The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-01-05
Rock Island Excursion.

This morning at l0:4O one OF The
Rock Island cars, that are noted for
their elegant and comfortable finish
and style, with Charles Sauers as con-
ductOr, and Tom DOnnellan as engineer
of locomotive No. l10, was placed at
the disposal of the county commission
ers of our county and few invited
guests, to inspect the Rock Island road
bed through Dickinson county. Mr..
w. F. Evans, the gentlemanly and
courteous attorney for the great Rock
Island, was in general charge, and
most happily he sustained the reputa-
ton Of the company he represents for
royal treatment towards all who are
conveyed free or otherwise) over their
matchiess routes. The following COM
posed the party that left Abilene ::
County Commissioners Henry Kandt
and Simon Stein, Attorney w. S. SIAM
baugh, Mayor A. W. Rice, County
Treasurer J. J. Cooper, County Clerk
r. Warning, District Clerk NJ. V. Brill
hart, City Marshal Kirkwood, G. Y.
Benjamin of the Gazette, and a repre-
sentative of the REFLECTOR. 1t was
the first trip over the Rock Island for a
majority of the above named gentle
man and pardonable smile of pride
and satisfaction was visible upon their
faces for they were rolling out of Abb
lene upon the last constructed of three
great railways, that are now in active
operation through the Belle of the
Smoky. After passing the carriage
factory, on the same road bed that our
train was gliding along, the Santa Fe
and Union Pacific tracks were keeping
us company. At Sand Springs pas
senger can pass a package from one
train to the other, should they all be
running in the same direction. There
was rush, roar and whirling sound,
and U. Z. freight train was soon pass
ing from view. AT Solomon the COM
pany have erected a neat and cOmmO-
diouS depot building with necessary
side tracks. At the Solomon river
huge derricks and big gang of work
men were busy building the abutments
for new steel bridge. At New Cam
bria the Rock Island and Santa Fe
depots are within sixty feet of each
other. Just before reaching Salina a
U. 2. passenger train and ours met
. 'twaS the wink of an eye, the draught
of a breath" -going-gone. Before
another long breath could be taken,
the length of the distance between
eight telegraph poles (one-fourth of a
mile) interviewed between the two
trains.
The train reached Salina at 1880,
T. tS
the Whitman house, where one of those
elegant dinners, for which mine host
Whitman has won state renown, was
spread. The company is erecting a
round house at Salina. At 1:30 our
party again boarded the train with
Lexington as the objective point. The
following Salina gentlemen joined the
excursion: County Commissioners, A.
l.. Dodge, Arson Miller, J. w. Burke,
County Clerk Joseph Sargent, Mayor
Banks, Councilman Taylor Miller,
Judge Bishop, DR.. Tobey, Sheriff
Gentry, T. l.. Bond, Esq, Hon. \. P.
Collins. Mr.. A. Wickam, Mr.. W. c.
Addison, Editor J. NJ. Davis of the Sa-
lima Daily Herald, J. Wayne Amos of
the Gypsum City Echo, Mr.. Geo. F.
Supple and NJ. d. Sampson, editor of
the Daily Journal. All in all it was
jolly party and Abilene and SaliDa
Rocked together as tremendously and
peacefully as did Crusoe and Friday on
the same Island. The whistle is sound
ing along the banks of the Serpentine
and Abilene'S numerous smoke stacks,
spires and blocks are in sight. and as
the pencil pusher must either forego
the pleasure of the trip to Harrington,
or bring these hasty notes scrubbed
ION the rail" to close, we lay aside
our Faber and will 60 on with the boys.
But say to the people of our county
three cheers for the Rock Island and its
courteous officials.