Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-19
BY FTELEGRAPH
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s-~f '~ TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal.
The Great Railway. Celebration.


|
The European and North American Rail
way celebration in this city has eclipsed in
magnitude and grandeur anything of the kind
that ever before occurred in the State. The
special train that contained the President and
party and several hundred invited guests,
reached Bangor at 6.35 last evening. A
brief halt was made at Kendalrs Mill where
an acre or two Of people had assembled to
catch glimpse of President Grant, who in
obedience to their wishes stepped from the car
to the platform; rousing cheers rent the air,
and as the President stopped to reach the
proffered hands of party standing by the
side Of the platform he was grasped by the
collar by bevy of young ladies, and kissed
as vigorously as ever before in his life. He
was for once taken by surprise and i: may be
safe to say, momentarily overcome.
At Pittsfield the train again halted few
minutes and hearty, loud and long cheers
| greeted the President, as he emerged from
the car and stood before large group of the
noble yeomanry of Penobscot. At a few
other stations the train halted momentarily,
but not long enough to allow the crowds to
see the distinguished head Of the nation.
As the train neared Bangor an artillery sa-
lutte was begun, and continued until the
echoes Of twenty one heavy guns had rever-
berated through the city. At the depot was
a large assembly of people, and the several
militia companies to receive and escor. the
President and his party to the Bangor House.
| The party entered carriages and the process
sion took up the line of march through mag
Efficiently illuminated streets, and past a
| large number of finely decorated and illum-
mated dwellings. At about half.past seven
| o'clock the President and suite alighted from
their carriages, entered the hotel, and dsap-
peared from the public for the night. But
the President, with Secretary Robson, Gems.
Creswell and Belknap, Speaker Blaine, Gems.
Porter and Babcock subsequently left the hotel
| and took tea with Senator Hamln at his resi-
| 'lence. The military companies returned to
heir quarters, and the great throng Of people
gradually dispersed, leaving the brilliantly
| lighted streets by eleven o'clock in a state of
comparative quite.
| The well-known hospitality of the Bangor
people was tested as never before, when the
oells tolled ''the hour for returning" Every
hotel and boarding house in the city had been
completely filed, and yet many hundreds of
people were in want of lodgings, yet it is
doubtful if single individual who properly
| made his wants known went without decent
/ W IN aft fho 6
| day and excitement of the evening Private
houses were thrown open ad libitum, and
cordial welcomes given to all to enter and be
| entertained with the best that could be OBJ
| famed. The Masonic fraternity withdrew
their Tylers and threw open the doors of their
lodge rooms to the members of the press, of
whom there were at least one hundred in
number, representing as many publications.
daily, weekly and monthly. In these rooms
An ample number of beds had been placed,
and tables loaded with food were accessible
at all hours without money or without price.
Members of the press are peculiarly indebted
to the gentlemen of the Bangor Wing and
Courier for numberless courtesies and kind
| nesses. r.s.
| The hour announced for the celebration
proper to begin was ten o'clock to-day, and
soon after sunrise, the streets were thronged
with an hourly increasing multitude, in holt
day attire. Long and heavily laden trains
over the several railroad lines, and crowded
vehicles from every direction, came into the
city, and by the time the exercises began the
number Of people was immense,-a multitude
probably larger than ever before assembled
in the eastern, or any other part OF Maine.
| Business in the city was universally sus-
pended. '''
We have not space to give minute des-
cription Of the procession, that formed near
the Bangor House and started on the route
of march at ten O'Clock. 1t was composed of
the President and party, the Governor and
suite, Lord Lisgar and suit, and distinguished
railroad gentlemen and invited guests, in
carriages, preceded by msrshals, aids, and
band of music; the ten military organiza-
tons Of the State-including the Capital
Guards that made a Aattering appearance
six or eight FIRE companies from different
parts of the State. lumbermen in uniform and
half dozen or more bands of music in
terspersed. The procession, when on the
march, made an imposing appearance, made
up as 1t was of the various organizations in
their snowy uniforms; it occupied about
twenty minutes in passing given point. All
along the route the President was greeted
warmly by the crowd, to whose every demon
straton of respect he quietly bowed bis ac
Acknowledgements.
After passing through the principal streets
OF the city, which occupied rather more than
three hours, grand collation. vas partaken
OF in Norombega Hall, by nearly thousand
guests, including the President of course,
and ladies. The collation. was supplemented
by toasts and speeches.
The hall was beautifully trimmed and de-
corated from the ceiling to the floor, with
Aaus and ranrasa ntations of fiogs of al, nm