Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1866-02-09
Opening OF the w. W. ". e. r.
FESTIVITIES ON THE OCCASION.


this place. A party Of excursionists,
some seventy-fse in number, the elite of
the Queen City and intermediate points,
and representing the wealth, the talent,
and the fashion of the Western Metropo.
lis, arrived here on the first passenger train
that ever assembled the Valley Of the White
Water, and were entertained by our citi
zens in manner BETTING the OCCASION
OF the banquet, the toasts, the speeches,
tho festivities generally, We say nothing,
pieferring that these matters should DO
described by our guests, tho representa-
tiyes Of tho Cincinnati press, from whose
reports We make copious extracts. The
principal daily newspapers were ably repro.
feniod by Mr.. Wilton Clark Of the Times
Mr.. Theodore i. Allen Of the Commercial
and Mr. Elias Longley of the Gascttc, and
trio Of more genial and agreeable knights
Of the quill it has never been our good
fortune to meet Not single accident or
mishap occurred to mar tho hilarily aud
good feeling universally prevailing, but all
passed of
A merry rs wedding bell.
Below we give the Gasette's account Of
the affair:
Railroads are said to be great civilizing
institutions. A modest missionary once
said, that in preaching the Gospel TO the
heather, he hoped, it he was not able to
discriminatory lightamong them, he might
at least knock some holes in their super
stitions so as to let out some of their dark
ness. This much, at least. railroad may
accomplish for any locality that has been
deprived Of ready communication with the
rest Of the world for an indefinite length
of time. The advent of tho first passenger
train of cars to this heretofore non-pro.
gressivc, but staid little town, to day, in
spires its more intelligent and enterprising
citizens with hopes fully as sanguine as that
of tho missionary referred to. They are
more than satisfied; they arc delighted with
their prospective future. In the expressive
language of one with whom we convcrsed
on the subject, they feel like people Of a
blockaded port after communication with
the rest Of the world has been resumed.
Since the abandonment Of the canal, con-
Meeting them with this city, two years ago,
and with Harrison year ago, their only
communication with Cincinnati, though
but forty miles distant, has been by the
numbering omnibus for passengers, and
heavy teams for freight. The daily news
paper, even, was always twenty-iour hours
behind time,
THE OPENING TRIP.
At half past three o'clock, on Thursday.
train left the depot of the Indianapolis
Railroad, on Pearl and Plum streets, with
considerable number of invited guests
aud their ladies', including, also, Mr.. II. G.
Lord President of the Railroad Company;
Mr.. w, w. Smith, Superintendent of
lndiapapeIis.& Cincinnati Railrosd Com.
pany; Il. II. Richardson. Superintendent
Of tho Road; Col Nat Lord, Contractor and
builder ofiho Road; d. Thew Wright, Esq,
the Company's Attorney; Mr.. l.. Z. Weir,
Agent Of Adams Express Company, aud
several members Of tho press. Not of the
least importance, also. was Mentcr and his
famous band The train was conducted by
Mr.. j. q. Tucker, who ran tho FIRST loco.
motive over tho road IA far as Harrison,
aud has been conducting that limo ever
since. Tho locomotive III. &. Lord, was
in the charge Of Engineer w. Fagan.
Leaving tho l. n 9, Road ut Harrison
Junction, we soon reached Harrison, where
the locomotive took in water, (and whore,
il was whispered by the ladies, that tho
officers ofthe road aud their guests didn't
ID was too cold, } aud the baud walked up
the quiet town with their stirring strains.
Here We entered on the new track, and /
found tho cars ran a. smooihlyas over any
other portion of tho road, which, 10 DO more
specific, was as smoothly ~ can be expected
under most favorable circumstances.
The track being laid mostly on the old
lowpath of tho canal, the bed il solid 10
begin with, aud then the abundance Of
gravel along the whole line has enabled the
country TO give IL good balasting and per.
manent fills whore necessary.
Aud IL Is appropriate here 10 say, also, /
that polesfor the telegraph wires have been
erected by the Western Union Limo. and
in week hence tho Brookvillians will be
in lightning communication with the rest
Of mankind,
The valley Of the Whitewater river, ]
through which the road runs il lined on
either side, most Of tho way, with high /
rolling land, In some places with prec pitous
and lofty hills, equal to those on the banks
of tho Ohio The river, running on
grayclly bed Is clear, aud in proper seasons
IL much frequcntcd b. piscatorla devotocs.
Altogether, the scenery, VIC should Judge, |
would, during most q tho year, DO very
inviting. From Harrison on TO Brookyille. |
there never had been seen before, by tho
stay at. home natives, such thing "a a
train Of cars, and Of course the
people were everywhere on tho look out for
our approach At the terminus, on this
sde OF tho river at Brookyilc, there was |
very large ooncouree Of citizens waiting 10 /
welcome u.s. On dsembarking We wore
taken into carriages aud wagons aud CON.
yeyel, somo 10 hotels, some TO private
but most of rs directly 10 the |
college building, whore supper had been
prepared, aud comfortable rooms were
ready 10 receive ~. |
- TnE BaooKvfLtE COLLEGE, u
Besides tho chairman &C tho Committool
ofArrap R,mon;s, DR., Rufus Raymond, who /
received lhciF guests In tho chapel Of tho
College. we found tho President of tho
institution Rev. W, X, Goodwin, perform.
Ing the part of hospitablo host In the most