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News Update - May 9, 2022

The weekly news update featuring the Transcontinental Railroad Dedication.

To all North Pole City Elves, those in Santa's Village, in the Lower 48 and all around the world, this is your weekly update for the week of May 9, 2022. I'm your host Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone and I'm your co-host, Becky "Marshmallow" Livingstone, Let's go to press.

Sponsor

For the week of May 9, 2022 your sponsor will be Bills Game Palace. Need a board game or some equipment for one of the North Pole City Sports? Bills is your one stop shop for all your recreational needs.

Santa's Village Update

Update from Santa's Village, we received updated production reports from Santa's workshop and warehouses stating that production is now three weeks ahead of schedule. Santa would like to meet with all of the supervisor's this week to go over the numbers again to make sure counts are accurate. "I'm amazed how much ahead we got after all of the problems we had before spring break," said Latimer Snerd workshop supervisor. "If we continue at this rate, we will definitely have more than what is needed and will be able to fill our reserves back up again in no time."

Department of Elfland Security

Edward Hinklemyer has asked the Department of Forestry to cut harvesting in half this week so that production at the Wrapping Paper factory can be decreased due to the abundance of wrapping paper in the warehouse. Elves who wish to pick up additional, temporary shifts in other departments can stop into the Office of Elf Affairs to pick-up their temporary assignments.

TAOLF.com Updates

The Division of WWW/PR has officially released the webpage for Mother Nature this past weekend. You can now connect to her page to get some resources. More information should be posted soon. Mother nature will be coming back to the North Pole some time this week for a little bit in order to work with the department on the webpage.

NPC Weather Update

Temperatures may reach the mid 40s this week, but expect some snow on Monday with a mixture of rain and snow on Thursday.

WELF-NPC North Pole City Radio

WELF-NPC North Pole City Radio is currently accepting proposals for new shows on the radio station. If there are any elves in North Pole City (or from anywhere) that would like to have their own show, now is the time to submit your proposal. The station is looking to expand with more shows and there are a few time slots available.

This Week in Elf History

On May 10, 1869, the presidents of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met in Promontory, Utah, and drove a ceremonial last spike into a rail line that connects their railroads. This made transcontinental railroad travel possible for the first time in U.S. history. No longer would western-bound travelers need to take the long and dangerous journey by wagon train.

One year into the Civil War, a Republican-controlled Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Act (1862), guaranteeing public land grants and loans to the two railroads it chose to build the transcontinental line, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. With these in hand, the railroads began work in 1866 from Omaha and Sacramento, forging a northern route across the country. In their eagerness for land, the two lines built right past each other, and the final meeting place had to be renegotiated.

Harsh winters, stifling summer heat and the lawless, rough-and-tumble conditions of newly settled western towns made conditions for the Union Pacific laborers—mainly Civil War veterans of Irish descent—miserable. The overwhelmingly immigrant Chinese workforce of the Central Pacific also had its fair share of problems, including brutal 12-hour work days laying tracks over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. On more than one occasion, whole crews would be lost to avalanches, or mishaps with explosives would leave several dead.

For all the adversity they suffered, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific workers were able to finish the railroad–laying nearly 2,000 miles of track–by 1869, ahead of schedule and under budget. Journeys that had taken months by wagon train or weeks by boat now would take only days. The completion ceremony was originally to be held on May 8, 1869, but it was postponed two days because of bad weather and a labor dispute that delayed the arrival of the Union Pacific side of the rail line. None the less on May 10, 1869, the Union Pacific No. 119 and Central Pacific No. 60 locomotives were drawn up face-to-face on Promontory Summit for the ceremonial driving of the last spike and photographs.

The last spike for the line was golden. It was made out of 17.6-karat copper-alloyed gold and weighed 14.03 troy ounces (436 g). It was a gift of San Francisco financier David Hewes. It was driven in by Leland Stanford.

The spike was engraved on all four sides:

  • Two of the sides were engraved with the names of the railroad officers and directors.
    • Directors of the C. P. R. R. of Cal. Hon. Leland Stanford. C. P. Huntington. E. B. Crocker. Mark Hopkins. A. P. Stanford. E. H. Miller Jr.
    • Officers. Hon. Leland Stanford. Presdt. C. P. Huntington Vice Presdt. E. B. Crocker. Atty. Mark Hopkins. Tresr. Chas Crocker Gen. Supdt. E. H. Miller Jr. Secty. S. S. Montague. Chief Engr.
  • The third side was engraved with: The Pacific Railroad ground broken January 8, 1863, and completed May 8, 1869. (The original proposed date of completion and ceremony.)
  • The final side was engraved with: May God continue the unity of our Country, as this Railroad unites the two great Oceans of the world. Presented by David Hewes San Francisco.

A special railroad tie of polished California laurel was chosen to complete the line where the spike would be driven.

Immediately after the final golden spike was hammered in, the golden spike and the laurel tie were removed, lest they be stolen, and replaced with a regular iron spike and normal tie. At exactly 12:47 pm, the last iron spike was driven, finally completing the line.

After the ceremony, the Golden Spike was donated to the Stanford Museum (now Cantor Arts Center) in 1898 where it can still be viewed today. The last laurel tie was unfortunately destroyed in the fires caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

North Pole City Commerce

The North Pole City Commerce Association reported a sizable turn-out for the Mother’s Day brunch at the North Pole City Hotel. They have also reported that several of the North Pole City business owners are interested in having a summer picnic this year out at Polar Bear Lake. Plans have begun for this event.

North Pole City Council

North Pole City Council has put out a statement that the street and sidewalk project is just over halfway completed. Again crews have been working ahead of schedule and will be taking the next couple of weeks off to allow for the brick factory to get caught up on production.

NPC Sports League

The North Pole City Sports League will be meeting this week to discuss any changes that may be made to this year’s Reindeer Games. As you know, the games will begin the first week in July and the league wants to have everything ready next month for the season.

Community Events

The North Pole City Library will be hosting a “Scrabble in the Yard” event this Friday in City Center for anyone who wants to come out and test your Scrabble Skills. This event started some years ago and is a great way to get out and stretch your muscles and your mind at the same time. Several local businesses will be present with food and beverages throughout the park.

Elf Birthdays

WELF-NPC Would like to wish a very happy 460th birthday to our very own Becky “Marshmallow” Livingstone. Becky started out her career as an investigative reporter for the Peppermint Post Newspaper, did some work with the Commerce Association as their secretary and now is with us each week right here on this news broadcast. After we are done here we have a few surprises for Becky right here in the studio. Becky, we wish you many more happy years.


This is Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone and Becky "Marshmallow" Livingstone with the reminder: Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success..

Have a good evening, and be sure to tune in next week for another WELF-NPC North Pole Radio News Update.

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News Update - May 9, 2022


Show Pages

WELF-NPC News Updates WELF-NPC News
Find out more about the weekly WELF-NPC news show / podcast with Walter "Mistletoe" Livingstone and Becky "Marshmallow" Livingstone.
Morning Show with Corby Snow Morning Show with Corby Snow
Tune in each morning to the Morning Show with Corby Snow. The show will begin promptly at 9 a.m. with the ringing of the workshop bells, the reciting of the Craftsman Workers Oath, and the Going to Work March.
Matinee Theater Matinee Theater
You can now listen to rebroadcasts of the Matinee Theater from the 1940's every Sunday at 2 p.m. on WELF-NPC North Pole City Radio.
The Birds Eye Open House The Birds Eye Open House
The Birds Eye Open House was hosted by Dinah Shore and will be rebroadcasted on WELF-NPC North Pole City Radio with a different show each week.
The Charles Dickens Hour The Charles Dickens Hour
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Comic Weekly Man Comic Weekly Man
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Christmas Mystery Christmas Mystery
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Christmas Crime Christmas Crime
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