The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-01
The Presumption Railroaa Dinner.

he people OF TFeemptioH ueslTlnR III
some way to signalize the fact that their
town is now connected with all the world
and the rest of mankind, by frst-class
held meeting at the Presumption
House on the I'd of October. and resolved
to get up nice dinner and issue invita-
tons to the same. They appointed COM
mittees. etc., etc.. and the proceedings
were published in this paper on the 4th of
October. Mr. Cable placed passenger
coach at the disposal of the Presumption
committee for the invited guests Oh the
line of the road, and the dinner came off
on Wednesday of this week. The train
left this city at 9 a. m. with some 20 in
vited guests; among whom were MIR. Isaac
Negus, P. L. Mitchell, Judge Spencer,
DR.. Gregg, DIR. Plummer, aud other lead
ing citizens Other guests came on board
along the route. The train went directly
through to Waugh's mills. 1.-THE new town
is now called Cable) and then returned to
Presumption to dinner.
Arriving near Presumption the national
flag floating from the cupola of Beuia.
whistles barn notified us that the people
were alive to the occasion. At the depot
we were met by committees of citizens, with
the Presumption band, and escorted to the
hotel, where the dinner was served. Mr..
John Whitsitt occupied the head of the
table, and in few we'll chosen words well
coined the guests around the festive board.
Grace was then said by the Rev. Mr..
Thorpe, of st. Johns (Episcopal) church,
and then the dinner. Among the well
known and substantial citizens of the Vi
entity we noticed David Little, Ed. Far
well, James Taylor, Rufus Walker, John
Clark, D. A. Clark. Meigs Wait, Thomas
Mcintyre, L. L. johnson, W. W. johnson
| D, w. 6herrard, Fitz Rathbun. Geo
Morey, David Little, Jr., Dr. Syler, Riley
Snyder, W, Pitman, Benja Whltsitt
W. G. Gray, Geo. Upton, r. Snyder. Jr
Richard Whltsitt, Robt. Foster, Johr
Blakely, W. Hammond, and many Others
whose names we do not now recall
| The dinner was excellent and cred
liable to the good landlady, Mrs. Ham
mond, widow of the late Robert Hammond
The fat, tender and excellently prepared
and cooked turkeys the mountains of roas
surloin of beef, the side dishes the vege
tables, the choice pastry and cake, the tel
aud coffee, the truit-everything in profu
sion and of the finest quality. Some Rock
Island people went into extacies over tbt
delicious butter las though they'd haC
none for long time) and insisted on know
ing who made it, Inquiry revealed tht
name of Mrs. Ed. Farwell, and she wa!
unanimously voted the first premium.
After dinner Mr.. Whitsitt called GU
DR.. Gregg for little chin music, and tht
DIR. in his happiest vein. entertained the
people with lots of fun and good sense
Among the many good things, he alluded
to the advantages of the new road and t
the fact that he had noticed, that day. tel
egraph wires being strung along the line
and that in few days Presumption could
whisper to the whole world. Abiding
to Mr.. Cable and the enterprise
and energy which characterized his
life. be said that some may
say he was animated by self-interest il
building this road, but while selt-interes
was, of course, oce of his motives he wa.
entitled no less credit for his public
enterprise. He might have taken hi
capital and made more money with it il
other and easier ways, and at his time o
| life, and in his physical condition, and with
| his means, who would not have tried Il
take their ease and enjoy their wealth
But Mr.. Gable had chosen to invest it a
home where it could not benefit himself
without bene6tting a large community
And il man is public benefactor VIII
causes two blades of grass to grow wher,
only one grew before, how much more i
he benefactor who builds railroad int
the heart of rich agricultural and min
eral region lacking in adequate transporta
ton facilities2
! With some humorous illusions to thu
primitive modes of transportation 10 the
early days of David Little, the Clarks anC
others, and comparisons with the present
Itheshr. closed amid considerable applause
Mf. Cable was called out, and in hi
peculiarly terse and comprehensive style
madea short address which was listeneC
to with Nery marked attention. He par
ticularly complimented the men who hat
worked with energy to secure the presen;
line of the road, and those who had con
triputed to that result,-and said that hat
it not been for the remarkable energy
perseverance and good judgement of Mr.
E. p Reynolds, (of Reynolds Saulpaugl
Il Co., contractors who attended to tn
construction Of the road, they uld go
have seen the cars in the year 1876 TIL
road had cost much more than tie origi
nal estimates and it was a road that III
man need be ashamed of,-but whether i
will pay its owners on their investment O
not would make no difference with tn
people on the line-they had the roat
and all its benefits, and at ratessprescribeC
by law. MIR. Gable then alluded to tn
hack mails across the country to Rock l.
} land and said they should all now be ar
ranged so as to run to this road, and tina
it depended on the people whether
would be done or not. He urged that til
people at and near every station take in
mediate action in the matter and secure
such changes as would give them dali
mail by cars and quicker supply by hac
from the nearest station.
After some social chat among the guest
4 the band escorted the people to the trai
and We arrived home by P. NJ, we
pleased with the trip.
ANTHRACITE Coal, all sizes, the brigh
, est and cleanest in the market, for sale b
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