Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-10-23
The Grand ExcursiOn I'm Celebration OF
the Opening Of the La Crosse and MIL.
Waukee h. R....FuIl Account OF the
Reception, Review, Banquet, &C.
THE EXCURSION.

lAE EACUHSlON.
On Thursday morning the excursion train
started from Milwaukee at the hour set, and
having received accessions from every station
along the way, arrived at La Crosse in the even
ing. Here the party got on the elegant steam
ers Northern Light and Northern Belle, and
proceeded to st. Paul. The journey up was
one festive occasion. In music, dancing and
revelry the hours flew by, until late hour
on Friday night. The proceedings of meeting
on board the Northern Light will be found
elsewhere.
THE ARRIVAL.
On Saturday morning, at very early hour,
the Northern Belle and Northern Light arriv-
ed with the Excursion Party, heralding their
arrival by prolonged whistle, accompanied
with salvos of artillery, which reused the
echoes of the valley, and woke the slumbering
population of our city.
At daylight the field piece in possession of
the military on board, commenced regular
cannonade, which attracted quite crowd of
our citizens to the Levee, to welcome these
strangers.
THE RECEPTION.
In few minutes the Pioneer Guards" Of
our city, represented by gallant few, armed
with Minnie Rifles, proceeded to the Levee
and received their visitors, the "Milwaukee
Light Guards" Capt. STARKwEATHER, with
the customary formalities, escorted them
through several streets of our city, headed by
the magnificent brass band of that truly splen-
did corps,-to the Fuller Honse, where the
whole party partook of sumptuOus break
fast.
We will here state in defence of the Pioneer
Guards, that owing to a misarrangement OF
their programme, as there was no certainty
of the hour of arrival of the boat, and to
the early hour of the morning, but portion
of the company, hastily mustered, were able
to turn out. The remainder, in obedience tc
the commands of Capt AcKER, who had made
other arrangements for the reception, were not
''On hand"
After breakfast, the party dispersed in va
rious directions, some to visit their friends In
the city, and others besieged the Livery Sta
bles in search of cOnveyances to the Falls
and Mime ha-h a. In short time it was ut
terly impossible to procure conveyance fol
love or money, and our Livery Stable keepers
wore smiling faces, to see such busy day
once more.
THE REVIEW.
At eleven o'clock the Milwaukee Light
Guards were formed in line, and preceded by
their band, marched through the principa
streets to the Capitol square, where Governor
SIBLEY and Staff reviewed them. Severa
hundred citizens were here collected, all o
whom expressed themselves highly pleased
with the manner in which the Light Guart
performed their evolutions and manGuvres
and went through the manual. They certain
ly exhibit the strict discipline throughout, t.
which Captain SrARKwEATHER has subjected
them.
After the review, the Guards were invited
into the Library Room of the Capitol, toge
Their with the Pioneer Guards, the Press ant
State Officers, where they exchanged saluta
tons with His Excellency, after which,
mimic battle field was depictured by regular
scattering fire of champagne corks. Boil
military and civilians " stood the fire" well
however, and the rear ranks pressed up tt
the charge with zeal quite unusual for raw
recruits.
After some time thus pleasantly spent, thu
Guards resumed their line, when they gave
three-times-three for the citizens of ST. Paul
accompanied with /" tiger" ard elephant
This new wrinkle rather took the st. Paulites
as no one knew how to respond in betting
style to such demonstration, until some
genius in the crowd exclaimed, "Ingin,
when the mass caught the idea, and instantly
there rung out a volley of war-whoops like az
though thousand Sioux and Chippewa:
were in conflict This rather took our Mil
waukee friends down a peg, and genera
haw haw resounded down their line. There
was no replying to that AS person remark
ed, "They beat us on the elephant, but We
git them down on the Hgin."
The Guards then returned to the Fuller
House, and after dinner were placed in con
veyances furnished by our citizens, and es
corted to the Falls of st. Anthony, where We
learn they had merry time.
In the afternoon the City Council met, and
made arrangements to give Reception Ban
quet to the Party-[see proceedings in an
other column.
THE BANQUET.
On the return of the Military, in the eve
ming, the Common Council of our city, and
the officers of the various Departments Of the
State, managers of the various railroads, the
press, and quite number of our citizens, to-
gether with the Pioneer Guards-met the
Excursionists, and all sat down at eleven
o'clock to the Banquet.
The military occupied one long table, the
press another and the municipal bodies Of
Milwaukee, La Crosse and Saint Paul third,
while the citizens and others filled the remain
der of the tables. About 500 men were thus
seated.
After the collation., and when the wine ha d
been brought on, G. L. EMERSON, Esq, who
presided, called the body to order, and in a
few well chosen words, on behalf of the COM
mon council of st. Paul, welcomed the visit
ing municipal corporations of our sister cities,
and the military and press from abroad. He
then introduced Elk Governor GoRMAN, who
made few remarks, welcoming the visitors,
on behalf of the citizens, and hoping that they
would bear with them on their return, pleas
ant memories of the occasion, and of our city,
&c,
After one of those Incompatible overtur es
by the band, the President announced the first