The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1891-04-23
RAILROAD CELEBRATION
ROYAL BANQUET GIVEN IN HON
OR OF THE OCCASION,

ORC THE OCCASION.
Memorable Event In Martir sville's
IIistory-The First Pass ,ngcr Train
Cv,r the Roanoke & Southern Road
to That Town.
Wednesday morning, the 18th, at
7:3Oone hundred of Winston Salem's
best citizens, including the Chamber
of Commerce, left on a special car
from the Roanoke & Southern depot,
bound for Martinsville, Va, in re-.
spOnse to an invitation rendered
them by the people of that town to
attend a banquet and participate
with them in celebrating the event of
the first through passenger train
running to that place over the Roam
oke & Southern road.
The trip was made after Il ride of
three-and-a-half hours, arriving in
Martinsville at eleven O'Clock, where
they were met by a large delega-
tion cf her citizens, and escort
ed up to the principal Hotel. There
were about three Thousand people at
the depot to welcome the first pas
senger train.
Many took advantage Of the op-
portunity to ride over the town and
examine it's many places of interest.
The time was passed pleasantly un-
til about two O'Clock, when the crowd,
including Winston-Salem's delega-
ton, and MANY prominent citizens
from Danville, Roanoke. Richmond
and Baltimore, were invited down to
the large school building where the
banquet was to be served; arriving
at the designated place they were
ushered in to where royal feast was
awaiting them. Everything here
bore evidence of that open handed
generosity and hospitality that has
always distinguished Virginia's s no.
ble sons.
Feast, it was Il feast indeed, sur
passing anything of the kind ever at
tempted by town of Martinsvillps
size and equal to that of larger cities
with greater pretentions, but the de-
scription of dinners have become SO
commonplace by repetition that we
shall not deem it necessary to beg
pardon for emitting Il detailed ac
count of it. 1t was all that one could
desire, concluding with NUNS Ex-
ira Dry" fusilade of corks of which
was fired in honor of that distin-
guished Frenchman whose name has
become the pass word of the feastive
board Their Menu bore this modest
heading, "Our hoard is little but our
hearts are great.
The following are the toasts and
respOnserS, every one of which de-
serves 10 be repeated here, but the
lack of space would forbid:
TOASTS.
'oUR GUESTS"
Response by DR.. James NJ Smith, Mar
tinsville, Va.
''THE ROANOKE & SOUTHERN AND ITS CoNsrRUC-
TIoN COMPANY"
Response by Col. F. II. Fries, Winston
Salem. N. c., Hon. Henry S. Trout, Roam
oke. Va.
'RAILRoAD CORPORATIONS WITH SOULS"
A Blessing to the People Response by
Hon. A p. Staples, Roanoke, Va.
''TowN BUILDING
Depends Upon Men as well as Location.
Response by Hon. f. NJ. Simmons, Winston
Salem N. G.
young MAN, COME SOUTH"
Response by Gen. John Gill, Baltimore,
Md.
''TIE soUTH,''
Defeated in War. She has Won the Nobler
Victory of Peace. Response by A. H. Eiler,
Esq Winston-Salem, N. c.
''vIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA"
The Ties that Bind Them. Response by
w. A. Blair. Esq, winston-Salem, N. c.
SOUTHERN DEVELOPMENT"
The Death of Sectionalism. Response by
Peter II. Dillard Esq, Rocky Mount, Va,
"MARTINsvILLE AND THE Ro ,NoKE & SOUTH
ERN'
Response by w. H. Gravely, Esq, Mar
tinsvile. Va.
THE VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA ToBAC.
co TRADE
Response by Hon. D. Stultz, Martins
vile, Va.
''THE PRESS"
TIE Guiding Star of Industrial Develop
ment. Response by Hon. Jno K. Webster
Reidsyille, n. G.
"PRoGREss"
Looking Backward response by S. A
Anderson. Esq, Martinsville, Va.
1t was remarked, after the banquet
| by one of the members of the party
| a gentleman who has had a consider
able experience in public life and who
has been an attendant upon a great
many occasions of similar ~charac-
acter, that the speeches made here
were the finest that he had ever heard
| upon an occasion Of tn kind.
| We cannot comment upon the
whole, our space will not permit us
] to do SO, and to select a portion o
the speeches would appear invidious
But we think it will be generally ad
mitted by those present upon this
|
from WinstOn-Salem covered them
selves in glory. And while our city
occupies the front rank in the march
Of progress she also has sons who
will measure lane es with the best up
on the forum, even with the eloquent
sons Of the Mother Of Statesmen.
1t must indeed have been very
gratifying to Col. Frank H. Fries
the president of the Virginia ant
C.Construction Company,upont thi
occasion, to listen to the repeated
compliments paid him by the differ
ent speakers, and the wild applause
that would follow the mere mentor
of his name. They gave unmistak
able evidence of their hearty appre
citation of the faithful and earnes
service he has given and the excel
lent Judgment he has displayed il
the management of its affairs. An,
we add that this evidence of appre
citation was but a fit and prope
mead to Mr.. Fries who has so emf
| nently discharged the weighty re
| sponsibility that has rested upol
him in regard to this matter, will
excellent business Judgment and |