| Show r 17 V Monday Monda May 10 1869 1569 was a great day for Utah a great day for the United States for on that date at Promontory point the summit Of orthe the range 1068 miles west from Omaha miles east of or Sacramento Sacramento Sacra Sacra- mento Union Pacific engine No and Central Centra Pacific locomotive Ju JupIter Jupiter Jupiter Ju- Ju piter pilots touched after the last rail had been V laid ald the last spike driven and the tracks of or both railroads railroads rail rail- roads were welded Into one and the first transcontinental railroad was completed It was a notable gathering Railroad Rail nail road men from various parts of the country newspaper representatives tives lives from all over the United States V civilians likewise various nall nationalities who had constructed construct construct- ed the two roads In all there were about 1200 persons present It was the greatest gathering of its kind in the history of or the United States and perhaps it has never been equaled since the he nearest approach to it U being the gathering of railroad railroad rail rall- road men and others at the Lucin cutoff perhaps fifty miles below Promontory point when that great trestle was opened and where a agold agold agold gold spike was also driven b by the wizard of the railroad world K E. H. H Harriman END OF GREAT DRAMA The gathering at Promontory Point was the end of ot a great drama It was the beginning of the development development development de de- de- de of or the Salt Lake valley and of or Utah There was an in interesting interesting interesting in- in program arranged and Edward Mills of Sacr Sacramento mento read the program after which the dedicatory dedicatory dedicatory dedi dedi- prayer was offered by Rev Dr Todd of or Massachusetts l which was followed by the presentation o othree of three spikes one of which was of gold seven inches long and was made from twenty-three twenty twenty- twenty dollar gold pieces the gift of David DavidH H H. Herves of or San Francisco one of sliver silver from Nevada l the third one I made of Iron silver sliver and gold from Arizona and three being presented to Governor Leland Stanford president president president dent of the Central Pacific railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road who responded with an address address address ad ad- dress appropriate to the occasion lIe He was followed by General SuperIntendent Superintendent Superintendent Super Super- Granvile M. M Dodge re representing representing re- re presenting the Union Pacific rail rall- road The last tie which was laid was of California Laurel which had been highly polished on which was a 11 t silver pIa plate te bearing the inscription tion The last tie laid ald in the completion com corn petion of the Pacific railroad May 1 10 1869 V VLAST LAST SPIKE DRIVEN When the tie had been placed In position Governor Stanford drove the last spike and the telegraph telegraph tele tele- graph wires received the taps of the hammer and transmitted them all over the United States The hammer was a silver sliver sledge one and the telegraph wires which recorded the taps as the spike was driven home was with the fire rire alarm system In San Francisco with the bell In the capitol In Washington and the flash as the I tap on the spike was made caused the discharge of or artillery in I San Francisco As the last blow was struck on the golden pike the assemblage went wild Old Glor Glory was raised to the top of or the flag pole which had been placed in position three cheers were given for the government of or orthe the United States three for the presidents three for the Pacific railroad three for the American flag Clag and three each for tor the laborers who built the road and for the men who furnished V the capital to construct con cn- it Then a bottle of ot wine was broken and poured on the last rail the ceremonies were ended and the Pacific railroad was completed In the addresses that were made at the joining of f the rails it was brought out that in the construction construe construe- tion of ot the road In and through the Wasatch range of mountains the work being done in the winter that the workmen wore heavy overcoats overcoats overcoats over over- coats while they worked V |
