_Completion of the Line._
Connection Made Between Union and Central Pacific Railroads May 9th,
1869--Ceremonies at Promontory May 10th, 1869--Celebrations in New
York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Omaha, Salt Lake City and San Francisco.
By the terms of the supplementary Charter of 1864, a great incentive
was given the two Companies, the Union Pacific Railroad and the
Central Pacific Railroad to get down as great a mileage as possible.
In addition to the Government grant of Land and Bonds based on
mileage, there was the traffic of the Mormon country and Salt Lake
City at stake. Besides this, it was readily seen that the line having
the greatest haul would be correspondingly benefitted when it came to
subdividing earnings on trans-continental business. With these for
incentive, both Companies put forth every effort to cover the ground.
In the early part of 1869, rails of each Company were going down from
six to ten miles a day. Records in track-laying were made then that
have never been broken. Near Promontory a sign is still standing to
announce "Ten miles of track laid in one day." Actual figures are not
obtainable, but reliable contemporaries at that time stated there were
twenty-five thousand men employed on the construction work of the two
lines, as well as six thousand teams and two hundred construction
trains. Both Companies were anxious to establish point of advantage
that they could use in the controversy that was inevitable and which
would determine the mileage and territory each was to enjoy. On April
29th, nine and a half miles remained unfinished. Three and a half for
the Central Pacific Railroad, they having laid ten miles the day
before, and six miles for the Union Pacific Railroad, the latter being
the ascent of Promontory Hill and including a stiff bit of rock work.
When the two tracks came together, the Central Pacific Railroad had
nearly sixty miles of grading done parallel to the Union Pacific
Railroad track--that is from Promontory east to the mouth of Weber
Canon, while the Union Pacific Railroad had located their line to the
California State line and most of the grading was done as far west as
Humboldt Wells, Nev., four hundred and fifty miles from Ogden.
As stated the two tracks were brought together at Promontory on May
9th, 1869, but two rail lengths were kept open until the questions at
issue were adjusted and also until a suitable program could be
arranged for celebrating the event. Everything satisfactorily
arranged, Monday, the 10th of May, 1869, was set for the ceremonies.
The Central Pacific Railroad completed their track up to Promontory
May 1st. It was the intention to have the opening ceremonies on
Saturday, May 8th, and the Central Pacific officials were on hand for
that purpose. The Union Pacific party coming west were delayed some
forty-eight hours at Piedmont by a gang of graders and track-layers,
who not having received their wages side tracked the special train
with Vice-President Durant and his party, holding them as hostages
until the Company had paid over to the contractor some two hundred and
fifty thousand dollars due him and which he in turn distributed among
his men.
As early as 8:00 A.M. on the 10th, the spectators, mostly workmen of
the respective companies, or other citizens of the railway camps
commenced to arrive. At 8:45 a special over the Central Pacific
Railroad came in with a large number of passengers. At 9:00 the Union
Pacific Railroad contingent arrived in two trains and at 11:00 the
Central Pacific Railroad's second train, carrying President Stanford
and other officers of that Company, and their guests completing the
party. In all there were about eleven hundred persons present,
including a detachment of the 21st United States Infantry, and its
band from Fort Douglass, Utah.
The Chinese laborers of the Central Pacific Railroad soon leveled the
gap preparatory to putting down the ties and all but one rail length
was finished. Then Engines Number 119 of the Union Pacific Railroad
and No. 60 the "Jupiter" of the Central Pacific Railroad were brought
up to either side of the gap. These engines were gaily decorated with
flags and evergreens in honor of the occasion. A suitable prayer was
offered by Rev. Dr. Todd, of Pittsfield, Mass. The remaining ties were
then laid, the last one being of California Laurel finely polished and
ornamented with a silver plate bearing the inscription "The last tie
laid on the Pacific Railroad, May 10th, 1869", with the names of the
directors of the Central Pacific Railroad and that of the donor. This
tie was put in position by Superintendents Reed of the Union Pacific
Railroad and Strawbridge of the Central Pacific Railroad, and was
taken up after the ceremonies and has since that time been on
exhibition in the Superintendent's office of the Southern Pacific
Company at Sacramento, (Cal.) Depot.
For the closing act, California presented a spike of gold; Nevada one
of silver; Arizona one of combined iron, gold and silver; and the
Pacific Union Express Company, a silver maul. At twelve noon at a
given signal, Governor Stanford on the South side of the rail and
Vice-President Durant on the north, struck the spikes driving them
home.
The two engines were then moved up until they touched and a bottle of
wine poured over the last rail as a libation. The trains of the
respective roads were then run over the connecting link and back to
their own lines. Speeches and a banquet closed the occasion.
In the Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento hangs a large oil painting of
the meeting of the two engines. The artist having inserted actual
portraits of many of the more prominent officials of the two lines who
participated in the ceremonies.
By previous arrangement, the strokes on the final spikes were to be
signaled over all the wires of the several telegraph companies through
the United States, business being suspended for this purpose. First
the message was sent over the wires "Almost ready. Hats off; prayer is
being offered." Then "We have got done praying; the spike is about to
be presented." Seven minutes later "All ready now; the spike will soon
be driven." The signal will be three dots for the commencement of the
blows. Connection being made between the hammers and the wires, the
blows on the spikes were flashed over practically the whole telegraph
system of the United States. At 2:47 P.M. Washington time, 12 M.
Promontory local time, came the signal "Done" and the bells of
Washington, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and hundreds of other
cities and towns announced that the American continent had been
spanned, that through rail communication was established, never to be
broken, that the Union Pacific Railroad was completed.
The formal announcement to President Grant and through the Press
Associations to every inhabitant of the civilized world, was couched
in the following language:
Promontory Summit, Utah, May 10th, 1869.
"The last rail is laid, the last spike driven. The Pacific Railroad is
completed. The point of junction is ten hundred and eighty-six miles
west of the Missouri River and six hundred and ninety miles east of
Sacramento City."
Leland Stanford, Central Pacific Railroad.
T. C. Durant,
Sidney Dillon,
John Duff, Union Pacific Railroad.
No sooner were the ceremonies complete than there was a rush made to
obtain souvenirs. In ignorance of the fact that the "Last Tie" had
been taken up and an ordinary one substituted, the relic hunters
carried off the substitute piecemeal. In fact some half dozen "last
ties" were so taken in the first six months after the roads were
completed.
An odd coincidence occurred at the closing ceremonies. The rail on the
east was brought forward by the Union Pacific laborers--Europeans,
that on the west by Chinese, both gangs having Americans as bosses.
Consequently here were Europe, Asia, and America joining in the work,
the Americans dominating.
Next morning the Union Pacific Railroad brought in from the East half
a dozen passenger coaches for the Central Pacific Railroad, these
being attached to the special train of Governor Stanford when he was
returning to California, constituting the first through equipment.
All over the land the different cities vied with one another in
celebrating the event--which it was truly felt marked the beginning of
a new epoch in the history of the United States.
New York City celebrated with the "Te Deum" being sung in "Trinity,"
the chimes ringing out "Old Hundred" (Praise God from whom all
blessings flow), and a salute of a hundred guns fired by order of the
Mayor.
Philadelphia rang "Liberty Bell" and all fire alarm bells.
Chicago had a parade four miles long, the City being lavishly
decorated, and Vice-President Colfax speaking in the evening.
Omaha had the biggest day in its history: a hundred guns when the news
came. A procession embracing every able-bodied man in the town, in the
afternoon. Speeches, pyrotechnics, and illuminations in the evening.
At Salt Lake the Mormons and Gentiles held a love feast in the
Tabernacle and decided to build a few railroads for themselves.
San Francisco could not wait until the 10th. They started the evening
of the 8th, when it was announced at the theaters the two roads had
met, and it took two good solid days of celebrating to satisfy the
people of that town.
It was rightly felt that the completion of the line was an event in
the history of our country. It marked the progress of the West, united
the Pacific Coast population with that of the East. It was the
commencement of the end of the Indian troubles--assured the settlement
of the West, and the development of its mines and other resources.
There has been but three general celebrations held in this country
over works of public improvement viz: the Erie Canal, Atlantic Cable,
and the Pacific Railroad. Of the three the latter was by far the more
general.
The Poem by Bret Harte on this event is reproduced below:
What the Engines Said.
What was it the engines said,
Pilots touching head to head.
Facing on the single track,
Half a world behind each back.
This is what the engines said,
Unreported and unread.
With a prefatory screech,
In a florid Western speech,
Said the engine from the West,
"I am from Sierra's crest,
And if Altitudes' a test,
Why I reckon its confessed,
That I've done my level best."
"Said the engine from the East,
They who work best, talk the least,
Suppose you whistle down your brakes,
What you're done is no great shakes.
Pretty fair, but let our meeting,
Be a different kind of greeting,
Let these folks with champagne stuffing,
Not the engines do the puffing.
"Listen where Atlanta beats,
Shores of-snow and summer heats.
Where the Indian Autumn skies
Paint the woods with wampum dyes.
I have chased the flying sun,
Seeing all that he looked upon,
Blessing all that he blest.
Nursing in my iron-breast;
All his vivifying heat.
All his clouds about my crest
And before my flying feet
Every shadow must retreat."
Said the Western Engine, "phew!"
And a long whistle blew,
"Come now, really that's the oddest
Talk for one so modest.
You brag of your East, you do,
Why, I bring the East to you.
All the Orient, all Cathay
Find me through the shortest way
And the sun you follow here
Rises in my hemisphere.
Really if one must be rude,
Length, my friend, ain't longitude."
Said the Union, "don't reflect, or
I'll run over some director,"
Said the Central, "I'm Pacific
But when riled, I'm quite terrific,
Yet today we shall not quarrel
Just to show these folks this moral
How two engines In their vision
Once have met without collision."
That is what the engines said;
Unreported and unread,
Spoken slightly through the nose
With a whistle at the close.'
The first through train reached Omaha May 6th, arriving in two
sections and bringing about five hundred passengers.
Although through trains were on regular schedule commencing with May
11th, it was not until November 6th, 1869, that the road was actually
completed (according to Judicial decision.) Congress to make sure of
the fact, authorized the President by resolution passed April 10th,
1869, to appoint a board of five "eminent" citizens to examine and
report on the condition of the road and what would be required to
bring it up to first class condition. This board duly reported in
October, 1869, that the line was all right, but that a million and a
half could be spent to advantage in ballasting, terminal facilities,
depots, equipment, etc. On the strength of which the wise-acres
decided the road could not be considered complete and withheld a
million dollars worth of bonds due under the charter act. It was
October 1st, 1874, before the fact that the line was actually
completed sifted through departmental red tape, and the Secretary of
Interior on the further report of "three eminent citizens" discovered
that the road had been completed November 6th, 1869 as reported by the
previous board of five, and further that the total cost of the line
had been one hundred and fifteen million, two hundred and fourteen
thousand, five hundred and eighty-seven dollars and seventy-nine
cents, as shown by the books of the Company.
For a while business was interchanged at Promontory, but it was but a
short time until the two Companies got together and an agreement was
reached by which Ogden should be the terminus, and that the Central
Pacific Railroad Company should purchase at cost price two million,
six hundred and ninety-eight thousand, six hundred and twenty dollars
the line from a point five miles west of Ogden to the connection at
Promontory. This five miles was subsequently sold to the Central
Pacific Railroad. This arrangement was as the West puts it "clinched"
by a Resolution of Congress, making Ogden the terminus.