The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-05-21
RAIL ROAD CELEBRATION AT
HENDERSON.
Two Thousand People Present

The railroad celebration at Hen
derson. yesterday, passed off pleas
antly in the main. The crowd present
is variously estimated at from 1000 to
5000 people. The train that arrived
from jacksonville at 9 A. NJ, brought
in about 500 people, 10 eleven cars.
The Mollie Norton took down over
100 on her first trip, and consldera-
BILE number on her second trip. A
large number of people also went
down on the Tarascon.
The forenoon was spent in social
intercourse and promenading about
the Fair Grounds. A magnificent and
sumptuous barbecue dinner was serv-
ed at 1 o'clock, of which there was an
abundance for all. and all bear testi
mony by acts, if not words, that it was
of the most delicious character.
The ceremonies of the day were in
terspersed with admirable and inspir-
iting music by the Evansville Cornet
Band.
After dinner programme was ar
ranged for speeches, and Mr.. Vance,
of Henderson. was first called out.
He confined himself to the question
before them-the Evansville, Hen
derson & Nashville Railroad, its in
terests, its present status and future
prospects. The estimate for finishing
the road is 100000. OF this sum he
said Henderson County would vote
5000 GOO, Christian County 100000,
land will Hopkins County" he
asked, refuse to give the other $780,
OOO?" To this query the representa-
lives replied with great enthusiasm,
mo! No!l NOIp Mr.. Vance then
introduced Willard Carpenter, Esq
of this city, as the orator to represent
Evansville. Mr.. Carpenter spoke
substantially as follows:
Ladies and Gentlen1ea-T was called
upon very unexpectedly to address
you to-day, and am not at all pre-
pared for a speech. My remarks,
therefore, will be brief It has been
twelve years since l have spoken In
favor Of railroads or other public i'm
provements. l spent twenty years
| previous to that in advancing pubIS
improvements. 1T will be sixt9sh
years, on the 231 of next month,
since we had a railroad meeting in
this city. o. ii. Smith, Senator from
Indiana, and myself addressed the
meeting. In 1887 there was not one
thousand miles Of railroad in the
| United States; now there is forty
thousand miles | remember the first
railroad built in the States Of New
York and Pennsylvania. Had we
taken hold of certain railroads at the
time the meeting was held here six
teen years ago, we could have mould.
ed them IN any form we desired, and
Henderson o-day would have been g
city of forty thousand inhabitants
! We are now threatened with the
Louisville q St Louis Road north OF
US, and the Louisville, Elizabeth
town d Paducah Road south
thus cutting us off entirely
Mr.. Vance says your road can be fn
ished for $500, 000 When the cars
run through to Nashville, your prop
erty will be increased In value five
times that. | spent five years in trying
to build the Straight Line Railroad
and lost a quarter of million dollars
But we will build that road yet, il
spite of all its enemies can do to de
feat it. Some of them now see then
error, and are sorry. They say l wa:
opposed to this road; that | voteC
against the city of Evansville takiDa
$500, 600 stock in the E., H. u n
Railroad | did so, not because
was opposed to this road, but | wanteC
5000 600 for the Straight Line, so tina
we could build both at once. WheI
[ came to Evansville l came as job
Der. We then traded as far Hortt
as Logansport. Now we hardly reacl
: Petersburgh Let them build the
Louisville, Elizabethtown & Paducal
Railroad, and it will destroy you
trade. | may meet you at some othe
9 time, and talk to you further on thi
gu 1ject.
Judge Oissell and Colonel Strange
of Hopkins County, followed. Cis
sells speech was highly pertinent t
the occasion in the main, but b
could not refrain from referring t
matters entirely irrelevant and utterl
9 inappropriate, illusions that did hin
no credit in the estimation of eve
his own people.
Colonel Strange confined himsel
chiefly to the local position and sen
timents Of Hopkins County.
The people from this side the rive
were treated with great courtesy an
! genuine Kentucky hospitality. Tn
only Incident that had tendency
mar the pleasure of the occasion wa
a little knock-down between two he
, blooded Kentuckiaus, but this dis
turbance was soon quelled.
Extensive preparations were apad
for a grand ball last night, and
! number Of the young people of thi
city went down on the Mollie Norto
last night to take part in it.
! Doc RECOVERED Mr.. j.. NJ Prizes
from Hawesville, Kentucky, arrive