Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-26
THE EXCURSION.
Arrival of the Charlotte Excursions
Ists-sheir Reception at the Depot
A Dash OE Water and GA Ece-
Address OF Welcome and he
sp0nse-Progran Ile for IEG-Day.

The excusionists from Charlotte,
fifty-eight in number, comprising a
number of prominent merchants and
bankers in that city, arrived here
Tuesday afternoon. They left Charlotte
Monday night and came through from
that city to this on a special train.
The following is list of the excur-
sionists kindly furnished us by Mr.. W.
III. III. Gregory, Chairman OF the ex-
coursionists, viz:
Geo E Wilson, Iredell Jones, Col
umbus Mills, j S Williamson, J. Arm
stead, III 2 G White, D II Regler,
G IL Overman, J A Younts, W NJ
Wilson, J Y Summons, r. Z Shipp, G
W Bradshaw, III Ratterree, Z Schiff,
G. w. Chalk, J E Clarke, DR. l. Won
Meyerhoff, W A Barrier, d G Max
well, Col J G Bryce DIR s Woodruff,
J M Wright, J r Holland, j L Nc
Laughlin, j l. Brothers, J Meyer, "
M Smith, Maj J G. Harriss, W + Cuth
bertson, w Il Burnwell, W Il Cochran
John Valandingham. M G Meyer,
J W AIiller,J J Sans, DIR T X Cureton.
Chas Frazier. Philip Whisonant, G
Long, ID 2 S White, I ID Clarke, I'll
B Hammond, Donald Macauley, E
White, w S Blackwood. j F. Stem
house. DIR J S NJ Davidson, DIR L I'll
Means, w J Black " W Grier, W J
Friday, f A Osborn, G A Withers, 7
I'll Tiddy, Med Reel, Col Chas r
Jones, w II FL Gregory.
The train, with the eXcursio ais is
aboard arrived at the.freight depot of
the Wilmington, Columbia 81 Augusta
Railroad at ) O'Clock, where they were
IL 81 al, r.,
headed by Mr.. Chas. II. Robinson,
| Vice President of the Chamber of
| Commerce. The eXcursionists, as they
| stepped from the cars, were greeted
| by our own merchants, who conduct
ed them to the barge Experiment, ly-
| ing at the wharf with the tug Wa.
| both gaily decorated with flags, and
the flags of many OF .he vessels
in port were also flying in honor
of the occasion. As the party
stepped on board the barge, the
yoiing gentlemen Of the Cornet Con
cert Club greeted them with a burst
of music, which must have sounded
wonderfully pleasant to those who had
been compelled to listen, for the past
twenty-fCur hours, to the changing
wheels. Not many minutes were re-
CURED to make the guests perfectly at
| home and new intro auctions and
hand slakings and hearty welcomes
and as hearty responses followed in
rapid succession. Soon the party
were launched and the barge, towed
by the ing, fioated gaily down the
river, While the Cornet Club gave
"Dixie" with will and fine breeze
swept up the river on the tired and
heated eXcursionists.
It was here, on the barge, that Mr..
Vice President Robinson, on behalf OF
the merchants, gave the following
hearty welcome to our visitors:
Ge,atIenaeu:-The pleasing duty ol
welcoming you, on behalf of the vii
mington Chamber Of Commerce, has
been assigned to me. It is indeed a
pleasant duty Were YOU strangers
coming among Us we could not he in
hospitab?c, for stranger is Il holy
name;" but when brothers come it is
a great Joy 10 throw wide open our
arms, and our hearts say welcome.
We Welcome you as worthy sons of our
good old mother. North Carolina. We
welcome You as worthy representa-
tives of our thrifty sister city Of the
West-our kindly rival in enterprise
and growth. Our arms of iron are
stetching out towards you and it is
we'll that before these bonds join us,
as we trust they Will, IN an indissoluble
tie, that we should look into each
others eyes, should grasp each others
hands, and heart beat against heart.
It is said that in the olden time men
iourneyed from the West towards the
East in search Of light. Your journey
towards the East is in search of pleas
ure; and may safely say that those
gentlemen whom [ represent are de-
termined you shall find it, and not
alone-they will join youin the search,
and [ may say for them that in this, as
IN other enterprises. they know no
such word as fail. Then, gentlemen,
in behalf OF the Chamber of Com
merce, I bid you welcome to Will
mington. When you return to your
homes may it be with pleasant impress
! SONS of this City by the Sea; aud may
we know no East, no West, but TO love
one another, our pleasant homes, our
friends. We welcome you with al 0ur
/ h,.ar,a.
bir. Robinson, having concluded his
address of welcome, Mr.. Gregory in
| PRODUCED Capt. J. c. Mills, of Char
lotte, who, on behalf of himself and
/ his friends, delivered the following
happy response
1Nr. President and Citizens Of VIZ
1t is my grateful duty, ID behalf of
the merchants and visitors of the city
ct Charlotte. 10 acknowledge the cor
dial welcome and generous reception
t5ndeleu "a as SD gracefully ph the
part OF tbs city Of Wilmington. This
excursion was gotten up SO hurriedly,
so imprnmptu, shat [ hal no idea of
such n demonstration as [ witness now.
Bat [ assure you, Mr.. President, that
your expressions of friendship and well
.,ome are fIily re0ip"ocated by us. It
is most pleasant Occasion, and one
always memorable in our lives, to re-
call this visit from Charlotte 10 Viii
mington this meeting OF the West
with the East this greeting of the
mountains with the sea.
We come to you, gentlemen, with
good wishes on CTR iins and good Will
in otlr hearts. with fuii assurance that
onr good will and. good wishes will
meet with a hearty reciprocation, for
the generosity of the good old city of
is so proverbial that no
man Es4thy Of consideration can say
unto yor that - came among We
hungry ana We fed me not. | came
among ya thirsty AMI We drank me
not. -
. We come, gentlemen. to your city,
If Tplstaka ncl, "a the first excursion |
ever made FROM Charlotte to " lining |
top. and as such we come as
pioneers il The great track of |
trade and travel that is destined |
to flow down from our mountain conn |
try to ''the city by the sea-" And al
though we come on this festive oeca-
sion, We 20 not cone IS mere pleasure
seekers, but go epsas as representa-
lives OF the substantial men of
and OF trade, as repre-
'enting every branch OF business in
our goodly city OF Charlotte, and We
nope by o'lr efforts to inaugnrate a
,ommapltv ,oi Uu,la.7..a ans OF interest
hat viii result in establishing Vii
nington as the entrepot for onr sec
ion of country and for orr State And ,