Chapter 3

THE FLOUR TRAIN

The International Bridge connecting the American and Canadian boundaries at Sault Ste. Marie reached completion December 31, 1887; just two weeks after the Soo Line rails reached the eastern terminus. The bridge, still in use, consisted of ten spans, each 242 feet in length, weighing 260 tons. It was one of the largest drawbridges in the country. In June 1887 the first stone of the masonry was placed in position on the Canadian side -- the last of the masonry was completed November 23rd. The erection of the false work was begun September 27th and the work of laying up the iron began some 10 days later. The whole bridge work was completed so as to receive the first train on the last day of the year.

At 4:30 in the afternoon the last rails were spiked on the approach to the bridge. Canadian Pacific locomotive 209 was the first to cross the main part of the bridge. Soo Line locomotive No. 26 was waiting with a train of flat cars and made the first trip over the entire structure. In the cab were Engineer Massey of the bridge company and his two assistants; J. M. Moffatt and Thos. Henderson; also, the Soo Representatives, George Cox, Engineer in charge of construction; Agent Crowley, W.P. Lainey, Supt. of Construction, with John Arnott, William Smith of the Iroquois (Hotel) and a reporter of the "Democrat". The throttle was held by C.M. Thompson, the engineer.

Back in Minneapolis the millers lost no time in taking advantage of the new route to the east that they had waited so long to see become a reality. They had their plans completed, and as soon as the road was in passable condition for traffic, they made ready to use the "dream come true" to make shipment of their product -- flour.

Thursday, January 5, 1888, was a great day in the history of Minneapolis and of the Soo Line, for on that day the first train departed from Minneapolis for the eastern sea-board. The train was worthy of the road and the occasion for it was composed of 102 cars in 5 sections loaded with flour. The immense supply was the product of five of the principal mills of Minneapolis, made up as follows:

C. A. Pillsbury & Co. 22 cars for Boston
Washburn Mill Co. 20 cars for  New York
Washburn Crosby & Co. 20 cars for New York
Sidle, Fletcher & Holmes 20 cars for Philadelphia
Pettit, Christian & Co. 20 cars for London & Glascow

The reason for the gathering of officials and their guests was to view and salute the epoch event of the new International bridge; also, the city, now a junction of three new railroads and to witness the first through trains enroute to the Atlantic Coast.

The day before, January 4th, Soo Line Conductor B. N. Lewis arrived at the Soo with two engines and a force of 20 men. They had preceded the special train to clear the track of a new heavy fall of snow. One of the engines had a snowplow and the other a flanger. The same locomotive was then used on the 8th to pull the second section of the flour train on the run from Gladstone to Sault Ste. Marie. The engines used on the other sections were not equipped with snowplows, although the first section used two engines.

When the train left Minneapolis there were 102 cars. Three, however, had trouble on the way and had to be set out; but 99 came through with 14,850 barrels of flour. The run from Minneapolis to Gladstone was a normal operation, but beyond Gladstone snow began to block the way. The delay was considerable; also, as water tanks and coaling stations had not yet been erected, coal had to be carried on flat ears behind each engine, while water was secured from rivers and ponds along the route. From Trout Lake, 45 miles from the Sault, progress was unusually slow, the snow lying on a level of nearly 3 feet.

The expected flour train was awaited by an excited citizenry. The day took on the atmosphere of a carnival or fair. Everyone, it seemed, was caught with the joyful feeling that at last the city that had been without a railroad would within a month or so have three -- a choice, as it were, to take them to the four corners of the hemisphere -- but quick. Hadn’t they been reading of trains, though many had never seen, that could travel, even through the night, at 30 to 40 miles an hour?

Amid the cheers of the assembled people, estimated at fully a thousand, the first of the five sections of the training of 19 cars was brought into Sault Ste. Marie at 3:55 P.M. Sunday, January 8, 1888, by engines 35 and 11. W. B. White was at the throttle of the former, while Engineer Bellaire presided over the latter. The conductors were B. N. Lewis and A.M. Sharpe. The second section arrived at 11:00 o'clock Sunday night. It was brought in by locomotive No. 26, and consisted of 18 cars. Ben Carroll was conductor of the train and W. A. Thompson was engineer. R. Roberts and John Nolan were brakemen. The third section reached the Soo at 12:30 A.M. that night and consisted of 25 cars. It was brought in by a double-header composed of engines 12 and 18. M. A. O'Brien was conductor while John Newbowers and Charles Johnson were the engineers. G. Dover and M. Murphy were the brakemen. The fourth section, consisting of 23 cars, reached the Soo at 2:00 A.M. Monday. It too was a double-header with engines 13 and 8, piloted by H.O. Conkey, who came through from Minneapolis, and presided over No. 13, while J.H. Stinson controlled No. 8, and Charles Nichols served as conductor. C. McCaregon and C. S. Barnard were the brakemen. The fifth and last section came about 5:00 o’clock Monday morning. This had engine No. 36 with Charles Freeman as Engineer, C. F. W. Hall as conductor and H. J. Russ and J. W. Cook were the brakemen.

The cars, in each section of the train, were decorated with greetings expressing the shippers feelings and sentiments. Each inscription was painted on canvas that was then fastened to the cars. A few of the signs read:

• "Minnesota sends greetings to New England”
• "New England is the place to be born in, but Minnesota is the place to live in"
• "Go west, young man, and grow up with the country.  H. G."
• "Pillsbury Mills, the eighth wonder of the world; capacity 7,500 barrels daily"
• "First train from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, north of Lake Michigan"
• "This car loaded with flour from Washburn Mills, first through shipment to the Seaboard"
• "Great Milling center to the great commercial center (with clasped hands)”

Canadian Pacific engine 209 backed, down from the International Bridge and took the first train to the Canadian side about 7:00 P.M. The cars were crowded with eager ones who desired to ride across the bridges on the first train.

The train reached Montreal the morning of January 11th and Boston the following morning January 12th. The Minneapolis Tribune and both Sault Ste. Marie News and the Democrat each had a special representative with the train.

Sault Ste. Marie citizens began frantically making preparations for the City's big railway celebration and banquet on January 18th. Five hundred steel engraved invitations were mailed. The following words were engraved on an outline of a train:

"The City of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., invites you to be present at the railway celebration January 18, 1888" The envelopes were sealed with red wax on which was stamped the word "Soo".