OCR Text |
Show i RE-ENACT SCENES OF FIFTY YEARS AGO DRIVING OF GOLDEN SPIKE JOINING JOIN-ING TWO GREAT RAILROADS CELEBRATED AT OGDEN Fifty Years of Progress Since the I Completion of the Transcontinental Road Subject of Pageant. Tribute Trib-ute Paid Pioner Builders Ogden, Utah.- -Scenes bf long ago were re-enacted at the two-day celebration celebra-tion here, Tklay 9 and 0, commemorating commemor-ating the linking of the east and west when the golden spike was driven, marking the joining of the Union Pacific Pa-cific and the Central Pacific railways, thus completing an ocean-to-ocenn vail-way. vail-way. Just half a century ago some few scores of hardy pioneers pioneers of finance and pioneers of western toil gathered at Promotory point, not far from Ogden, to drive the golden spike Which krit together the first transcontinental trans-continental railroad. A few of those who participated in the ceremonies at Promotory point fifty fif-ty years ago, were in Ogden on May 9 and 10 but it was a mere handful Compared with the crowd at the original orig-inal celebration . They were but a remnant rem-nant of the vast army that took part in the work, many indeed never having hav-ing lived to see the work completed. For not only did' the forces of nature and the distance from the then settled set-tled centres conspire against the w ork in hand at thaftime, but the plains at the time of the building of the road were infested with hostile Indians who seriously objected to the coming of the iron horse; and many times the men-were men-were compelled to lay down the shovel shov-el and sledge, and take up the rifle to defend their lives ; and many were the lives lost by the attacking savages, sav-ages, as well as from disease. While it was a two-day celebration, the main features were staged for Saturday, Sat-urday, including a parade through the principal streets, a flying exhibition by army aviators, addresses by railway rail-way officials at Lester park, numer-our numer-our bands playing throughout the day, meeting of old friends and the festivities festivi-ties closing with a grand ball at night. The pageant told pictorially the progress pro-gress made possible for the west by that act which crowned, the struggles and the aspirations of the former generation. gen-eration. From early morning until late at night the throngs of visitors from all parts of the west and of townspeople towns-people paid homage in one way or another an-other to the little group of men and women who saw the late Senator Le-land Le-land Stanford of California drive the golden spike. In the parade were two locomotives representing the meeting at Promotory Point on May 10, 1S69, followed by the replica of the original locomotive, Jupiter Ju-piter No. 60. A. Y. Ross, veteran Wells-Pargo messenger, mes-senger, drove the Deadwood stage, Alex Toponce, veteran shotgun messenger, mes-senger, riding at his side, while the old coach, contained as passengers veteran vet-eran employes of the company. They were followed closely by cowboys and cowgirls and pony express riders. At the head of twenty-two Indians dressed in full regalia and brought to Ogden for the occasion from Fort Washakie, Wa-shakie, rode the marshal of the day, B. M. Fox. Came closely after the squaws, papooses and the traveling outfit of the tribe. The historical section followed depicting de-picting Father Escalente's expedition to Utah, the father, friars and crusaders cru-saders being dressed in appropriate costumes'. Then came the early prospectors, fully equipped as if they were about to 'start out in their quest of gold, with their burros carrying pack outfits. Then there was the float representing represent-ing the mallet and the spike, which was followed by the float representing the Lucin cutoff, illustrating a point along the west shore of the lake showing show-ing the new way, and followed in turn by a float representing tiie- Promontory Promon-tory summit and illustrating the old way. The Southern Pacific band led (he employes of the various departments, the foremen and the maintenance of way men, who were led by a float bearing Glng Cui, Wong Fook and Lee Choo, survivors of the original section sec-tion gnifg that laid the track at Promontory. Pro-montory. Immediately after was a float containing an old-time handcar and the present day type of gasoline speeder. There were none of these who did liot from their hearts declare that all and infinitely more than they had hoped to see has come to pass. And while (hey did not want to lake the credit for the creation of a hind of industry anil prosperity, the throng of later men and women thrust 1.1 upon them in their grateful testimony at this celebration of the completion of a great work fifty years ago. |