Show THE completion OF or THE PACIFIC THE ane loth day of may 1869 will form an epoch in the history of this country and in that of the whole civilized world as the day on which the connecting nee ting tie of the tile union and central pacific railroad was laid completing the great transcontinental trans continental highway and connecting the shores of the atlantic atlantie tle and pacific oceans the vast importance of this wonderful work when viewed in its ultimate consequences can not be apprehended by the most farseeing far seeing of minds it is undoubtedly fraught Vaught with more inter ests esta and destined to accomplish greater purposes than any work ever yet accomplished complis hed in any age by uninspired man As a mere work of science and art btag it far surpasses those boasted monuments of Pharo ahie ahle ages the pyramids or or any other memento of ancient engineering gi li skill that now excites the tho wonder and admiration of the human mind and when viewed from a ri ati point of view the latter iatter sink into 1 complete insignificance the great groat pacific railroad rall Bail road is at once an uzi imperishable monument of the genius ius lus 1 1 enterprise and wonderful vitality of thib great nation it is but yesterday as bid alt IC were since the bloodiest war re coradin cor dedIn the pages of history waged the two sections of our nation was b rought to a close a war whick which eats cats ost amil amii million llon ilon of lives and thousands pr million sJ of treasure and arid yet since then this great work has hash t been commenced and brought to a successful termination mi nation in 1862 the first move smove was made to wards the construction of a jacif raolo rt road congress chartering samo some two hundred corp orators and granting them tracts of alternate sections of the public ian lan jan ds with other important privileges privilege Ei 9 yIng to the reports of the roads and P passes a s as through the then comparatively u unknown n k rocky mountain region little atie atle tie or nothing was done until 64 when greater inducements were held out but by congress which met with a tardy acceptance by eastern capitalists and in a short time the project began to assume a tangible form but up to 66 only forty miles of the road were constructed the time set for the completion of the road was 1876 latterly the idea gained ground that by july ath 1870 the work might be completed but bat owing to the energy and perseverance per of the directors and contractors stimulated by the spirit of rivalry between the union and central companies the work bas has been completed much within that time and today to day the consummation of their gigantic efforts combi commands ands the ad mi ration and respect of the whole civilized need world the benefits commercio ally that will result to this country by the construction of this road are be yond computation the commerce of the Orient which the nations of the old world have ever been so anxious to se cure cuie Will diverge from froni its old timeworn time worn tracks and the worlds great centres bentres of trade will be removed from the eastern to td the western hemisphere the completion pl atlon of this great road will no doubt be speedily followed by the construction of other lines which will facilitate the settlement of the vast tract of country between I 1 the mis Wis missouri and the pacific by py at least a century thus develop ing inand enriching the nation but great as these results will be they are not the most anost important that 1 will follow the completion of the great high highway why I 1 these must be sought in the tho breaking down of national prejudices and the homogeneous homogeneousness nesa of thought Int interest brest and feeling that will wall be gradually wrought it pr among the nations of the 06 orient and occident by its ts winans means those nations will be brought in to much nearer proximity great preat britain china and japan london bondon san ban iiran Jiran franeisco francisco cisco elseo and yeddo will be within a few days travel of each other the al most moat impassable gulf by which they have hitherto been separated is now bridged over and the intercourse and exchange of thought and feeling founded ia in self interest by the increased facilities for commercial exchanges will gradually wear vear away the barriers reared by the isolation and national prejudices that have existed for ages these will constitute the triumph of the pacific railroad and these are glorious for they are triumphs in the cause of civilization and progress a single one of which adds more glory and sand honor to a nation than all the victories ever gained on the battle field the latter are but triumphs in the cause of barbarism inhumanity and retrogression and as true civilization advances the glory that surrounds the brows of the victors in such triumphs bel bei being grounded on suffering ring and death zil zif will grow more dim until it is finally extinguished and forgotten but the glory arising from triumphs of mind of science and art like the great pacific railroad conferring blessings and benefits on the human race universally will grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect dara daca day dax the pacific railroad and the atlantic telegraph cable are the grandest triumphs ever achieved by human genius they are worthy of the gods and are in fact the manifestations of omnipotence ni to accomplish his purposes among his creatures to the people of utah the latter day saints the completion of the union pacific railroad is a matter of more significance and interest than to any other portion of their fellow citizens of the union and while they rejoice oice oleo with them at its completion and at the prospect of the increased prosperity irwill it will bring to the nation pation at large they rejoice more than all in the fact t that hat now the dreams of the ancient prophet who about the swift gathering of the people from the nations in the latter days when the great highway should be thrown up will be realized they acknowledge the hand of the almighty jn in all movements affecting the interests and welfare of mankind at large and believe that the construction of the great pacific railroad will prove a mighty instrument in his hands in accomplishing his purposes and in accelerating the progress and triumph of His cause and 1 kingdom upon earth 1 |