The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-05-31

Esq, lhe superintendent OF transportation
has been our constant companion, usher and
guide, and has shown US o''many kind at
tentions, that we congratulate the good
taste of the managing officers in the selcc.
ton they have made, and that for his unre.
mitting exertions in our behalf to serve
please, and instruct, he be especially reques.
ted to-
Accept this tribute true from monarch's guest
Though small, yet from willing hearts expressed.
His time and talents for utmost wish employed
And all profusely, have his graces well enjoyed.
At every point" since merged from 'ssanctums'
dim
An avalanche Of pleasure ascrbe to him.
And here, though distant from rural "vils,"
We vote him bliss pernnial as the rilIs
That leap from Old virginia's mountain slopes,
To lave the soil and fructfy mans hopes
Where'er he goes-East, West, or turning back,
May no 'vle abstraction switch him of the track
But through this life, in every longitude and cline
May he ever make thesbest of running time
Resolred, That copy Of these resolutions
be presented to..the President of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company, aud to
the Washington city papers for publication,
and that all the editors of the party, and I'LL
the publishers of newspapers in the western
ana Southwestern States, embraced in this
invitation, be requsted to publish them
in their respective Journals.
L. HARPER, President.
Mt. Vernon CO., Banner.
W. p. GooDE, Secretary,
New Castle Ord. Courier.
After the reading of the resolutions, which
were loudly applauded throughout, calls
were made for William Prescott Smith, who,
appearing, said that, after these interesting
exercises, he thanked the assemblage deeply.
In their testimonials they overlooked one
fact, considered with which he was scarcely
nothi lg. He alluded to the men who con-
ceived and who CARRIE d out the great
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, those who
controlled the finances, and the engineers
who laid its stupendous foundations, and the
thirty-two millions which had been expen-
ded on this great work In view of all this,
he C aimed to be but the humble servant of
the company, whose pleasant province it
was to meet so many more friends, and. as
an employee, he would say that this excur-
sion had overthrowe the idea that corpora
tions had No souls. (Appause.) 1t was no
longer a truism. He believed the editors
were just the men to comprehend this great
road, and who would agree with him, that it
was a great institution. (Applause.) He
declared that It had no equal in those rail
ways that looked down the Adriatic, skinned
the Alps, or wound in among the hills of
Russia. Stepher son did not eqpal it, an
gneers, nor the Menai bridge some of its
structures Those present had passed over
road two thousand feet above the tide we
were moving on. Mr.. S. continued in an ell
oquent strain, and concluded with feeling re-
marks at parting. He announced that the
details of the excursion would be published
in book form, and presented as sovenoirs to
every editor on the trip. eve will add here
that we intended to publish Mr.. SIS remarks
verbatim, but lie failed to furnish us with a
revised copy)
Major Ben. Pealey Poore, of the Boston
Journal was then called out He said:
Thanks for this compliment, ladies and
gentlemen, and wish that | could acknowl-
edge it by pulling from my pocket carefully
speech, all ready to be read when
called upon" But we who
are here at the metropolis, as reporters and
have so much to do with the
speeches of other people that we have neith-
er time nor inclination to indulge in oratori-
cal Displays of our own. Ifany thing could
inspire us, it would be the lberality of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad company, which
has enabled us, this pleasant afternoon, leave
the illventelated, singing seats of the Con-
gressional conventicles, and Join the editori-
al excursion. Refreshing indeed is it to us
to enjoy the breeze of the Potomoc, to ram
BILE through ths consecrated grounds of
Mount Vernon, and to meet in friendly in
tercourse the fair daughters and the manly
sons of the Mississippi valley. (Applar Sc. J
But correspondent is the last man you
should have called upon to speak, especially
after having listened to eloquent and intently
patriotic remarks from the president, from
members of Congress and from high officials.
No monarch, it is said, is hero to his salet
dc chambre-no playgoer should get peep
at tie poor devrls who shift the scenes-boys
who blow the organ are never considered a
portion of the chOir-ani if you ladies' and
gentlemen, were better acquainted with me-
tropolltan usageS, you would know that cor.
are but little esteemed BY those
whose good deeds they proclaim, and to whose
shortcomings they are charitably blind. Cap
plause.) No correspon lent should ever be
called upon to speak, especially when the un.
iversal theme is the probable perpetuity oithe
republic founded by him to whose graves we
have just made pleasant pilgramage.
In the reporters gallerias. '"'ut'ion Is re
..sr,ied as myth, aud union saving as
(Applause and aughter) True,
we see the honorable gentlemen beneath us
lndalsing inoratorical and some times pugilis-
tic displays, and we send abroad accounts of
their heroic conduct, tinted to suit the polt-
ical complexion of the newspaper which is to