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It's Our History, Our Country - Donald A. Smith (1820-1914)
Published: 6 April 2010
By: Ronald Wolf Biography & Archived Articles
This story is dedicated to all those who bent a nail while hammering. I'll bet your nail never made it into a museum or history. There is one exception of course.
Donald A. Smith did just that. Smith was 65 years old when he struck the last spike on November 7, 1885 which completed the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) when the west rail line met the rail line moving east. Canadian Pacific Railway was completed before a huge crowd at the Eagle Pass, Craigallachie in B.C.
Before the last spike was thrusted into the ground and history, Smith bent the spike. The bent spike is now in the Glenbow-Alberta Institute in Calgary. It was here, before the excited on lookers, that Sir William Cornelius Van Horne (1843-1915) CPR president, made his 15-word speech. "All I can say is that the work has been well done in every way."
The next day, the CPR special transcontinental train arrived in Port Moody at Pacific Tidewater, 4,800 kms. away from Montreal.
So, the next time you bend a nail, think of the second last spike -- and may all your bent nails be made of steel.
The last spike that joined the east-west construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven at
Craigellachie B.C. on November 7, 1885. Pictured is Sir Donald A. Smith driving the spike. Immediately
behind him is 17 year old Edward Mallandaine who went on to found the town of Creston, British Columbia
Other facts about the railway include:
- History will describe the weather as a dull day and the event took place before "cash starved CPR" who couldn't afford a fancy party. It was Albert Bowman Rogers who held the last spike in which Smith bent. Rogers (1829 -1889), commonly known as Major A.B. Rogers, was an American surveyor best remembered for his discovery of the Rogers Pass in B.C.
- On October 21,1880 a contract was signed between Hugh Allan (1810 -1882) with Canada's first Prime Minister John A McDonald (1815-1891) to build the CPR railway for $25,000,000 (approximately $625,000,000 in today's money) and a grant of 25,000,000 acres (100,000 km²) of land.
- Allan was a Scottish-born Canadian shipping magnate, railway promoter, financier and capitalist. He became the richest man in Canada with a personal estate estimated at about $8 million.
- At least 6000 workers (making between $.75 and $1.25 a day) were shipped from Hong Kong to work on the railway.
- Non-Asian workers made between $2.00 to $2.50 a day, which was good pay for the time.
- The CPR started its westward expansion from Bonfield, Ont. (previously called Callander Station) where the first spike was driven into a sunken railway tie
For more information on this exciting Canadian adventure, visit the links below.
Sincerely,
Ronald Wolf, rwolf65@hotmail.com
biography & archived articles
It's Our History, Our Country
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