St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-03-26
The Railroad Supper:
AG.p1RrEor suooEss.
roa,t., Speeches, &c.

Hall OH last Tuesday evening, to the Del.
cgatiuu from this District and their cola.
borers in the last Legislature. was sue
ccs, much beyond the fullest anticipations
It was an evidence of the. earnest feeling
of tho people with regard to the matter Of
4 Railroad to Lake Superior, and mark
OF approval OF the action Of our delegation
and those who had labored With them to
secure to Northern Minnesota the benefit
Of this road
At half past nine o'clock, WIN. J. Par.
sons, Esq., President Of the evening, call.
ed the company to order and requested
That they be seated at the tables. Three
Of these, extending the full length Of the
hall, with another across the head Of the
others for the President and speakers,
were 80 provided with seats as to accom-.
modate the largest possible number Of
persons, and all were occupied.
Mr.. Parsons, referring to the special
character Of the meeting, remarked that
in frontier life there are events which
move with almost lightning .rapidity while
others drag along At snails pace ;. but
it il these latter which mark the progress
Of country and constitute the eras in its
history. 1t is to signalizc the beginning
Of one such event, that We ara here as
eemblcd this evening-the project for the
construction Of the railroad from Lake
Superior TO point on the Mississippi at
Or above St. Cloud. The speaker express
sed the belief that although the enter
prise was but in its infancy, yet that in
obedience to the immutable laws Of neces-
sity and demands Of commerce, the full
plan would be consummated within very
few years.
After music by the St. Cloud Brass
Band, which was in attendance, aud en-
livened the interval between tho different
toasts with a fine piece of instrumental
music, attention was turned to the tempt
ing display of good things upon the ia
bles. These had been most tastefully ar
ranged, presenting an appearance that
would have done credit to city of much
greater size and pretensions, and reflect
ing highly upon those to whose care it
was due. The attractions Of the festal
board was not lessened when the test came
to be applied, and the game Of "now you
see it, and new you don't sec it was full
Iy played at. Oysters, served in the many
different ways man has invented for pre-
pairing the bivalves, were passed around
and discussed; fowls disappeared by the
quantity; pastry, confectionery, creams,
jellies and the like melted away as dew be-
fore the rising sun, while fruit followed
quickly after, and still the supply seemed
no nearer exhausted than before. Consid.
ering the large number Of persons present,
the little delay in serving all aud attend.
ing to every wunt: was remarkable. At
tier full justice had been done the viands
tho cloth was removed end the wine un.
corked, when at the request Of the Plesi'
dent, Hon: E. O. Hamlin, Chairman oil
the Committee on Invitations, read letters
from Hon. (uow Cow Henry A. Swift
and Hons. Chas: Taylor, r. Ottman.
James Smith, Jr., G ". Nash, and N
Dane, expressing regret at their inability
to be present, and speaking in aatterine
terms Of the energy and ability Of the Del.
egation from: this District.
MIR. Parsons then read the first regula,
toast - =. ~:
!: The President Il llhie- United States
This was, responded to briefly. but fs.
lioitously BY 8. B. Pinney, Esq: -:
q. The Congress Of he'&tjnited States: -
TIE. Mcclure; Esq, in responding Il
this sentiment, referred 70 the days Of the
organization Of Congress, and still late,
when that body, meeting without discord
presented an array Of talent that might
we'll be pride to the country. But since
then there had gone from the assemblage
those whose great aim it was to subver|
the cause Of free government, and found
an aristocracy utterly opposed to all sen.
tin,ents Of progress. TIE efforts of trea.
son had been, however, through the wis
don, Of our present. Congress, in. a great
measure met and checked. The benefits
}'of; tho Homestead Bill and the Railroad
Land Grant, especially that from; Lake
Superior to St. Cloud, were spoken Of ir
appropriate terms: s.. ..*>.
s. The judiciary Of the United States
| Amid tho turmoil Of civil war, - we'll a. amid
the years Of peaeeful prosperity which v,
hope for in the future, may the judicial Or
mine be preserved In spotless purity. 49,.
This toast was sloquently responded t
by VIM. H. Wood, Esq. Full and alb
solute obedience to the powers that be, h.
insisted, was an absolute necessity. Th'
American people have not yet come to be
l Il. vo %hn "a ~. ~:~n kh~k - tho snsdo$ -