Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-10-07


OPENING or fRE ytsclNl, Axp TENNESSEE RlL-
RuAD2fHe ttLEEaNroN# At BRIsroL.-Thc celcbta-
tian OF thu opening OF the y. Il Tenn. Railroad 10
Bristol came Oh with great eclat on the lst, I'd and
81 iast. On tie ist. late in the evening, an immense
crowd assemble to, witness the ads ent Of the -.
Robin Nvpanicl'-the first engine Of a passenger
tram that ever NhislcI in Goodsun. Owing tom nc
cileni 10 tile Mcdaniel tie trains did not arrive till
long al er time When they did arrive, however. for
there we're two of them. l. was found that GouiSon
and Bristol wan no wiar. The crowd WaSim-
iaehse. Vt least Leo persons came down 10y the ex-
cursion trains, ana il WAS impossible for them all TO
lie accommodate with beds, g.. 1t was Il great
time!
On the morning of the u, the cannon began to
below forth It's startling notes. There was more than
one, three We think, that kept up a most terrific,
nerve unstringing. disagteeable noise throughout the
day. Atabout = o'clock, the speakers took their pla-
ces on the stand,i. e, a ia and the reporters by their
side, and among them we noticed Mr.. Geo. {. Wilde,
travelling editor of the Richmond Dtzpateb. Col. |. b.
Damn announced the programme. Music by the Jones'
horo' Band. The piece was we'll played. Col. Dunn
then introduced Mr.. Wm. II. Cook, of Carroll county.
Mr.. Cook began by making Il beautiful classical al
fusion. Nearenot met 10 celebrate the triumphs of
Bacchus of liercules-we are not met to celebrate the
18th of July or the end of February, the great gala
days OF our nation. But we are met to celebrate the
triumph Of pcace-the triumph of civilization and of
progress. (Chcers) After speaking ofthc steps Viz
ginia has taken in the march of Improvement, and al
luding to her present position, he exclaimed who shall
say, this day, that Virginia is degaerate She has
awakcd,-aad her uprising is like that of a giont from
his sleepl He paid II deserved tribute TO the
officers aud Directory of the Virginia and Tenn
essee Rail Road. 1t has cost less money--has
been built in Il shorter time-and has better equip
ments to begin with than any road in the country.
Its cost is little over 9G,00o.000! And 1t has been
built in about 6 years. This is Il littl" over $4,000
per mile. 1t IS one of the cheapest roads in the coun-
try considering the difficulties to be surmounted, but
ii would have been cheap at any price.
But whca we consider that it scaled the back bone
region of America;- which the eagle in
hi. untiring flight sunward, can scarcely secf-and
mountains up which the rattle snake could hardly
ereep,-@hen we consider these and other difficulties
we must conclude that this road is n cheap road. And
il has been a trorking road. From the time the first
ten miles were finished to this good hour, it has been
doing something. And now it had come up to draw
its tribute Of wealth from the farmers OF this region,
whose cattle stand upon a thousand hills. lie COM
rlimented odin G. clay as the father Of the road, and
John n. Preston as one of its most active and eth
Gent advocates. Now their work was done, and they
can rejoice in the fall fruition of their hopes. Odin
G.. Clay was not there-but there was n representa-
tive. John Robin. Mcdaniel. lie spoke of the
political, industrial, and lastly, of the moral in
luence ofthis road. He paid IL handsome tribute to
Virginia hospitality. He enlogized the Virginia gen.
tlemen. Spoke ofkenucky in the most eloquent and
appropriate terms, and concluded with a beautiful
thought elegantly expressed, amid the loud and con-
tinued applause Of the immense auditory. lie was
frequently interrupted in this way.
When MIR. Cook concluded the Lynchburg College
Bandled by the noted musician, Prof. Lacy, performed
the highly popular air, ELLEN Bayne, IN the perfee-
ton OF artistic skill and taste.
Col. Dunn then introduced Mr.. Francis b. peane,
of Lynchburg, who held the audience entranced for
about an hour. He said that this road, the compile
ton of which we have met to celebrate to-day, was
first preached in a convention composed Of twenty
two boys and negroes all told.-Fhat meeting was
held on the 18th of May, 1917. Nine years atterward
we see the idea which then met with no encourage