The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-10-27
THE EXCURSION.
A SPLENDID Excursion to Butte
and Return.
Eight Hundrsd Citizs.s OF Butte and Dee
r Lsdss Have . Gala Day. NE

Had the Deer Lodge and Butte excursion
lists had the selection Of day in the year for
the complimentary excursion rendered them
by Division Engineer Bhckensderfer and
Messrs. Word and Irwin, they could not have
had . finer ono than that Of Monday, Octo-
Der q. Ths sun shown bright, the air was
warm and the day was calm-'just splendid"
A. thu appointed hour, 9 .. m, there were 400
or 100 people assembled ut the starting point
Of whom probably 800 or $50 got aboard Of
the ten-car train provided for their transport
tation, which was handsomely decorated
with Gags and awnings. At $50 the train,
which was In charge Of Engineer and Con-
ductor Hall, pulled out for Butte with the
Deer Lodge Band playing . galop and the
excursionists and spectators exchanging
cheers. Al the valley stations quite An ad-
dition was made to the number and the sal
utes by the way were heartily reciprocated
by the happy throng aboard.
The delayed start and the heavy train
made 1t 1890, an hour late, when the train
pulled into the Butte station, where large
reception party and the Silver City Band
were in waiting, and with thousands Of kind
ly welcome to Butte" and inspiring music
received the excursionists most cordially.
Dozens Of private vehicles and the Transfer
Company's conveyances were in waiting and
in few minutes the crowd was streaming
away up to the city where, aside from the
many guests entertained by friends, the ho-
tells and eating houses were soon filed and
the victualling department Of Butte was laid
under heavy tribute. The hour named for
return was go, but through one circumstance
and another the train did not get away until
$50. An invitation for An escort party In
return had been accepted by about 400 Butte
people, and unfortu nately the officers Of the
U. q N. Co. did not have another car that
could be pressed into service. The result
was there were about 800 people to return on
trsin that could comfortably accommodate
only about 400 and humanity was never
packed moro densely than was required to
ret sitting, standing, and holding on room
However. after much tribulation and fun and
repacking 1t was accomplished, largely
through the efforts Of Geo. w. Irwin, Esq,
who never lost his temper land his grip only
once) and we steamed down the road with
every car full and covered with as jolly q
crowd - will ever ride over 1t, arriving In
Deer Lodge at 6:12.
The excursionists are more indebted to
coed track, stout cars and Engineer Hall
than many appreciated. The train was fear
fully overloaded and only one brake, aside
from thA& on the engine, under control
Happily everything went we'll and no acct
dent occurred except the loss Of few hats
- the train skipped along the valley In the
cleaning. The delay cut the visit Of the
sxcursionists to Deer Lodge to forty minutes
when they should have had at least two hours
to have been Hospitality entertained. and the
entire evening to have enjoyed number Of
social dances - our people desired. How
| ever. "orders is orders" and at O'Clock the
train started back, making . fine run e
Butte, and arriving on good time.
The occasion was one that will long b
happily remembered, many OF the ladies es
| pecialiy having had the pleasure Of ride OF
| the first passenger cars that ever run int'
Deer Lodge, and to many Of our old timers i
| was the first railroad car ride in their lives
The rosd In the valley Is in splendid con
dition- much better than 1t will be mex
| sprins-and "the little narrow guage" IL jus
l ~ comfortable to ride on a the wide guag
roads. The ride through the valley and Sil
yer Bow canon ID delightful. In the vale!
there ore but three curves in twenty-sever
miles, not cut exceeding twelve inches no
. grade exceedi1e twenty-five feet to tn
mile, making splendid track, while In tn
four mile canon the train darts around anon
the clsse-eacircling, abrupt mountains an
bes.iing cliffs with . reckless sinuosity tha
would make States politician ashamed q
himself.
While the circumstances were such that n
formal exchange Of courtesies between Dee
Lodge aud Butte o. resolutions thanking tn
lU.& N. officers for their courtesies could b
extended or acted upon, 1t is pleasant n
sponsibility We take in saying that eve
these citizens of the two towns who tw
years since most earnestly favored "Div
sion" hail with glad hearts the new "R
union" with cordial friendship that wi
last while they survive, and Offer to the raj
way company sincere thanks Tor their gel
erous courtesy and safe conduct. DEF
Ledge has been accounted an anti-railroa
town. This IL not, never has been, true.
was anti subsidy and 1t will stand ~ Its ere
IL n long ~ there Ii . railroad officer to n
spect good sense Or . good citizen to pa
taxes, that 1t fought its battle out solid Q
that line when the vote Of this town woul
have changed results in the entire Territor
But IL In railroad town and this Is railros
people, and heartily in sympathy with I'll
new era" We bid the Utah and Northel
and al other railroad companies welcom
Life il too short to fool away time on {
teams or stage coaches. Hail TO the railroa
Il DEER LODGE COUNTY
i =
Statistics Gathered This Year by the