Northern Tribune

THE LOCOMOTIVE ARRIVES.
The Band That Binds us With the Outside World.
The Advent of the Train Greeted by Delighted Citizens
All Aboard for Detroit.

Last Sunday afternoon several hundred of our citizens went out some three or four miles to witness the ceremony of uniting the bands that would join Cheboygan with the outside world, an event that for years has more or less occupied the minds of the people of this section and although long deferred it was, none the less welcomed and by all is considered a great event in the history of our village. Both gangs of tracklayers put in their best efforts to get the track connected at as early an hour as possible and shortly before five o'clock the work was done, two rails having to be broke in two to make the connection. The rapidity with which the gang working from the south made track was the admiration of the vast crowd that witnessed the work. As soon as the track was constructed, through the courtesy of Mr. Weatherstone, who seemed as happy over the construction of the work as any other person, and Engineer Phelps the vast crowd were permitted to board the construction train and take their first railroad ride into town. At every crossing a number of persons would be gathered to witness the passage of the first train and these would be greeted with cheers by those on board. At the depot quite a crowd of men, women and children had congregated, and the train, as it backed down past them, was received with cheers by the men and waving of handkerchiefs by the ladies, the locomotive responding with its whistle making music, which though not calculated to please a cultivated and refined ear was hailed with delight, being what all had been waiting anxiously for years to hear. We understand the work of ballasting the road will be pushed vigorously and it is hoped within a month to have passenger trains running regularly.

In speaking of the completion of the road to our village the Bay City Tribune says:
This is an important event for Cheboygan. It is now connected with the outside world—twelve hours from Detroit, summer or winter. This thriving village now of three thousand inhabitants, with splendid water power, fine climate and fertile soil, will soon feel the benefit to its business and social interests of railroad communication. When the road is in full running order we predict a great and beneficial change in Cheboygan and the surrounding country.