WESTERN INCIDENTS. 115

and in relation to the great enterprise which we have been more
than seven hundred miles west of your city to celebrate its partial
completion, I will say, it is an enterprise more grand in its con-
ception than any which has yet been completed or conjectured.
I do not propose to make any very serious remarks in behalf of
the excursionists, but let me say they never will forget your city of
Chicago, and the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company,
and its gentlemanly officers; we will never forget the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy Railroad. They will never forget you,
Pullman, and you, Kinsley. (Great applause.) These excur-
sionists, Mr. Mayor, consisting, as they do, of gentlemen from
almost every State of the Union, men of all professions, men hold-
ing high positions in the gift of the Government, men and women
of judgment, will carry back to their homes new ideas of the
greatness and the magnificence of this section of our country.
Such excursions cannot but be beneficial in their influence upon
us all. Let me again, sir, thank you for these pleasant hospital-
ities, and give way to other speakers.”

SPEECH OF HON. B. F. WADE.

The Chairman then introduced Honorable B. F. Wade of Ohio,
as a gentleman who had seen the country over which the party
had travelled and would tell them what he thought about it.

Mr. Wangs, on being introduced to the audience was received
with loud and long continued applause, and upon its subsidence
spoke as follows :

“Mr. Mayor, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :-—

“‘T feel entirely inadequate to express to this assemblage the
feelings which I entertain upon the subject under consideration.
I have looked over the map of the whole country for a good many
years, andat an early period of my study of the geography of
our country and its history I was impressed deeply with the
importance of this location, Chicago—and about thirty-two years
ago I visited this city, or the site where the city now stands, for