Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-17
YESTERDAYS RAILROAD EXCURSION.
The Detail. Of th. Anair a. written up b.
q Volunteer Reporter.

. Volunteer Reporter.
YANKToN, DAKOTA, Jan. II, 1879.
Yesterday morning at six O'Clock . goot
y number of US Assem- bled at the depo
. having accepted the invitation ofthe officer
of the Dakota Southern to join the excur
sion for Beloit, Iowa. There were brav
men 1--WE say brave because they have tb'
courage to turn out at 81 early an hour OF
: such q cold morninp) aud fair women (w'
say fair because-well. because they wer'
E fair, and because we dare not call then
, anything else) to the number of abou
thirty. We had the president of the Flrs'
National bank, several Of our leading bust.
ness men. q defeated candidate for copgres
and last and least, several federal officials
We, or 1 should have said, they, are always
along when any free jupketing is to be done.
Anyhow, We had a jolly crowd, amongthem
a humber of our most charming matrons
and maidens, and we have never seen a
crowd more determined on having a good
time. and they had it.
AT 6:30 the train pulled out, and in sixty
, minutes we had stopped at Vermillion,
twenty-five miles, where quite an accession
was made to our party, a number of the SOL
id business and professional men Of that
town, with their wives and daughters, com.
ing aboard. And in the cold frost Of the
morning, on We sped, stopping a few mo-
ments at Elk Point, where our number was
again considerably increased, and at s:l0 We
had made the junction, forty-nine miles
from Yankton, and the run made in one
honr and fifty minutes.
Here VT were Joined bv a large party
from Sioux City. a train with three or four
coaches meeting us at that point. The
trains were quickly consolidated; Messrs
Wicker and Merchant were cordially greet,
ed by their Dakota friends; and the run Of
81 miles up the magnificent Sioux Valley,
TO Beloit, was made in a little over two
hours, and Was enjoyed by $50 as jolly souls
ss were eyer on pleasure bent. The Sioux
is one of the most fertile and splendid val
leys in the west, and many who saw it for
the first time, yesterday, were enraptured.
AS the cars drew up at Belo.t cheers from
warm hearts rent the cold air, and the visit
ing excursionists saw at a glance that the
whole population of Beloit and Canton were
out doors, and determined on giving US 9
good time. ~Conveyances were on hand aud
the whole party were conveyed to a large
and commodious school buildir g, a few
hundred yards distant, where the most adj
mirable arrangements had been made fol
their reception. Shawls, wrappings, hats
%overcoats, &c, were checked and cared for
and thus relieved Of superduous toggery
81 lux City and Yank,on, Iowa and Dakota
mingled together in friendly, social CONVEX
sa'ion in the large lower hall Of the acade.
my for half an hour, WHEN Judge
Carter, of Canton, called the atten
tion of the ~assemblage to the fac
that they were wanted up stairs, when the
vast throng fled up the winding stairs, and
all were soon seated at the long tables
grooming under the magnificent collation.
that had been prepared for our party.
Being thus seated Judge Carter welcomed
us in a cordial address, and cal ed
Hon. Alex. Hughes Of Union county, Oak,
to preside, aud the order Of exercises were
announced.
Rev. Mr.. Lozier, Of Iowa, invoked the
divine blessing in a brief and impressive
prayer; after which the same gentleman,
as spokesman for our Iowa friends, deliver
ed an address of welcome to which Hon.
Bartlett Trip of Yankton responded. We
are glad TO say both gentlemen were felici.
tous and short, for we were waiting for our
dinner, and inhaling the savory odors
of the smoking viands we wanted
the word given to pitch in.
The word to eat nov having been passed
along the line, for half an hour roast turkey,
chicken. roast beef, cold ham, coffee, sand
wiclles, cake, &c, &c, interpreted with sal.
lies of wit, AMI animated with sparkling
eyes and sparkling repartte, engrossed the
attention of our whole party, and a more
enjoyable occasion had any Of us ever en-.
countered. The wives and daughters of our
.eloit and Canton friends, with sparkling
and radiant faces. piled hungry stom-
achs with rich viands, until all were we'll
6lled and when all had eaten and were
tiled, there were more than twelve baskets
eft.
These physical wants having been at
ended to, the chairman announced that
here would be other and more speaking
short addresses were made by
Rev. Mr.. Lozier, Hon. Bartlett Tr,pp, Hon.
7. L. Jolley, Hon. J. L. Pennington. MI.
and Mr.. Wicker, and the very best
/ good feeling prevailed.
We of Yankton, and Dakota, forgot for
time our greater area of territory, our
etter location. our superior advantages.
rester numbers; threw aside our metro.