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Show - Omaha Turns Back the Clock to 70 Years Ago When North America AmericaWas . Was First FirstJlSpanned JlSpanned "Spanned Spanned " With SteelJl Steel " . . . . . _ . _ . , , _ _ . _ . . , . " ' ' 1 X " + ' 4 + ' ' < " ' \ < : C Can arM * 'fC fC ' p- p . , - p"s - - " ' " r h > - ! " " < ; "s s - " ' S- S . S's - ' 's s ' \ . 0- 0 ' - 0:4f ' # g \ 0 : 0 " 1 " , ? ' :4f 4f : ' " # r ' \ - : w wr S SI Sa SY Sx Sw Sf - I x a w f k 9 Y 1 ka kak - d de dI de , e I e Ig 1 \ % I : r ' S p Y * L LY Lt -t t - tt -t t - WL _ ii iiThe . Tbe The 'Weddmg Weddmg 'Wedding Wedding ' of the RalIs Rails ' at Promontory Pomt Utah , May 10 1869 completmg completing the first trans transcontmental transcontinental contmental continental continentalrailroad imimeniai railroad rauroaa Central i-einrai i einrai - Pacific facmc engine engine engme D on the left , UIIlon Union Paclfic Pacific on the nght right By ELMO SCOTT WATSONO WATSON O @ Western Newspaper UnionFOR UnionF UnionOR Union Union'OR 'OR OR ' OR four days , , April Apnl26 26 to 29 , , Omaha , , Neb , , is turning turmng FOR F _ I turmngback turningback back the clock clocI " 70 years and visitors arriving arnvIng there dur- dur durrng during during - rng ing that time will probably rub their e3 e ) es in rn amaze- amaze amazement amazement amazement - ment For they will find that this modern city has beer been beentlansformed beentransformed tlansformed transformed transformedinto rnto into what resembles a frontIeI vIllage of three- three - quarters of a century ago agoThey agoThey agoThey They will see the Union Uruon sta statlOn staLion station tlOn Lion coveredwith covered with logs to a aheIght aheight ; height of 10 feet to give it the theappearance theappearance thiappearance appearance of an old tIme tImestockade timestockade timistockade stockade , and , as they cros cross crossthe crossthe ; \ the Plaza in front of the sta stabon station station bon tion , they will be greeted by byshrIll byshrill b bshrill shrill war-whoops war whoops - - from a aband aband ; band of Brule Sioux Indian IndIans IndIanswhose Indianswhose ; ' whose lodges are pitchecthere pItched pItchedthere pitchedthere there On the courthouse courthouselawn courthousilawn courthouselawn lawn they will find another In IndIan Indian Indian dIan village and as they walldown walk walkdown walkdown , ' ' down one of the prrncIpal principal prrncIpalstreets principalstreets prmclpastreets streets in the business busrness sec secbon section section bon tion they will see a solid block blockof blockof blociof ; of buildings co co'1 co1 ' ' ered wIth wIth"false with"false wit"false witfalse ! "false false " fronts ' ' similar to thos those thosewhIch thosewhich * ; whIch icn lmed lined .nnei nnei . _ Omaha streets back in rn 1869Prairie 1869 1869Prairie Pralrl Prairie schooners and stage stagecoaches stagecoaches stagecoaches coaches instead mstead of automobiles automobileswill automobileswill automobileswill will be parked along the curbs curbswith curbswith curbswith with here and there a picturesque picturesquffrontiersman picturesquefrontiersman frontiersman in m his fringed frmged buck buckskm buckskin buckskin skm skin suit and fur cap lounging loungmg m in mlus inhis uhis lus his saddle as he passes the tirniof time tune timeof tuneof of day with bewhiskered cItizens cItizenswearmg citizenswearing citizenswearing wearmg wearing tall beaver bea\er bea er beater \ hats or ogles oglessome oglessome ogle : some pretty prett girl dressed in m cnnoline crmo crrno crmolme crrnoline lme line hoopskirt hoopsklrt and quaint quamt old oldfashIOned oldfashioned oldfashioned fashIOned bonnet In fact some som50 50 000 of Omaha s 200 000 peopiwill people peoplewill peoplewill will be wearing the cosh costs costimes mes of o1869 1869 during durmg those four days ' Golden Spi Spr e a Days "Golden Golden " Golden Spike Days they re recalled recalled rcalled called and they commemorate commemoratethe commemoratthe the seventieth anniversary anmversary of thevent the theevent theevent event which really united these theseUmted theseUnited thesUnited Umted United States It was the drlv driv drlvmg drivlug dming mg lug of the final golden spike whethe when whenthe whenthe the eastward building bUlldmg Central CentralPacific CentralPacific CentrePacific Pacific and the westward bUild bUildmg buildtag builclag mg tag Union Urnon Pacific met at Prom Promontory Promontory Prorrontory ontory Point Pomt Utah on May 10 1(1869 11869 ( 1869 to form forI1 forjn ] the first trans transcon transcontmental transeoitmental con conmental mental tmental railroad railroad Why then thenshould thenshould theishould should this tlus tluscelebration celebration be held m in mOmaha inOmaha iOmaha Omaha rather than out in Utah UtahThere ? There are several good reason reasons reasonsOne reasonsOne : One - - is - - that m _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . . - - - - m _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . . " ' V4 . , , , Umon Union Pacific railroad are m in mOmaha inOmaha i : theU Omaha and the history hJstory of the theU thU U P has been bound up closewith closely closelywith closelywith ! f with the Nebraska metropolis metropolisand metropolisand metropoliand s and its twin twin-city twin city twm-cIty twm - - city across the MIs Mrs MIsSOUrI Mrssours Mi ; ; soun SOUrI sours Council Bluffs Iowa frortheir from fromtheir fromtheir their beginnings begInnmgs Another is the thefact thfact fact thefact that the world premiere of ofa ofa ca a new motion picture called calle ' Union Pacific Pac c based basedupon upon the thebwldmg thebuilding thbuilding g bwldmg building of the first transcontI transcontInental transcontinental transcontnental nental ra railroadwill railroad road roadwill will be held In InOmaha inOmaha iOmaha Omaha during durmg the celebration celebrationDuring celebrationDunng celebrationDuring During Dunng the celebration there therewill therewill theiwill will be another East West meet meetlng meetlog meeing . lng log sn m in Omaha which is somewh somewhat somewhatreminIScent somewhatreminiscent ; reminiscent of the historic meet meetmg meetmg meeing mg at Promontory Point Pomt 70 years yearsago yearsago yeaiago ago On Thursday morninApril mornmg morning , ' AprIl mornmgAprIl morningApril 27 a special train tram will WIU ar arrIve arive arrive rIve from the East bearing bearmg W WA WA VA A Harnman Harriman chairman of the theboard theboard tlboard board of d rectors of the Umon Union UmonPacific UnionPacific UniPacific ( Pacific all other me me-nbers me nbers - - nbers of th the theboard tlboard , , " board and a large number numbereastern of ofeastern ofeastern ( eastern industrialists That aft afternoon afternoon a : ernoon the old time tram train used usedthe In InI inthe I the picture Union Umon Pacific wIll wIllpull willpull wpull 1 pull into mto the Union Uruon stationThe statIOn stationThe I IThe iGeneral theGeneral The engine on it will be the , General MeNerson McPl McPI MeN erson one of the theoriginal theoriginal t'original toriginal ' original U P Pood wood \\ood ood \ burning burmng locmotives loco locomohves locomotives mohves motives of the exact type used usedat usedat usat at Promontory Point Pomt Behmd Behind BehmdthIS Behindthis Behithis thIS anciert anClel't anClelt ' iron horse wJ11 will willtwo be betwo betwo two twooaches < - coaches -oaches oaches of the same period periodone periodone pencone d one of v hich hlch is a replica of the thebusmess thebusiness tbusiness busmess business car used by Gen Gren Grenville Grenvile Onvilla ville vile M Dodge who was the thec th < - chIef chIefengineer chiefengineer chengineer . engineer dUrIngIts of the railroad dUrIng duriits ng Its Itsnstruchon < ' construction \nstruchon nstruchon cc'nstructron ccnstructron ( \ ' period _ c Coupled with this train tram will be bethe the Union Umon Pacific s giant new newsteamelectnc newsteamelectric steam-electric steam electric steam-electnc electnc - - - locomotive and the thenecessary thenecessary th ( necessary modem modern baggage and andPullman andPullman ancPullman Pullman cars to accommodate accommodatethe the motion picture celebrities celebntIes celebntIesfrom celebritiesfrom celebritiesfrom from Hollywood and others ar arnvmg arriving riving nvmg from the West coast GettIng Getting Get ting off this tram train will be W M MJeffers MJeffers MJeffers Jeffers president of the U PCecil P PCecil Cecil B DeMille DeMJlle producer of ofUmon ofUnion Union Umon Pacific Joel McCrea McCreaBarbara McCreaBarbara Barbara Stanwyck other members members mem members bers of the cast and several severalwestern severalwestern severa ' western governors gOernors gO\ gO gov \ ernors That mghl mght night mghtthe nightthe the Easterners and Westerners Westernerswill Westernerswill will meet at a huge banquet ir In Inthe inthe irthe the Ak Sar Ben coliseum cohseum anddurmg andduring and during durmg the next neat : two days theyWIll theywill they theywill will see and take part in a senesof seriesof series senes seriesof pageantsluncheons of historical hlstoncal parades pageants luncheons banquets and other woods a hewn tie polished and andlth anc ancwith anduith with \lth lth uith \ ' , a silver plate properly m in mscnbed inscribed inscribed inscribedHon scnbed scribed scnbedHon scribedHon Hon F A Fryth of Nevada Nevadathen Nevadathen Nevadathen then stepped forward and pre presented presented presented sented to Dr T C Durant VJce vice VJcepresident vicepresident vic vicpresident < president of the Union Umon Pacific a aslIver asilver isilver slIver silver spike on behalf of the peo peopIe peopie peopie pIe of Nevada with the senti sentiment sentimeat sentiment ment meat To the iron of the Eas'and Easand East Eastand Eastand ' and the goldof gold of the West Nevada Nevadaadds Nevadaadds Nevadsadds adds her hnkof linkof link hnk of silver to spar span spanthe spanthe the contment continent and wed the oceans oceansGovernor Governor Safford of Arizona Arizonanext Arizonanext Anzon-next Anzon next - next presented a spike made of ofIron oiron ofiron Iron silver slIver and gold saymgRibbed sayingRibbed saying saymg sayingRibbed Ribbed with WJth ! iron ron clad in m silve slIver silver slIverand silverand : and crowned with gold Anzon'presents Anzonpresents ArIzona ArIzonapresents Arizonapresents ' presents her offering to the en enterprise erterpnse , terpnse terprise that has banded the con contment continent coltinent tment tinent and directed the pathwato pathway pathwayto to commerce commerceTo To these donors Governor GovernorStanford GovernorStanford Governo'Stanford GovernoStanford ' Stanford on the part of the Certral Cen Central Central tral Pacific responded accept acceptmg acceping accepting mg ing with pride and satisfaction satisfactionthese satisfactionthese satisfactiothese these gold and silver tokens of ofapprecIatIOn ofappreciation ( appreciation and importance unportance of ofthe ofthe ( the great w \ work workMaj ork orh orkMaJ orhMal Maj Mal Gen Grenville M Dodge Dodgechief Dodgechief Dodgrchief chief engineer engmeer of the Union P Pa ; - . . . . - . . . . - , . . . - . . , - . . . , ' r . g gHr.c ; i ! . . . Hr-.c Hr.c Hr .c c - rrh tK l d R011'i R011i ' ' , ? | | rrhThe ; < i < , ' i The Gld Oki and the New-A New A - modern Union Pacific streamlmer streamliner and an d andthe anthe the old hme time locomohve locomotive bUllt built In 1862 wmch which was used In the motion picture motionpicture UIIlon Union Pacwc Pacific festivities which have been ar arranged arranged a : ranged as a part of the celebr celebra celebratIon celebratron ; tIonSuch tronSuch tion tron Suchwill Such will be the highlights m in mthe inthe ] . the celebration of the event upon uponwhich uponwhich which the eyes of the \ whole hole na nahon nation . tion hon \ were sere ere focused when it took tookplace tookplace toe place 70 years ago For that thatevent thatevent th : it event special trains trams bearmg bearing bearmgnotables bearingnotables notables from both the AtlantIc AtlantIcand Atlanticand and Pacific coasts were run runPromontory to toPromontory toPromontory to Promontory Point Pomt arriving arnvmg on onMay onMay ( EdgarMills May 10 At a signal from Edgar Edgi r Mills of the firm of Ogden MIlls MIllsand Millsand Mil and Company of San FrancISco FrancIScowho Franciscowho who was master of ceremonie ceremomes ceremonies ceremomesthe ceremoniesthe ceremoniethe the t0 too tw t\\ t \ o 0 engines moved up to their theirassigned theirassigned the assigned positions about 60 feet feetapart feetapart fe apart Drawn up along the north northside side of the track were four com corn cornpanics coipanics " pames panics of the Twenty frst mfan infan mfantry infantry infatry try with their regimental band to toI tofurnish I furnish furmsh music for the occasIOn occasIOnThe occasionThe I deI The scene which followed is de described described scribed by L 0 O Leonard for formany formany many years historian lustorlan of the theUmon theUnion t Union Umon Pacific as followsThe follows followsThe The preliminaries prellmmanes completed ; completedEdgar Edgar Mills stepped forwardand forward and andasked andasked asked for dttentlOnlrule attention dttentlOn \ while \lrule lrule vihile the theRev theRev Rev J Todd Toddof of Pittsfield Mass Massoffered Massoffered offered prayer Next wa . . > , the thepresentmg thepresenting presenting presentmg of the spikes for the theceremony theceremony he ceremonyDoctor ceremony Doctor Harkness of the Sacra Sacramento Sacramento ra mento Press in a brief speech speechpresented speechpresented presented Goveinor Govelnor Governor Stanford wIth wItha a "pike pike spike " pike forged with gold fr from fromthe fromthe < ) the mines mmes of California Chforma " , and also alsopresented als alspresented apresented o presented from her laurel lau , cific clfic crfic responded for that compan company companym companyin ; ' in m MiCoe MrCoe a most happy manner Mr Coe of the Pacific Express comI com corn cornpany - , , I pany , , then presented the officials oflicrals officialswIth oflicralswith ? wItha with a s silver ver spike mdulwIth maulwith maul mdul wIth wIthwhich withwhich h which to drive dnve the golden spike spikemto spikeinto I into mto the tieAll tieAll tie I . AH All preliminaries prellmmanes now bemg being .1 1 bemgcompleted beingcompleted completed Samuel B Reed who whohad had hadcharge had charge of the Union Umon Pa Paclfic Pacrfic P ; cific clfic crfic construction workstepped work stepped forward as did also J H Strov Strow Strew Strovr Strowbridge Strewbridge bridge who held a similar pOSI pose tion for the Central Pacific Pac1fic They . carried carned Theycarned Theycarried the laurel tie and placed ' it in m its bed beneath the track trackGovernor Governor Stanford graspmg grasping the graspmgthe graspingthe silver spike maul firmly i in 111 111his inhis posItionon his hands then took his posItion positic on the south side of the rail and andVice Vice President Durant upon the thenorth thenorth north side At a signal Gove Gover Gover Governor Governor Govenor r nor Stanford struck the first blow blowand blowand and then Doctor Durant the sec second secand spilhe spIkewas end ond and blow and the golden spIke ce was driven dn"en dnen " home At the same samemstant sameinstant sarr sarrinstant instant mstant the electric electnc signalan signal an announced anpounced n nounced pounced to the world \ \ orld the comple tion tlon tron completlon completron of tl ti e a great enterprise enterprJse The Thecrowd Thecrowd le crowd cheered and the band bandplayed bandplayed played the Star Spangled Ban Banner Banner " nerThe ner The ceremonies ceremomes and visiting be beIng being b bing ing concluded concludcd the trainb trains tram ! > back backed backedoff backedoil < off oil the scene and the crowd cro\\d cro d \ grad gradually gradually ually evenm.bthe fadedaWdy fadedaway faded awdy away By evenm.b evenmb |