Norwich bulletin., 1921-03-22
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
The East and West Linked by Rail.


 For many years the idea of joining the country from coast to coast had been contemplated, but it was not un til 1859 that a bill was carried through Congress authorizing the grand scheme. Just as things were shaping them selves for the carrying out of the pro- Ject, the civil war broke out and the enterprise was checked.
 In July, 1862, the Central Pacific Railroad Company was chartered, with the intention of building a line from the Missouri River to the Pacific. The spirit of rivalry did tits share in stim- uiating the activity of the Union Paci- fic Company, but little was done on their part until after the war. The Central Pacific, however, immediately commenced work. Work on the Union Pacific did not begin until eighteen months after the Central had inau- guarted their section of the enterprise.
 By the opening of the summer of 1868 the two companies were nearly equally distant from Monument Point, at the head-of Salt Lake. The conpe- tition increased as they neared each other, and at last the struggle arose as to the point of junction. The Gen. tral Company wished Ogden fixed as the point of punction, and the Union l urged Monument Point. The matter | was at last settled by a decision in favor of the former.
 The Indians were so hostile to the | project that several battalions of United States troops were scattered along the line. That the completion of 1 such vast enterprise should be hailed as one of the most memora ble achieve ments in the material progress of the | country, was certainly to be expected. 1 Nor is it to be wondered at the the 1 original pick and shovel employed in l commencing such work should have been preserved and still be looked upon 1 by every patriot with historic inter est.
 l NI In less than one-half or one third of the time predicted att the outset of the 1 enterprise the road\ was completed The total mileage of the road built un : ! der the direct authority and by the aid of the national government was | two thousand, four hundred miles The i Government subsidy in aid of these works amounted to about $S4 ,e00, 900, oi 6 per cent, currency bonds, the com 1 panies being also authorized to issue an equal amount of bonds
 | Ninety million dollars was the cost of the Union Pacific Railroad, up tc 1S6. when it was completed; that ol the Central Pacific, $75,O00,00o. On thu | 10th of May of that year the great his. ! toricar opening of the road occurred al Promonotory Point, Utah. Eminen men from all over the West attended
 The chief feature of the occasion wa. the approach of two engines, one iron
 the East and one from the West, eacl
 decorated with flags and evergreens fol
 the occasion which saluted one anothe
 with. exHltant screams. Then a tele
 graph wide was attached to the las
 rail- so that each blow of the sledg should be recorded on every connectin; telegraph instrument between Sal Francisco and Portland, Me.
 Finally it was announced that tn
 last blow was to be struck. Ever, head was uncovered with reverentia
 silence while the Rev. Dr. Todd, o ., Pittsfeld, Mass, offered up brief am deeply impressive invocation. Tn
 ma gnifcent tie of laurel, on which wa
 commemorative tablet or silver, wa ;; brought forward, put in place, and D, Hardness, in behalf of the State c California, presented Govrenor Stan
 ford the gold spike. ID behalf of tn Central Railroad he responded with i brief sentiment, and Gen. Dodge. in be half of the Union Pacific, did likewis,