Daily national Republican., 1863-12-04
THE RAILROAD EXCURSION TO AND
EROM NEW YORK.

The excursionists who made an experim enta
trip between this city and New York to sample
the new arrangements by which the line is
traversed without change of cars, returned to
the city last evening. The pleasures Of the
Journey eliminated in a dinner at Wizards
Hotel, where some eighty guests were enter
taiued by the managers of the different rail-
ways between Washington and New York.
The banquet spread on the occasion by Sykes,
Chadwick & Co., was exceedingly creditable
to them and to their steward and cooks, and 1t
seemed to he heartily enjoyed by the company.
Mayor Wallach sat at the head of the table and
the post of honor opposite was occupied by
W. Prescott Smith, ESQ.,, agent for the Bati-
more and Ohio Railroad Company.
When the rage of hunger and thirst had been
sppeased, his Honor, Mayor Wallach, arose
and in speech complimentary to the improve
ments made in the railway facilities the party
had witnessed on their recent excursion, pro-
posed the health of "W. Prescott Smith, the
master of Transportation Masters"
Mr.. Smith responded to the loud calls that
greeted him and spoke at considerable length
and with much force upon the important ser
vices rendered to the Government during the
war by the railroad corporations. He stated
that double track would have been laid he
tween Washington and Baltimore long ago IL
the Government or its Generals could have
kept the cohorts Of Stonewall Jackson from
making raids upon tie materials which had
been gathered three times for that pur-
pose. Mr.. Smith did not claim that the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad corporation had
done more In aid of the operations of our armies
than any other company would have done, but
the circumstances of location, etc., had given
them the opportunity to perform vast amount
of work, and to do 1t satisfactorily.
lin truth, Mr.. Smith demonstrated that rail-
road wheels had done much for the common
veal.
In regard TO the improvement made in the
route between the political metropolis and the
| commercial metropolis Of the nation, by which
| the horrid bore of changing cars is to be avoid
ed, he deemed it important that the public
should encourage the efforts of lines already
established to increase their facilities for trans
portatlon rather than to favor the schemes of
| bpVsuiatoips WhO h''h ~ bDtulu tndIttIT
railways to he finished At some dooms day
period, after the war IL all over.
Mr.. Smith paid an earnest tribute to the
ability of Mr.. Garrett, President Of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad. Some were strongly
prejudicsd against him, but he was the body
and brain of that railroad, and TO his immense
force of character and his patriotism was to be
ascrlbed the success OF the herculean labors 1t
had performed during the war Mr.. Garrett
was nothing to him he was too poor to own
railroad stock his present connection might
cease at any time; he did not always agree
with Mr.. Garrett in his plans but" said he
"srCh Is he man."
Mr.. Smith spoke very kindly Of the press
and alluded to the fact that when u very young
man be earned his clothes in spare hours as
street reporter for a newspaper. He t0astcl tht
press and called upon Colonel Thomas Flz
geral of the Philadelphia Chy Htm to speak fol
his guild. The gallant Colonel, one of the vet
erans OF his profession, although By no means
nm old man, Is an eloquent speaker and his re
sponsc was excellent, making his brethren ol