Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1874 — Breaking Ground for the Chicago & South Atlantic Railroad. [ARTICLE]

Breaking Ground for the Chicago & South Atlantic Railroad.

One of the most-important events in the history of Carroll county look place last. Tuesday afternoon, (October 20th,) it was the breaking ground for the Chicago &. South Atlantic railroad. The contract for buiitlmg the road has been awarded to Messrs. Gutche & Co., of Chicago; and on last Monday evening Mr. Smith, the overseer ot the work, jtfcrjved.in this city with a numbered workmen and the proper tools with which to commence work. Dr. Haymond was also in the city Tuesday, and the directors and a large number of the friends of .the road determined to celebrate the important event ot ground breaking in a proper manner, and in a short time a programme for the occasion was issued, and our citizens were ablaze with eiithesiasm. The programme was as follows: The President and Chief Engineer at the head, in carriage; Directors in carriages ; Chief Overseer and builders in carriages; County Officers in eariages ; Mayor and City Council in carriages ; citizens iu carriages and on foot. The procession was headed by the Delphi Silver Cornet Band, and marched through the principal the city, and fiom thence to Pittsburgh, where the ceremonies took place in the following order: 4 |* First.* That good old soul stir-

ring and familiar air, Hail Columbia, was played by the Band. Second. Dr. Hammond, was introduced to the vast crowd assembled, by the Vice President, Dr. Stewart. The President then gave, a brief review of the history of the road from its commencement to the present time, and its importance to the growth and prosperity of our city and surrounding country. He said that the dirt which he proposed to throw up would be an actual commencefbent of the great enterprise of building the road from Chicago to tbe sea. He also stated that there is, at this time, about ! seventeen miles graded, between Dyer and Lowell, in Lake county, ! and ready for the iron ; that 50,000 j ties are now on the line ready to be bedded for the iron ; aud that a commencement had been made on the line between Dyer and Chicago, in Illinois. lie also gave a statement of the progress of the road on the southern end of the line. After concluding his remarks, the President repaired to the place designated by the Chief Engineer, to make a commencement of work on one of the mo6t important enterprises in the United States. — Taking a shovel in hand he cast one shovelful of dirt in honor of the occasion, one in honor of Chicago, and one in honor of each of the States through which the road will pass. After the President was through with his exercises, the Vice President took up the shovel and cast up dirt in honor of the good citizens of Pittsburgh. Like ceremonies were followed by several of the directors and many of our prominent citizens. Mr. Olmstead, the Chief Engineer, was next called on for a speech, and responded by makinga few well-timed suggestions and remarks uniie - friends of the enterprise; after which the baud struck up a lively tune, giving good cheer to the multitude present, and all repaired to their homes with a bright prospect lor a new era in the history of our city and county. —Delphi Times.