Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-02-28
1. D. 8 c. RAILWAY.
Completion of the Narrovx-Gauge from
Rensselaer, TO Bradford. on the LIE,
N. A. q C. R. R.--CeIebraSIOn of the
Event at Rensselaer, Yesterday.
Lafayette (Ind.) journal, Feb. 18th.
W.. T-.1 - ID -zI.l. = ~

having kindly put a special train on the
road for the accommodation of those who
desired to attend the celebration at Rens-
selaer yesterday, of the completion of the
indianapolis, Delphi 6 Chicago Narrow
Gauge, there was large crowd in at
tendance. Owing to the short notice, there
were not many from Lafayette. Delphi
sent down delegation of thirty or more,
under the pastoral charge of Mayor Walk
err, Postmaster Watts, Editor Cox, of the
Journal; Enoch Rinehart, the members of
the City Council, county officers, and
other prominent citizens. Quite num-
Der were taken on board the train at Bat
tie Ground, Brookston and Chalmers, and
| by the time the train reached Reynolds,
the two coaches which had been provided
were filed. At Reynolds crowd of $50
was in waiting, about 100 of whom were
from Monticello, and brought with them
the Monticello band; the rest from VOL
colt, Kenland and Reynolds. At Brad
ford a train with eleven box and fiat cars
was in waiting at the new road, to con-
Vey the exeursiOnists to Rensselaer,. At
every stopping point numbers were taken
on, and by the time the train reached its
destination it was overcrowded, there be-
ing over 600 persons OH board.
Arrived at Rensselaer,, dinner was the
first thing in order, it being by this time
after noon, and it was proceeded with
without delay or ceremony. The lady
visitors, according to annOuncement,w were
first to be served, and the crowd waited
| with reasonable patience until they were
seated; but, sad to relate, for the credit of
masculine humanity, the cravings of a
thousand hungry men were too strong for
their courtesy, and general rush soon
ensued. The provision made by the good
people of Rensselaer, was most ample as
to quantity and excellent in quality; but
the crowd and the mud were entirely too
much for the serving committee of ladies
and gentlemen.
The good people of Rensselaer, are de-
serving of all praise, however, for their
efforts to provide for the comfort of all.
They had not expected there would be
half SO many hungry mouths to feed and
the crowd was so large that some confu-
sion was unavoidable. When most of the
people had dined, the audience, which by
this time had gathered in the Courtroom,
was called to order by Alfred Thompson
master of ceremonies for the day. The
main room of the Courthouse was crowd
ed and yet not more than one-third of
thosein attendance could gain admittance.
There must have been fully 800 to 2, ,0OC
people gathered in the town.
The exercises opened with song about
s'The Indianapolis, Delphi & Chicago
Railroad by the choir, when Hon John.
Lee, President of the road, was intro
duced. After complimenting the ladies
and citizens upon the generous repast
which they had provided, Mr.. Lee ex-
pressed the opinion that this was a mem
orable day for their little town, and would
mark an important epoch in its history
and he congratulated them upon the COM
pletion of this enterprise, which connect
ed them by iron bands with the rest OF
the world. They had just started in the
enterprise, however; and he appealed tc
the citizens of Monticello, Delphi, Frank.
fort, and other points along the projected
line of the road, to come up now and dc
their share. He complimented Mr.. Nc.
Coy, the Thompsons, Dwiggins' and Other
philosophical citizens, to whose assist
ance and liberal support the enterprise
was greatly indebted for its success.
After music by the Monticello Band
Zimri Dwiggins proposed the toast, s'Tht
Narrow-gauge Railroad, y and called upor
Colonel Yeoman, of the firm of Yeoman
Hegler 6 Co., the contractors who bull
it, to respond.
Mr.. Yeoman thought the road itsel
was the best speech he could make; bu
proceeded to enlarge upon the prospects
!, and the coming importance of narrow
gauge roads in general. He thought the,
were the solution of the problem of chea
transportation, and predicted befor
many years, the completion of net-wor
of narrow-gauge roads, together with a
least two great double-track trunk line
to the East of that gauge. The grea
cheapness of. construction, operation
e and almost every item of expens
pertaining to railroad enterprise, mad
them the rising giant of the future.
Ira w. Yeoman proposed the toas
h 'sConstruction of the indianapolis, De
phi & Chicago Railroad, which was res
ponded to by DR.. I. B. Washburne,
. Rensselaer,.
It; The choir then sung long poetic
r. composition on 'sThe Narrow-Gauge,'
the tune of ''Old John Brown the al
dience joining in the chorus.
,st Enoch R. Cox, of the Delphi .Journo
e. then toasted 'FThe Ladies, p to which SCI
:. timent Mr.. President Lee gallantly re
ial ponded.
HI Captain c. A. Evans, of Rensselae
proposed "Our host, Alfred McCoy,''
response to which Horace E. James, of t
Rensselaer, Union, read an ardent eulo.
on that public-spirited citizen who, '
believe, provided the OK of which most
his hearers had literally partaken.
ID, This ended the regular programme.
response to calls, short speeches we
made by Hon. Anson Wolcott, Color
Hurlburt, of Georgia, "a member of t
contracting firm for building the n,
Air road), Judge Hughes, H. P. Owens a
are are DR.. Bushnell, of Monticello; DR., RiC
un- ardson and Vine Holt, of Delphi; HC
John P. Carr, of White county, and
cess Water, of Lafayette. Cox, of Delp
proposed ''The people of Rensselae1
they build railroads on the narrow-gaU
- but dispense hospitality on the bro;
opy, gauge system,'' to which Hon. R.
~, Dwiggins was called to respond, and
so in a few happy remarks. The meet
then adjourned, and the greater par
or the visitors waded to the train, thou
some stayed over until to-day. t
The people of Jasper county and
upper part of White county are as
lighted over their railroad as child W
a new toy, and well they may be. /
the aged maiden in the story. their f