The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-02-18
Our MeIish In Chicago!


On the head of an invitation receyeia week
or so ago from Company A, 1st Regt., :! N. g.,
by Company d, OF this city, to attend party to
be given at the lst Regiment Armory, Chicago,
on the l4th inst, between 20 and % OF The boys
OF Co. D took the 2:2s train On Tuesday for the
above named city.
On their arrival at Chicago, cur "sogersp were
met by art" Hobert, q member of Co. A, hut
one Of our ottawa boys, and Lieut.. Wood (the
rest of the reception committee having missed
the train at 22d ST. and escorted to tho Palmer
House. where they were met and cordially re-
ceiyed by Capt. Buchanan and other Officers and
men of Co. A, after which they were led 10 the
dining room and partook of 4 splendid supper,
to which they did ample justice and more, too
They had been on ''long Journey indeed so
deeply were they engaged in the pleasant occu-
patton of mastication that they found TO time to
waste upon anything else
After supper, ut about o'clock, the Company,
accompanied by an escort from Co. a, and with
an addition of two more of its memberp-Horace
Hull and Dwight MeNair, now of ChicAgo-made
their way TO the lst Regt Armory, and were in
troduced into Co. AS headquarters, where Capt.
Buchanan, in a short speech, welcomed them as
the guests of his Company. From here they
were ushered into the main drill hall which was
brilliantly lighted, handsomely decorated, and
throngea with a company of ChicGgo's elegant
ladies and gentlemen. Here our boys were made
to feel at home by their generous hosts, and
those who "tripped this light fantastic" were
soon enjoying themselves in the macs of the
giddy waltz, while those who didnot "trip were
otnl
ing the dancers, admiring the many beautiful cos
tunes and listening to the sweet strains of Hands
orchestra, and admring the many figures of the
''Geiman," the Company retiring about O'Clock
to the Palmer House.
Among the ladies and gentlemen assembled
we noticed and had the pleasure of shaking
hands with Mr.. and Mrs. Z. p. Warner, formerly
of this city. We also noticed in the hall the ia
miar face of the Rev. F. NJ. Gregg, who hat
come up on the same train with the Company.
In the morning Co. d again sailed forth under
the escort Of some of the officers and men of Co
A. This time their destination was the Armory
OF Battery d. Arriving there the boys were mel
by and introduced to Major Tobey, who proved
to be courteous gentleman as well good sol
dier. The battery consists of six cannon and
one Gatlin gun, and the armory, besides possess
ing one Of the finest drill halls in the country, is
also hard to beat as to the style and taste of its
reception rooms and parlors, they being quite
elegantly furnished.
After leaving the battery armory, the boys
were taken for ride on the cable railway, along
which the cars rolled at a possible speed of more
than ten miles an hour, aud without any appar
ent means of locomotion. The railway, anC
great ponderous engines and apparatus for run
ming the concern having been taken in, all re
turned to the hotel again, and short time after
wards again "struck out" but this time it hap
pened to be for the depot, where, with many
handshakes, about half the Company started
homeward, the balance following in the evening
And thus ended one of the most pleasant chap
tiers in the existence of Co. ID. Now the boys
are waiting to "reciprocate;" and if it is ou
good fortune ever again to have the pleasure o
entertaining the members OF Co. A. they may
rest assured we will give them the best we'v,
got, for they were found to be, both officers aRt
men, generous hosts and frst.class gentlemen.
ONE OF EN-.