WESTERN INCIDENTS. tude, within considerably less than a year from the time required by law, should not only be suitably advertised to the world, but satisfactorily verified by the proper officers of the Government, and members of Congress. Invitations were accordingly extended to the President of the United States, and members of his Cabinet; also to all the members of Congress, Foreign Ministers, mili- tary and naval commanders, and to the principal railroad men and leading capitalists throughout the country, to. join in a grand excursion from New York City to the one- hundredth meridian, in the Great Platte Valley, a dis- tance of about seventeen hundred miles, and more than half way across the continent. No railroad excursion of similar character and magni- tude had ever been projected in this, or any other coun- try ; and the parties most interested were, of course, un- tiring in their efforts to make it a complete success. The different lines of connecting railroads, steamboats, and stages between New York and Omaha, were at once placed at the disposal of the Company by their liberal and enterprising managers, who seemed to vie with each other in their efforts to aid the Union Pacific Railroad Company in its great and somewhat novel undertaking. Very much to the regret of the excursionists, as well as the receptionists along the route, General John A. Dix, the President of the Company, was prevented from accompanying the party, by receiving from the Presi- dent of the United States, the appomtment of Minister to France, just previous to its departure from New York. The charge of the excursion therefore devolved upon Mr. Thomas C. Durant, Vice-President, and Messrs. Sherman, Cook, Dillon, Lambard, and Duff, Directors ; assisted by Mr. B. F. Bunker, Assistant Secretary of the 4