The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-09-18

newspaper gains the impression that this
excursion the most enjoyable (but thor
oughly dignifed, Of course) "joyride' ever taken
by party of Americans.
The governor of Massachusetts accompanied
the party to the state line and there babe them
Godspeed on their way to Albany, and the news
paper records the fact that From Chester to
Washington up the grade of the Boston & AL
bany railroad, our train was run at fully thirty
miles hour. The fastest speed be-
tween Boston and Albany was performed from
Chatham to Greenwich, distance of twenty
three miles, which was made in twenty-four
minutes" From Albany to Niagara falls the
trip was made over the New York Central, to
Detroit by the Great Western of Canada, to
Chicago by the Michigan Central to Council
Bluffs by the Chicago and North Western and
then the Missouri by ferry boat to
Omaha.
Everywhere along the route the eXcursionists
were met and welcomed by state and city Off
Gals and civic leaders and at every station the
platforms were crowded with people to see the
history making first trans continental train"
pass through. Chicago sent a special train to
meet the Trans Continental and escort it into
the city and "On reaching Chicago our Excur-
sionists found carriages in waiting and were
quickly whirled up to the Sherman and fremont
Houses and after good nights rest and break
fast found their attentive friends at the door
of their hotel with carriages in which they were
driven over the city and through many Of it's
attractive and beautiful avenues"
Nor were such attentions the only ones show
cred upon the members Of the party. "At Detroit
two large boxes of superior fine cut chewing
tobacco were sent on board the train as pres
ent from the manufacturers and at Omaha
"Messrs. Brewer and Bemis kindly presented the
party with barrel of fine ale, of their own
manufacture, from the Omaha Brewery, the re-
ceipt of which is hereby gratefully acknowl-
edged" AS for Omaha, it is rather difficult to
recognize the modern city Of today, with it's
population Of nearly quarter Of a million, in
this description:
Omaha is situated on the western bank Of
the Missouri river, on a sloping upland, about
80 feet above the high water mark 1t is the
present terminus of the U. P. r. R Co., and
thriving, growing city Of from 10000 to 5000
inhabitants. The State Capitol was first located
here but was removed to Lincoln City in 1868.
In 1854 few sQuatters located here, among
whom was A. D. Jones, now one Of the solid
men of the place. In the fall of that year he
received an appointment postmaster for the
place, which as yet had no postmaster post
office AS Mr.. Jones is one Of the most accom-
modating Of men, he improvided postofice by
using the crown Of his hat for that purpose
When the postmaster met one of his neghbors,
If there was letter for him, off came the hat
from the postmaster's head while he fshed out
the missive and placed it in the hands Of the
owner. The battered hat postoffice has given
place to a large first class postofice common
surate with the future growth Of the city.
"The inauguratfng of the U. P. r. R. gave it
an onward impetus and since the growth Of the
city has been almost unparalleled. There are
many evidences of continued prosperity and flu
ture greatness. The Omaha Herald daily Re
publican daily. Western Journal of Commerce.
Nebraska State Journal The Agriculturist' and
the Western World are published here. There
are two collegiate institutes and convent schools
seven private and six public schools in the city.
There are also fifteen churches.
Omaha has eleven hotels There are twenty
nine manufactures, one distillery, and six brew
cries. The whole number Of merchants who re-
port sales of and over the value of 900 for
the year is eighty-fve, twenty-five of whom are
wholesale. The sales of these firms for the year
ending May, 1862 foot up total of SS,SOO,OOO.
Omaha was also 'where the West began" for
these Fasteners, and their thrills multiplied as
they journeyed over the Union Pacific toward
Cheyenne as witness this from the train news
paper: 1.-THE prairies are diversified by little
groups of antelopes and buffaloes, and our stop
pings multiplied by frequent camps Of National
soldiers; these hardy lads who. having beaten
back the waves of rebellion, now guard the ad-
vance of civilization into the wilds of the saw
age Prairie dog villages also excited their
interest as did the Indians "who are now seen
at almost every station. They are the friendly
Pawnees. Bannocks and Shoshones" And for
those who, as boys, had read dime novels it
was a special thrill when "Buckskin Joe well
known as hunter. trapper and Indian scout
during the past fifteen years. was at Cheyenne
as we passed awaiting the regular eastward-