The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-09-01

| CHAT ABOUT rr.-Y esterdAyfs Des
Moines Register was received at three clock
in the afternoon. Now, we had itin. our
heart to make that the text for variety Of
reflections wise and otherwise. Then We
concluded We wouldn't, for The Register 10 ia
laxative mood ssand chats very. pleasantly
about the excursion and other matters thus,
and we would rather listen to it than do the
talking ourself:
1.-The cars which brought the excursion
lists were well ornamented with flags Of the
Union. These were typical of two things !;
First-The American Union, glorious in its
traditions and memories Second-The Un>
ion Of Des Moines, BY way Of the Valley
Road. with all the world, and the rest Of
mankind.
The name of the engine Of the excursion
train is 'keokuk,' . good, practical des;ena-
ton by the way, which has merged its sborig>
inal signihcation into something else which
means Saxon intelligence, enterprise, ildom-
table pluck and energy. The Keoknkians
may take this as compliment. We mean il
as such. If it had not been for the enter
prise of railroad men whose habitations are
in that city, the Valley Road would have fig.
ured largely in the region of non entity.
That is TO say, the Road would not have
made commencement; and, consequently,
there would have been no grand railroad cell
ebration in Des Moines on the 29th day of
August, 1866. Now, we have every reason
to think that it piece of piety on the present
occasion to say cheerily:
"'Bully for Keokuk 7
s'lf there is anything indecorous in that re-
mark we shall proceed to apologize to Mayor
Patterson, G. +. Kilbeurne, Superintendent
Williams, Col Leighton, Gen. Reid, Gen
Bridgman, Judge Rankin, Judge S. NJ. Miller,
Colonel Sheldon, j. w. Delaplain, Sam.
Clark. or any other man. If it be proven,
therefore, that we have done a big thing in
our energetic apostrophe to a sister city, we II
make 1t all right by counter irritant which
comes from our heart propulsively, thus
''Bully for keokuk,"
We started out to say that the tender for
the excursion engine had on one side of it the
inscription:
"Keokak-Des Moines, The Gate opens
TO the Capital
Son the other side were the words
ID. V. X. Il. The Link that unites US ~
These notices are suggestive The Gate
which opens to the Capital is Keokuk, the
Gate City; and the link which unites the Gate
with the Capital, is the Valley Road
We started out to say, too, that bouncing
baby, OF full ten pounds weight was born to
one Of our citizens on Wednesday night. The
overoyed father sent to the Slavery House
for several Of the Railroad officers and it is
currently reported that Colonel Leighton
named the child VALLEY Road" and gave it
his profoundest benediction We shall not
youch for the truthfuuess Of this incident
but it came directly TO us from one OF the
principal witnesses. of the ceremony. fit is
not true it ought to be-
We started out to say, also, that Judge
Wright, from all appearances, was the hap
piest man in town. He was in state Of
transhguration and when he made his speech
70 twenty thousand people, he made his add
tors as happy himself He had been
twenty FIVE wears in Iowa. waiting for the
wagon 10 come! 1t came at last; and the
feelings Of the Judge were of the most ex.
quistely satisfactory description