The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-07-08
Excursion to Newport.

" -NCWpOIts
On the "glorious fourth many of our
citizens took advantage of the offer made by
the railroad company to carry persons to
Newport and back for fare one way. Tn"
"xcursion train left this place at half past ten
CLOCK in the morning, amid the cheers of
large crowd ASSEMBLED at the depot. 1t was
evident on arriving at Lyndon that there
were not sufficient cars on the train to accom-
modate all who wished to 20. The cars
which had been set off at the various sta
tons on the road to be loaded with wood,
lumber, bark, etc, were pressed into the SER
ice,rgged with impromptu seats, and attach
et to the train. The excursionists arrived at
Newport at one o'clock and found its streets
streets, lanes or byways, which p filled with
every nation, kindred and tongue, from the
honest farmer and mechanic down to the
English cockney and American snob. Such
of the e1cursionists as first forced their way
through this heterogeneous mass of humanity
and advanced, regardless of strategy, "to
the front" of the office Of the Memphremagos
! House, secured tickets for an excellent dinner
Others, not so fortunate, lunChed round at
the various eating saloons the proprie-
| tors of said saloons, as a general thing being
French women with numerous progenyjud-
ging from the number of dirty children about
the shops, handling the pies and cakes, and
sitting upon the loayes of bread so tempting
ly displayed in the windows.
Some went directly from the cars tc
the steamboat, hoping to find something
to eat on board Or at the Mountain
House. But in this they were disappointed
and many tasted until the boat returned tC
Newport at about half past four O'clock
Served them right, too. They might have
known they would have stood gooc
chance Of starving to death, on a boat tina
plies half the time in American waters witt
two British flags flying, bat does not run Vi
the stars and stripes even on the fourth o
July. Others Of the party took passage TO
the trotting park in all kinds Ct wagon
little wagons and big wagons, gig wagon
and Job wagons, open wagons and covered
wagons, wagons with springs and wagon
without springs-all the drivers volIhteern
to carry to the trotting park " for twenty
five cents. Your reporter, being great ad
mrer of the turf, took passage IN one OF tn
aforesaid springless wagons and in some SCI
f onds less than forty fire minutes was tran:
} ported from the Memphremagog House
l. the spark" distance of one and one-ha
! miles. When your reporter arrived at tn
d "park gate-a pair of bars, by the way
S and paving the man a quarter FOR bringln
e him over, and the man at the gate anoti
If err quarter to gain admittance, he found hin
s self in a moving field, interspersed here al
here with patches of potatoes and corn
Fl Men, Every third man you meet IN New
T. port wants quarter out OF you Tor som
= ming. The price for anything about the
= i, a quarter Of a dollar. except dinner ar
Is drnks-'ae former is three quarters ard Il
: later couple Of cents less than half qua
r" ter. 50 accustomed did your reporter b
OF come t. giving men quarters that he offer
e. one to the gate-keeper at the bars b-to
is mentioned when coming out, who, to the ST
I'd prise aud wunderment of all beholders, /
r. fus.i to take it'll Near the center OF t
lt lie d was box about six feet square, perch
z =: 4 .,on four posts, which was pointed out
5 rln as the judges stand. In front OF Il
. stand were seats for about two hundred ps
". sons. Soon after the trottlng commenc
mt more than half of these seats came COY
th with crash, piling men, women and Oh
o. dren in heap on the ground. In mome
ice all was excitement, hundreds rushed to
3 spot expecting to find large number kill
TO- or seriously hurt. Only five or six person
al however were injured and no bones were b