98 WESTERN INCIDENTS. tion, at a point on said railroad two hundred and seventy - nine miles west of Omaha; and ‘“‘ Whereas, Said excursionists have passed over all or parts of the following railways, and lines of travel, to-wit -— the New Jersey Central Railroad; the Allentown Railroad ; the Pennsylvania Central Railroad; the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad ; the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ; the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad ; the Des Moines Valley Railroad; the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad ; the steamers Denver and Colorado from St. Joseph to Omaha; and the Union Pacific Railroad. ‘“‘ And Whereas, This excursion was designed to celebrate the formal opening of the Union Pacific Railroad—so far as fin- ished—for travel and the transportation of commerce to and from the great interior of, and across, the North American continent, with its vast agricultural and mineral resources. “ Resolved, That this excursion party here assembled in the centre of this vast continent, now offer up our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to Almighty God for His manifold bless- ings, among which we enumerate that country subject to the jurisdiction of the United States of America, republican institutions, civil and religious liberty, the freedom of speech and the press, a Union unbroken and indestructible, with all the material resources necessary for the comfort of mankind in a high and rapidly advancing state of development; and with a vast net-work of railroads and telegraphs essential not only to our national prosperity and the interests of all our people; but also to the civilization and commerce of the world, including among the most important of them all, that vast work—Tue Unton Pactric Ratmroap. “ Resolved, That it is the deliberate opinion of this excur- sion party that our nation and the world have abundant reason to rejoice that the Union Pacific Railroad was pro- jected, and is in successful progress to completion, and we ¢