Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1934-09-15


ing Helena, the Capital Of Montana,
the United States Assay office, the
neighboring gold mines and the Mullen
tunnel, sleeping in the cars at night. "
No wonder Helena was excited For
two nights and a day it would enter
tain the great Of the land. And those
who knew the Helena Of that day would
have no doubt as to the entertainment
afforded. Helena never did anything
by halves. We may presume there was
little sleeping in the cars during those
two nights.
AS I have stated, the spike driving
had been set for the first week in Sep
tember The company underestimated
the ability Of its employees, for the work
reached completion Aug %, 1883. Com
menting or this, the Herald calls at
tention to the fact in these words:
TT is certainly remarkable for a rail-
road, or anything else, to finish on
time, but here we have the greatest
railroad on the continent and in the
world, in many respects, actually fin
ishing and at work two weeks and a
half before the time officially an
nOunced for driving the last spike which
would hold to its place the last rail
completing the continuous line not
simply from sea to sea, but from every
side and portion Of the continent
through the heart OF our Territory"
And let me add that this concluding
sentence but feebly expresses the feel
nes Of HeIenaites, who would, most Of
HEM have required q larger vocabu-
AIRY for the purpose and a longer SEN
sence.
Again the Herald remarks:
~Om people who travel win no longer
,e restricted to 40 pounds OF baggage,
With 40 cents per pound for every ad-
litaona1 pound, and though he pays this
'xtra has to walk up every hard and
ong hin to enable the coach to haul
us extra baggage, for which he was
made 20 pay such heavy extra. Nor win
men who travel in Montana hereafter
Ie compelled to take robes, blankets,
'veraITs. etc, and undergo the constant
,erfl of roasting, freezing and breaking
lis neck, II oppressed with sleep atop
stagecoach. or clinging desperately TO
he ropes that held pyramid Of mail
ackS and express goods TO the frail
ody Of read-ax wagon"
Good Description
Old timers win appreciate this de-
criptfon Of the joys OF stagecoaching,
nd agree that it is not overdrawn. The
ledge, coach, jerky and wagon all used
S weather or roads dictated. The dead
x wagon, toIerable when drawn by
ken, became an instrument Of torture
ecause Of its lack Of springs as It
ol6ed over rough roads behind two or
oar trotting horses. have tried In
ne journey all four methods Of loco
a0tfon, making my first entrance into
Ielena on rainy hight Of early March,
8TS, IN the aforesaid dead-ax wagon.
/ should be remembered that the COM
ort Of the passenger was not then con-
Idered. The coaches ran to carry mail.
While the Heralds editorial gives
tuesday as the day Of the spike drfv-
ne, its lengthy account Of the ceremony
lies Wednesday correctly as the date.
appears that no special cars carried
D the end Of the track those from
Helena who attended the celebration.
'wo cabooses carried them, unless some
lere admitted to the pullman coach in
salch the commissioners from the west
ere to ride.
the train left at $50 a. m. bearing
i'm It nearly all the prominent citizens
( Helena, judging by the list OF names
wen How they managed to stow them
slves within the cabooses is problema-
cal. but they did, and arrived at Car
son by noon.
Going few miles farther. the cars
anne to q standstill, when the passen-
ers alighted and set out ahead at
rfslS pace until they reached the spot
mere tae tall staff and floating banner
sdiaated the two sessions were 10 meet.
Tne first 10 complete their work were
le western txackmen, and as they
rove their last spike they were hearth
elaeared by all present, the i0cogno-
pe tootimg Justify. Then came the east-i