Omaha daily bee., 1916-01-09
This is the Fascinating Story Of the Driving Of
the Golden Spike as Written for The Bee by Gen
eral Dodge on Occasion of Fortieth Anniversary

graphic inquiry from the Omaha office, from which
the circuit was to be started, was answered: TO
everybody: Keep quiet. When the last spike Is
driven at Promontory Point we will say Done"
Don't break the circuit, but watch for the signals
of the blows of the hammer. The spike will soon
be driven. The signal. will be three dots for the
commencement of blows The magnet tapped
one-two-then paused-'Done.' The spike was
given it's first blow by President Stanford, and
Vice President Durant followed neither of whom
hit the spike the first time but hit the rail, and
we're 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 persons present but 1t was sell
dom that they first hit the spike. The original
spike, after being tapped by the officials of the
companies, was driven home by the chief engineers
of the two roads. Then the two trains were
together, the two locomotives touching at the point
of junction, and the engineers of the two locomo-
tves each broke a bottle of champagne on the
others engine. Then it declared that the
nection made and the Atlantic and Pacific were
joined together to be parted.
Celebrate from Ocean to Ocean
"At the eastern terminus in Omaha. the firing
of hundred guns Capitol Hill, bells and
steam whistles and a grand procession of fire
panies civic societies, citizens and visiting delega
tons echoed the sentiments OF the Caiifornians.
In other large cities expressions Of public
qualification were hardly less hearty and demon
strative Bret Harte inspired to write the
celebrated poem of What tho Engines Said The
first verse is:
What was it the engines said,
Pilots touching, head to head,
Facing the single track,
Half a world behind each back?
This is what the engines said,
Unreported and unread"
After the ceremony a sumptuous lunch was
served in President Stanford's and appropriate
speeches were made by Governor Stanford and
Others and a general Notification enjoyed. AT
night each train took its way to it's own home.
leaving at the junction point only the engineers
end the workmen to complete the work. ready for
the through trains that followed in a day or two
after.
The one thought that was in the minds OF
all was, What of the future? What could a rail-
read that almost its entire length from
Nebraska to the California state line through
country uninhabited, and at that date, with
developed local business upon its whole line
My own views upon that question l expressed
in my report upon the completion of the road in
1862 in which ! said;
It's future is fraught with great good. 1t will
develop a waste will bind together the two ex-
tremes of the nation one, will stimulate inter
course and trade, and bring harmony, prosperity
and wealth to the two coasts. A proper policy,
Systematically and persistently followed, will
bring the road the trade OF the two oceans and
will give it all the business it can accommodate;
while the local trade will increase gradually until
the mining. grazing and agricultural regions
through which it passes Will build up and create
a business that will be lasting and permanent
support to the company
1T is great satisfaction to have lived and
witnessed the development OF nation, from the
lakes to the Pacific; a result Of the civil war
IL has made a centurys growth in fifty years"