Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-06-20
THE GREAT ExCURsION-No. II.


which carried the reader up to the time of the
leaving of the boats from our Levee. The JEFF
fersonian of the l4th continues its description:
The CERExoNY-TuE BALL.-As we have before
said our arrival at st. Paul was twenty-four hours
ahead of programme time. Arrangements were
making to give the Ex-Presdent formal recep-
ton, and for Ball and supper at the State House,
for the party. With commendable prOmptness,
the St. Paulites hurried their matters up so FAST
that upon our return from the ride to the Falls,
We found bills posted, announcing that the cere-
monial would take place that Thursday evening,
and containing also invitation to all the guests
Probably every man and woman of the party was
weary enough from the days exertion to bid ST.
Paul adeu, and go to bed at once but the pre-
parations for our entertainment had been on so
extensive scale, that going to the State House,
at least, to say nothing of the dancing, mat
ter not so much of choice as of duty so every
body weut-white cravats-of which yb the
way the party had few less than hundred-and
all. The hour fixed for leaving was ii O'Clock,
consequently but little time was left for partci-
patton in the amusement which had been provided
and this little was nearly all consumed by MIR.
Fillmore and MIR. Bancroft in their speeches. The
first was welcomed by Gov. German.
After MIR. Fillmore had concluded, Mr.. Bancroft
was called up. By the time he set down, 10
O'Clock had passed, and then the dance commenced
in the Hall of the House. Three eOtillons only
were played, when the signals We're given from the
boats, and the crowd was hurried away. With
us, the music, which belonged to the Golden Era,
also left, and the whole affair was over. We can
not speak too highly of the extent and character
of the preparation made by our neghbors for the
reception Of their guests. They have done their
duty in every particular, and they We're not lit
tie chagrined, that, after their trouble and outlay,
their friends should be so suddenly snatchcd away.
Aftcr all, the ceremonial was ceremonial only;
ftn- .tA~ 81,
more highly gratifed by what they saw of their
country and their enterprise than they would have
been by all the speech making, dancing and feast
ing that could have been done in month.
HOMEwARD.-lt nearly midnight before
the boats showed off. The departure from the
landing the signal for bed. In half an hour
the sleepers were breathing heavily-stretchcd
out here and there, at heads and points--forgct-
full of all the world and st. Paul besides.
About ; o'clock Saturday morning we had
reached our destination. And now hear from
Chicago, that every individual of the company
was landed in that city, on Saturday evening"
safe, sound and beyond measure, delighted. The
arrangements had proved to he perfect. No sick
ness, accident, no untoward event of any kind,
had occurred to mar the en- oyment in which all
participated, and which every man and woman Of
the party will remember the most magnificent
tete, in its conception and execution, known in the
history Of the world.
The editor then proceeds to give his opinion of
the beauty of the scenery bordering on the Miss;s
sppi, which he thinks is - more attractive than
the Hudson, infinitely more beautiful than the
Ohio, and grandcr by far than the St. Lawrence"
Persons who had visited the Rhine, the Nile, and
the Danube We're forc;bly impressed that the Up
per Missippi has attractions possessed by no other
body of water in the world. The editor closes
as follows:
That the country from Rock Island to St. An
thony Will become ii favoritc ground for the tou-
ristS, we do not doubt. So well convinced was
Mr.. Appleton, the senior of the great New York
publishing house, that this would be the case,
that, during the trip, he made arrangements for
the writing of guide book, to embrace descrip-
ton of history, &C., of the prominent points be-
tween the places above named. Not this only =
the artists of the e1curs on, of whom we had two
of the most celebrated in the country-charmnd
with what they saw, will return IT, enrich their
p r. folios with miniature copies of the uncquallcd
scenes that every where, distance of more
than three hundred miles, thicky abound. More
than one excursion we heard planned by those of
party who have time and money to carry out
their intentions, and who not vet stated with
the beauty in which they have revced.
OrINIoV-H-
Before proceeding to speak of the reception at
st. Paul, tn. correspond mt of the Chicago Dem
ocratic Press, depicts the following amusing
sccnc:-
At II landing place called NIinnc-o-a. on the
Minnesota side, the Gairni rounded up to the
shore to throw OF mail bag. There was just
one house in the place. and only one man came
down to the boat. Here an incident occurred il
Illustrative of the ease with which distinguished
men may relax littlr from the s. Divinity" which
seems to hedge the persons of nlture's noblcmcn,
without exposing them to the charge of losing
their dignity and descend NJ to the Ridiculous
Rev. DR. kenn rdv. genuine wit, came forward,
and with perfect s'Ir posse sSion rcturnc his hear
ty thanks to his fellow citizens of Minnesota for
the reception he had c .cycd from the residents
OF this large and ilourShing town. This his
first reception in the the territory. and language
utterly failed express The cmo onS of his heart.
This is great country. This mighty river, and
the bluffs, like gigantic scntincis keep watch and
ward upon its shores. No other land over which
the greet American eagle ever flew, screamed
forth the praises of tn universal lmkc, nat ON,
was at all comparable to this. One, again he
thanked the asscmblacc for this public reception,
and concluded by gravely informing MS fellow
citizens on the shore that h, was Il candidate for
the Presidency of.tha United States, that the cleo
ton to come oil in July. and each man in this
town should surely have an oiicc. This cch-
ocd by "A shout from tho boat and our fellow cit
izcn on shore awakcd from tn stupor into which
he had been thrown by the harauguc If the Doc
tor. The boat slowly moved from the shore as
the Mnnesoian extended his arm towards the
speaker, and exclaimed in very decided tones,
"Ilold on, old Teller, come up here next year and
III show YOU another better place than this
ST. PAUL.-Thc fleet of boats arrived here this
morning at half-past \. NJ. The town ta-
ken by surprise, no one expecting us till Friday
Arrangements were in preparation to receive us
at the Capitol in BETTING manner, but now eve
rything was thrown in confusion. The party left
the boats, and every vehicle in st. Paul, cv N
down to Il water cart, was put in rcquisition to
convey the visitors to st. Anthony.
ST.. ANTHONY FALLs-IIundreds visited the falls
and were delighted with the rapid settlement of
the country through which they passed, its charm
ing landscapes and the grandeur of the scenery
at and around st. anthony. On the Islands for
couple of hours the scene was animated and ever
and anon amid roar of war of waters would come
up the sounds of gay conversation and the joyous
laugh.
Col. Johnson, who assisted in breaking ground
in 1917 at Rome ut the commencement of the Erie
Canal, had on the Thursday previous taken bot
tie of water from the Atlantic. and now with
neat speech he mingled the waters amid the cheers
of the party.
FoRr SNELLINc.-Soon after, each individual
sought his carriage, portion of the party return
ing each side of the river to st. Paul and Fort
Smelling where the boats were to meet those
who returned that way at + O'Clock. Those who
came down to Fort Smelling by land had view
of Mnpe- ha -ha Falls This waterfall ;s unsur-