Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-08-22
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON
IXTY years ago there took place IN
Il u the state OF Utah event which
nv I marked the completion OF what has
been APPLY described as the might
est work of utility ever undertaken
By man." For on May 10, 1869, at
| Promontory Point not far from the
Great Salt lake, golden spike
driven In railroad tie which con-
u nected the Central Pacific railroad
~ with the Union Pacific and for the
- first time in history ribbon OF steel
~ lay clear across the continent of
North America.
The completion OF the first transcontnental
railroad not only marked an epoch In American
history but 1t was the browning achievement In
the life OF OF the great engineers OF all time
the man whose surveys, totaling upward Of 10000
miles, were basic in railroad pathfndng and build
Ing throughout the West. Grenville M. Dodge was
his name and his career. covering more than half
a century Of amazing activity. entities him TO
place the roll Of great Americans. Recently
there has been published by the Bobbs-Merrlll
company book which tells the story of that
career. 1t Is appropriately called trails Rails
and Wharf.-The Life of General G. M. Dodge" writ
ten by J. Il. Perkins and published under the
auspices Of the Historical Memorial and Art de-
partment of Iowa.
many statesmen, also gave 1t ~ar greatest railroad
builder. For Dodge was born In Massachusetts
on April II, 1881 eight generations removed from
a Richard Dodge who arrived In Salem In 1893.
When he thirteen years old he hired out TO
work farm Danvers and there he met
with experiences that gave direction to his whole
life. 1.-THE farm operated by Mrs Lander,
and she seems to have been the high and mighty
lady of all that section" says his biographer.
had
former had attended Norwich university for two
years and was just cbout to start upon career
of civil engineering. The latter was in the Ice
business. He purchased abandoned church,
moved 1t to Wenham lake. and converted 1t into
an Ice house. Frederick surveyed and construct
ed siding from the Eastern railroad to his broth
er's Ice house and Dodge then fourteen, assisted
In the work 1t was his first survey"
Influenced by Frederick Lander. Dodge decided
to enter Norwich and become engineer. Per
haps In no school In the nation the enthusi-
nsm for railroad expansion at so great pitch as
at Norwich university In 1850 The students dis
cussed steam transportation and expansion of rail
roads from the Atlantic to the Pacific with all the
ardor that Students today discuss airplanes, air
routes and oversee flying True, there were no
lines west of Chicago and but few east of this
point that OF any consequence. but there
were dreams and dreamers; there explorers
and pioneers and they rs heroic and MS for
ward-looking are the men today who think In
terms Of world flying. Dodge's school days fell
In the beginning of all this excitement and he
was stirred to the depths of his being"
So when he was graduated from Norwich In 1851
he surprised his parents by announcing that he
was "going way out west to Chicago" Two of
his friends who had preceded him In this "go-
westyoung-man" move invited him to join them
at the town OF Peru where they were working
for an uncle, who surveyor land agent
and OF the projectors Of the Rock Island
railroad which was just beginning to build west
from the prairie town of Chicago However. 1t
was with the Illinois Central. which had just
received its land grant from the government that
Dodge first got an engineering job, but after
year he left that railroad because he was more
interested In the Rock Island which building
west thnn he was with the Illinois Central which
was building south. In 1853 he given Job
with surveyor for the Rock Island and helped
run the lines Of the Mississippi and Missouri River
railroad (organized by the Rock Island) across
Iowa
1t was this connection which brought him into
contact with a future great American who
to play an important part in his future career.
Dodge began his survey from the wooden bridge
which the Rock Island was building across the
Mississippi between Rock Island ILL.,, and Dayen-
port Iowa. This bridge was
The famous wooden structure that burned In
1855, when the steamboat Efie Alton swung agains'
It, caught fire and destroyed one of It's spans In
the suit that followed young lawyer from San
CANON county represented the bridge company and
the Rock Island railroad. Lincoln argued that the
people had right to travel east and west as well
as north and south and freight the necessities of
life The opposition contended that the Lord made
river for navigation and that II should not be
T. obstructed by obridge-even drAwbridge. There
was decision and tho controversy over this
bridge echoed In congress
Judge Love Of Iowa finally rendered decision