Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-08-01
GOVERNMENT RAILROAD
IS OFFICIALLY OPENED
GOVERNOR MARTIN PILOTS
TRAIN ON MAIDEN TRIP

Under full steam and driven by
Governor Martin, dressed in the
customary uniform of an engineer,
the first locomotive, pulling two
passenger coaches and flat car,
with another fiat car ahead of the
engine, pulled out of the junction,
a mile east Of Coulee City, Monday
morning at about eleven o'clockA on
it's initial run to the Grand Coulee
dam, and another milestone was
reached in the chapters of the con-
struction of the Grand Coulee dam.
The official opening of the gov
eminent railroad, which was offic-
tally turned over to MWAK Monday
was attended with appropriate and
impressive ceremonies. Miss Mary
Cole, daughter of G. M. Cole, rec
lamation bureau field engineer,
broke a bottle of Columbia River
water over the tender of the huge
engine, which is destined to play an
important part in the building OF
the dam. Francis Donaldson, chief
engineer of the MWAK company,
formerly accepted the road from j.
H. Miner, office engineer of the rec
lamation service, who acted in the
absence of Frank A. Banks, United
State reclamation engineer in charg
Among other things Mr.. Donaldson
remarked that the letters MWAK'
stand for Mason-W alsh-Atkinson-
Kieg, but he hoped when the pro-
ject is completed it will mean more
water and cash to your state"
Governor Martin, appearing more
like regular engineer than the
governor! made a short talk in
which he predicted the completion
of the high dam without unneces-
sary delay. Reporters and camera
men busily engaged in doing their
part, attested to the Importance of
the occasion.
AS the huge engine, pulling it's
load of human lives, steamed out Of
the junction, there was noisy de-
monstration that could be heard for
miles, and the governor responded
with several sharp toots of the
whistle. Scattered along the railroad
right of way between here and the
dam, were interested people who
had come to see the first train pull
up the coulee. Many of them were
old timers who had lived here for
years, not really eXpecting,I but al
ways hoping for this event.
The MWAK train, in charge of
superintendent c. F. Urbett, form
erly superintendent of the Milwau-
kee road, pulled into Coulee Center
just one hour and half from the
time it lcft Coulee City. 1t seemed
as though the entire countryside had
gathered there to see the new train.
The Mason City band was on hand
to greet the governor and his party,
Following a short delay, all the
passengers were put in cars and
buses and transported to Mason
City, where they enjoyed the hospi-
tally of the MWAK company and
were entertained with an elaborate
dinner of tenderloin steak, cold tur
key, crab salad and all the trim
mings. The dinner was followed by
an impromptu program in which
the Governor and many others
took part.
BY ten O'Clock in the morning at
least two hundred people had gath
cred at the junction mile east of
town to witness the pulling out of
the I1rSJ Train OVeI IHe SoNclAldoHI
built railroad to the dam. Numer-
GUS towns in Grant, Douglas and
Lincoln counties were well repre-
scented. Although Frank Mccain,
president of the Chamber of Com
merce and member of the city
council, was the official represent
tive of Coulee City, many other
townspeople gathered at the juno
ton, many of whom made the trip
II the dam as guests of the MWAK
company.