The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-12-24
TO Chicago and Back.

To Chicago and Back.
In company with Majors Mahon,
Safely, and Henry, the latter of the
Keosauqua Republican, we seated
ourselves last Monday evening in the
comfortable cars Of the B. l. NJ. R.R.
for a run to Chicago, to attend the
Grand Rc~Union of the armies OF
the West. ~
No pleAsanter trip can be made,
than from here to Chicago, now
since the completion Of the magnih-
cent Iron Bridge at Burlington,
which enables the passenger to avoid
the annoyance of the old ferry, and
does not give him time to even 60
through tho motion Of masticating
the ancient bull beef of the more an
eient Barrett House.
Our conductor to Burlington was
the ever faithful and efficient Hitch
cock, than whom no better Railroad
man lives, and who has the rare
merit Of regarding 4 chalked hat,
with the same complacency, that he
does full paying one.
Thirty minutes at Burlington en-
abled olr Quartermaster to lay in
four dollars worth of "Commissary,'
and twenty five cents worth of crack,
ers, as rations for the night march
meantime allowing us TO drop into
Clark Dunhams palatial new Post
Office, finding Him busy as bee, as
sorting the evening mail.
The government has acted liberal.
" in renting the splendid new bull.
ding Of Barhydt for term of years
and under Dunhams admirable taste
it is one of the finest, and most con.
venient Post offices, to officials inside
as well as to the public outside, to be
found any where in the West. #l"
| We are happy to be able to con.
tradict the report that Durham had
got tired of the Office, and wished te
retire. We don't blame him, we are
in the same fix. -
Our party was largely augmented
at Burlington, including Gen. Clarl
r. Viewer, Major L Carper, Asst
Adjt. General Of Corses Division
and now the excellent Asst. Super
intcndent of the G. B. n @. r. r.
Capt. Edwards, Of the Hawkeve, DR.
Stone, Majors Blackmar, Perkinl
and many. others whose names w
have neither the time or room tt
enumerate.
| Major Carper informs us that til,
bridge has not sagged or given away
the least, and being constructed en-
tirely Of iron and stone, may be con
sidered as permanent fixture, az tn
everlasting hills, and in every respec
a big success.
The G. B.& @. R. r. is the best
and smoothest, and tho most success
tul Railroadfinancially, in tho United
States, as witness the fact that it
stock is quoted at ITO in the market
and none to be bought even at tina
rate.
Every foot of the road bed from
Burlington to Chicago is ballaste,
with gravel, which makes it SO soli'
and smooth, that while in one of Pull
mans splendid sleeping cars, bowling
along at over thirty miles ar hour
it is difficult to divest yourself of tn
deluslon that you are quietly enjoy.
ing conversation with your friends
in your own parlor at home.
Three thousand tons of stone ar
now being dumped in above the pier
of the bridge as hreakwaters, and n
fears are entertained from the ic
gdng out in the spring.
The enterprise of The G. B.. & c
R. R. Co., in keeping up to all moder
improvements; the Judgment evince
in selecting their subordinates; th
order and system which prevails il
its management, and which has give
it such extraordinary immunity fror
accidents, accounts for the unprect
dented value of its stock, and it
great success and popularity over Al
rivals.
i Silas A. Hudson, Esq, an old an
highly respected citizen of Burling
ton, was OF our party, and was an OBJ
|ject Of tender regard from the fac
that he is a cousin of Gen. Grants
and that none Of the soldiers alon,
considered themselves more distant
1 y related to the Great Chieftain
than second cousins, especially if the.
had fought bled and died under him
ana now wanted Post orfis.
| Arriving at the fremont, we fount
it, as we'll as the city literally packed
with soldiers Of the Grand Armies o
the West, from Grant, Sherman
Thomas, Slocum, Schofield and Lo
gan, downithrough all thelgrades ant
ranks to the humblest drummer boy
whose services, if not SO heroic, wer'
equally as indispensable and honora
BILE in the great conflict. s-bf
| After the seperate business NEE
tings of the armies of the Tennessee
Cumberland, Ohio and Georgia, helt
during the day of the 18th, they me
jointly at the Opera House in tn,
evening with @Old Pap Thomas il
the chair, while Gen. Sherman deliv
cred a written reception speech
which for elegance Of conception
brilliancy and terseness of it's finely
rounded periods, and eloquence o.
delivery, not to mention it's fervit
patriotism, marks himas one Of The
finest thinkers, and most polished
writer's and orators in America, al
well as its most brilliant military
strategist.
After Sherman came Major Gen
Belknap, the popular commander Of
the 18th Iowa, who was promoted
on the field, after the bloody day
Mcpherson fell before Atlanta; later
the leader of the immortal Iowa
Brigade, and the last commander Of
Crocker's famous Division, who had
been selected at. the last meeting Of
the army of the Tennessee, to deliv.
er the annual Grafton.
No man in America ever had an