endeavor-
ing to reach Humboldt Wells. on the west boundary Of Utah. and
the Central Pacific rushing to reach Ogden. Utah. to give them an
outlet to Salt Lake City, and the two lines were graded alongside
of each other for 226 miles between Ogden and Humboldt Wells.
Climbing PromontOry mountaing they were not a stones throw
apart.
When both companies saw that neither could reach its goal
they came together and we made an agreement to join the tracks
OF the summit of Promontory mountain, the Union Pacific selling
to the Central Pacific ftysix miles of its road back within fye miles
of Ogden and leasing trackage over that five miles to enable the
Central Pacific to reach ogden. These I'VE miles were not only a
part of the Union Pacific, but used by their line north to Idaho.
This agreement was ratified by congress. Each road built to the
be laid when the last spike wa driven. The chief engineer of the
Union and Central Pacific had charge of the ceremony and the work,
and W e set a day far enough ahead sc that trains coming from
New York and San Francisco would have ample time to reach
Promontory in time to take part in the ceremonies.
Arrival of the Official Parties
On the morning of May 10. 1863, Hon. Leland Stanford, gov
ernor of California and president Of the Central Pacific, accompanied
by Messrs. Huntington, Hopkins, Croker and trainloads of Cali
fornias distinguished citizens, arrived from the west. During the
forenoon Vice President T. C. Durant and Directors John R. Duff
and Sidney Dillon and Consulting Engineer Silas A. Seymour of the
Union Pacific. with other prominent men, including a delegation
of Mormons from Salt Lake City, came in on a train from the east.
The national government was represented by a detachment of
regulars" from Fort Douglas, Utah, accompanied by a band, and
900 others. including Chinese. Mexicans. Indians. halfbreeds,
negroes and labOrers. suggesting an air of cOsmOpOltanism, all
gathered around the open space where the tracks were to be Joined.
The Chinese laid the rails from the west end. and the Irish laborers
laid them from the east end, until they met and joined.
Telegraphc wires we're SO connected that each blow of the
descending sledge could be reported instantly to all parts of the
United States. Corresponding blows were struck on the bell of the
city hall in San Francisco, and with the last blow of the sIedge a
cannon was fired at Fort Point General Stafford presented a spike
of gold, silver and iron a the Offering Of the territory of Arizona
Governor futile of Nevada presented a spike of silver from his
state. The connecting tie was of California laurel. and California
presented the last spike of gold in behalf of that state. A silver
sledge had also been presented for the occasion. A prayer was
offered. Governor Stanford of California made a few appropriate
remarks OF behalf of the Central Pacific and the chief engineer re-
sponded for the Union Pacific. Then the telegraphic inquiry from
the Omaha office, from which the circuit was to be started, was
answered: ITO everybody: Keep quiet When the last spike is
driven at Promontory Point W g will say Done Don't break the
circuit, but watch for the signals of the blows of the hammer. The
spike will soop be driven. The signal will be three dots for the
commencement of the blows" The magnet tapped one-two-three
then paused-"Done." The spike was given it's first blow BY
President Sanford and Vice President Durant followed. neither o
whom hit the spike the first time, but hit the rail- and were greeted
by the lusty cheers of the onlookers. accompanied by the screams
of the locomotives and the music of the military band. Many Other
spikes were driven on the last rail by some of the distinguished