The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-22
A RAILROAD EXCURSION WITH
OUT AN ACCIDENT. E1r,
Opening Of the St. Paul n Pacichc
Railroad.
A Pleasant Day--An Easy Ride
A Merry Party, and a Good
Dinner.
The Return---Supper at the Inter-
national.
THE EXCURSION TRAIN.

THE EXCURSION TRAIN.
At - NJ, Monday, the train contain
ing the invited guests of the st. Paul and
Pacific Railroad Company, consisting of
four passenger cars filled, left the St. Paul
depot for the celebration at Anoka of the
o. ening of the road to that village. The
number on board was stated by the Con-
ductor at 24O, and included His Excellency
the Governor, the State officers, Legisla-
ture, City Council, merchants and other
citizens, and the President and officers OF
the road
A pleasant ride of a little more than an
hour and half brought the party, increas-
ed by number of invited guests FRI St.
Anthony and Minneapolis, to the depot at
Anoka, where We found the hospitality of
the good citizens of Anoka represented by
a sufficient number Of sleighs to convey the
whole to the village and the hotels. AT
the center of the village, around the flag
staff, the long procession was halted and
grouped for few moments while well
coming salute was fred, and Thomas G..
Jones, Esq, of Anoka, welcomed the Com
pany's guests to the inequalities of the
citizens of Anoka. The party then dispers-
ed to the three hotels to which they had
been assigned, our band meanwhile play
ing patriotic air suggested by Mr.. Jones'
allusion to our Minnesotians in the army.
TUB DINNERS.
No Anokian needed to have wished his
village able to do more. The inequalities
extended to the excursion party would
honor the most thriving town in the coun-
try, and fully evidenced the goodwill and
unity of purpose of the citizens of Anoka
It was our fortune to dine at the Kimball
House. Others were conducted to the
Eastman House, and others to the Luf kin
House. 1t was in our mind to say that,
for public feed, and considering tue great
number crowded into the dining-room, the
Kimball House had done SO well, it was
deserving Of the very highest praise The
guests at the Eastman House, however,
claimed equal credit for their dinner-table,
and were incredulous to the assertion that
those not there had been equally as well
as they provided for. And those who sat
at the Lufkin House tables, mindful of the
symbols upon the sign in front of its door
congratulated themselves that their call to
refreshments was superintendent by M.
and Mrs. Luf kin, and pronounced their
dinner thu best of all. We would not at
tempt to say which excelled, but We are
confident in saying that at each house the
guests we're Hospitality entertained with
the best of the season.
Rare virtue of public dinners-good
coffee-was served at every table. Won
der among all aggregations Of hungry
male kind-out Of all the great abundance
and variety set before them, they COM
planned of nothing but rejoiced over many
good things.
We must not omit to mention that the
tables were waited upon by the ladies of
Anoka, who, as many a reader knows and
says, ought to be famed for heir beauty
and their practical accomplishments.
AN INFORMAL MEETING.
When, from the dinner tables, the party
had visited friends in the town, aud were
nearly all collected at the Kimball House
Hall, with a number of citizens of the
town, there was strong desire to have 4
general talk On the railroad and its pros
poets, but, as Mr. Rice was not present,
no formal organization was had CIV.
Miller was loudly called for, and finally
brought into the room by Mr. Eaton. Tie
Governor said:
For the first time in his life he had been
summarily arrested, by the United States
Marshal, but he had been promised re-
lease after two minutes talking. All he
had to do was to return thanks to the
citizens of Anoka for their hospitality.
Regretted there was no one to speak for
Railroad Company. For himself, he had
no doubt that this thirty miles of the road
over which We had come to day was q
link in the future road to the Pacific.
While he congratulated AnOka on this
suspicious completion of railroad to her,
he remembered St. Cloud. Perhaps some
here remembered Brott's nap. He re-
membered it, for it had beeL the means
Of inducing him to make an investment
that might be called permanent. He re-
membered that or that map, New York
was located as 1920 miles from St. Cloud.
He was glad the road was b. re and that It
would be pushed onward, and concluded