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Show Capts . Joseph Parry , Wm . Clay ton , Maj . Pike , A. Miner, F. s. Richards , J . Hall , G. Belnap , J . McGaw , F. A. Brown , Esqs . Col . J . c. Little, D. B. arren and ----- Johnson , Esq. , and others who were invited, but whose names I did not learn . The vas t audience being called to order by Hon . L. Farr , Mayor of Ogden City , Ron . F . D. Richards was t hen introduced who delivered an eloquent and soul- stirring address . He commenced by bidding the conductors and operators on the world's highway most hearty welcome , and congratulating them on the success , thus far , of this po,uderous undertaking . An enterprise of such magnitude , he said , calls f orth our admiration and grat itude; and it is impossible f or any peopl& to hail this auspicious event ith greater joy than e do . Is it not so , my friends? It is . A prejudice has existed in the mipd§ of . some in relation to our feelings on this matter . It has been said that we did not wish to have .a railroad pass through our country . Such prejudice has been proved to be unfounded • . And our labors along the line , especially through Echo and eber kanyon , are a standing and irrefutable testimony of our great desire ~nd anxiet ~ to see the comp l~tio n of this , the greatest undertaking ever desi gned by human skill and wisdom. It spans the continent , and uniting the tlantic to the Pacific, opens up to us the . commerce of the nations f it facilitates and shortens the transit and trade between India , China , America , and other parts of the world , and enables us , with ~ p ee d and comf ort , to visit •• our friends t~roug hout t he Uni on. It will also enable the world 's great men , --men of wisdom , s cience , and . intellect , to visit t hese our mountain homes , and to f orm a true estimate of our character ~· .and position . Then I say, Hail to the great highway of the nations , Utah bids you we lcome l And pray God to speed the great work , until it is complete d , and rna: go od and kind f eelings animate the mi~ds of the contractors ~nd . bui lders of both lines , and stimulate t hem to i ncreased exertion , until the last tie and rail are laid . I t ·is impossible to do justice in thiS~-, letter to Judge Richards' speech , which was replet~ with interes t , a~d was listened to with delight , by the large and respectable audience . The speaker , who was often. cheered by both c iti ? en~ and strangers , concluded py paying a high compliment to the ' ability and energy of Capt . \n . Clayton and his able assistan t ~ . He congratulated t hem on t heir pers everance , and the manner in which they have conducted the work in their departments . At the close of the address a salute vas firm2:_ , and the boys struck up t he HStar Spangle d Banner . rr 1t this juncture the cbmpany 's b oarding and sleeping cars, which had hitherto remained alike to the south , now , wi th three engines , steamed to the fron t of the stand . Three cheers f or t he gr eat high-way was now proposed and given , when the wildest enthusia§m and demonstrations of joy prevailed and loud shouts rent t he air . Amid the alt ernate pealings of the artillery•s thunder , the music of the ban~, and the long continued, shril whistling of the three ; engines , -he waving of ' a ts , kerchie fs , and otner demons trations • of pleasure , rendere d the occasion 'Eril~h h that will not , soon be |
