St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-06-30
Gbe yntelligenter,
Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad.
On the 18th inst. the inhabitants of

On the 18th inst. the inhabitants O
Linn county were unusually jubilan
over the completion of the above roa,
TO Cedar Rapids. The event was on,
really worthy of celebration and on,
upon which that city and the State o
Iowa may well pride themselves.
This road has been built its present
distance by private company which
was organized in January, 1856. In
November of the same year the work
was commenced. The work has been
pushed rapidly forward until it has
reached the Cedar River at Cedar Rap,
ids, distance of eighty-two miles.
The total amount expended upon
the road thus far, is $l,l46,s61, and
it is estimated that to fully equip the
road up to its present point of com
pletion, will be 1922, 900 more. This
is done at cost of q triAe over Sl5-
600 mile. The total earnings of the
road for the year 1853 were $5O,s52
The same for the year 1859, up to May
list, were about $4,000.
Believing they had accomplished
commcndable thing, the citizens of
Cedar Rapids, determined to celebrate
the occasion in a becoming manner.
Tickets Of invitation to the number of
over thousand were issued to rail
road men, editors and municipal Off
Gals in every portion of this State,
and to large extent in others. The
invitation was pretty literally re-
sponded to, and Cedar Rapids will
not probably in the next fifty years,
have her limits crowded with so many
dignitaries, editorial, judicial and 9TH
crwise, as she had at the recent celc-
bration. Every train which left the
eastern terminus of the road after
Monday morning was crowded with
excursionists, although the regular
excursion train did not leave till
Wednesday morning. A long train
Of cars, with the engine gaily decora-
ted, and as many passengers as could
sit, stand or crowd into cars or en-
gine, made up the grand excursion
train. At each station the crowd
grew denser, until the cars, like an
omnibus which has in twenty, when
only calculated to hold twelve, the
jam was more dense than pleasant.
Some 5000 people in procession
were at the depot, awaiting the arri-
val of the train-the Great Western
Band Of Chicago heading the crowd
and discoursing most eXcellcntly well
their martial strains.
Mayor Sprague, in brief, but hap
py and pertinent speech, welcomed the
excurtionists, rendering them the free
dom of the city.
Responses were made by several
eminent gentlemen, and then in the
wake of the Marshals and the music
the entire crowd marched to beauti-
full grove, just on the outskirts of the
city, where they partook of a most
bountiful and luxurious repast.
After dinner, Judge Greene, of Ce-
dar Rapids, was elected Chairman,
and Z. n. Bates, Esq, of the same
place, Secretary, Of the gathering.
Several toasts were read and respon-
SEES made, but we have not room for
them.
After the Toasts were concluded,
the procession marched down to Main
street and was dismissed \ Grand
Ball was given in the evening at Dan
iels' Hall, while at the same time the
streets were ablaze with fireworks.
Rockets sped with rush heavenward,
SO as if to impress upon the very
stars the gratifying fact that Cedar
Rapids had established a direct COM
munication with New York city, while
every other possible species of illu-
mination and pyrotechnics gave the
scene an aspect worn only on days
great and memorable from their his
torical significance.
Cedar Rapids has done good thing,
and will now reap a sure reward.