RECEPTION AND BALL AT OMAHA.

The authorities of Omaha were on the alert at an early hour for the purpose of welcoming and entertaining the distinguished party. Governor Saunders, Secretary Paddock, Mayor Miller, and Vice-President Patrick, of the Board of Trade, soon made their appearance upon the steamers, and welcomed the excursionists in appropriate speeches, tendering them the freedom of the City and Territory; and inviting them to a reception ball at the Hernden in the evening; all which were duly responded to and accepted by Senator Patterson, Government Director Sherman, and others of the party.

Carriages were in waiting, to convey such of the number as desired to leave the boats, either about the town, to the hotels, or to the residences of several of the private families, which had been most liberally thrown open for the occasion.

That portion of the party which had crossed the State of Iowa by land, including Mr. Perry H. Smith, the Vice-President, and Mr. George L. Dunlap, the General Superintendent of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, Messrs. Turner, Ayer, Bowen, Crerer, and several others from Chicago, with the most important addition of Professor Kinsley, the justly celebrated caterist of Chicago, and a strong detachment of his assistants, having re-joined the party in the morning, were assigned to quarters on the Railroad Company's steamer Elkhorn, which lay at the landing immediately across the bows of the steamer Denver.

It should here be recorded for the benefit of all future historians, as well as the "rest of mankind," that, on this memorable day, and upon this veritable steamer Elkhorn, the famous, and never-to-be-forgotten Elkhorn Club was

duly organized and established upon a firm, and it is to be hoped an enduring basis.

The excursionists, with their insignia of ribbons and rosettes, were soon to be seen in all parts of the town, and among the extensive workshops of the Railroad Company, evidently delighted, and somewhat astonished to find themselves, after a week's journeying westward from New York, still among people of wealth, refinement, and enterprise.

The ball in the evening, however, was perhaps the greatest surprise. The presence of General Phillip St. George Cooke, commanding the Department, with his staff; Governor Saunders, Chief-Justice Kellogg, Secretary Paddock, Senators Thayer and Tipton, all of Nebraska; together with the city authorities, and the wealthy, enterprising, business and professional men of Omaha, with their families, all conduced to make it an entertainment which would have done credit to any gathering of a similar character in Chicago, Washington, or New York.

The dance, alternating with the promenade, and a judicious sprinkling of excellent and substantial refreshments, occupied the time most pleasantly till the small morning hours, when all separated in the best of spirits, ready for the new and exciting scenes which were to open upon them on the morrow.

Here we will leave them for the present, and be prepared to accompany them many hundred miles farther westward, towards the never-setting Star of Empire.

4*

VIII.

WAR-DANCE-MORNING

SERENADE

MORNING AFTER THE BALL-THE EXCURSION TRAIN-ALL ON BOARD
-ITS PROGRESS WESTWARD THE GREAT PLATTE VALLEY-
STATIONS ON THE ROAD-ARRIVAL AT COLUMBUS--CAMPING OUT
ON THE PLAINS-INDIAN
TOWN OF COLUMBUS-SHAM INDIAN FIGHT-PRESENTS TO THE
INDIANS-CONTRAST BETWEEN CIVILIZED AND SAVAGE LIFE-
TRAIN STILL GOING WESTWARD-WAY-STATIONS ON THE ROAD-
ARRIVAL AT CAMP NO. 2-MILITARY ENCAMPMENT-ANOTHER
NIGHT IN CAMP-MORNING EXERCISES-DEPARTURE OF THE ELK-
HORNS-MORNING

NEWSPAPER-LIST OF

EXCURSIONISTS-END

OF TRACK FOUND AT LAST-BUFFALO AND ANTELOPE HUNTERS
-DINNER IN CAMPFIRE-WORKS ON THE PLAINS-THIRD NIGHT

IN

CAMP-HOMEWARD

BOUND-ONE HUNDREDTH MERIDIANPRAIRIE-DOG CITY-FIRE ON THE PLAINS-RETURN TO OMAHADEPARTURE OF EXCURSIONISTS EASTWARD-ELKHORN CHEERS TO MR. DURANT-THEIR SAFE ARRIVAL HOME.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA, Nov. 5, 1866.

MORNING AFTER THE BALL.

The elegant entertainment given by the citizens of Nebraska and Omaha to the excursionists the previous evening, did not prevent them from being astir at a reasonably early hour on Tuesday morning, October 23. Nearly all the gentlemen interested or curious in such matters, visited the extensive depots and machine shops of the Union Pacific Railroad, and expressed their astonishment and delight at the magnitude and adaptation of the works, the construction of which had only been commenced within a year from the present time.

It was a source of very general regret, that Mr. Samuel B. Reed, the efficient General Superintendent of the Road, and Engineer in Charge of Construction, was prevented, by severe illness, from showing any attention to the excursionists at Omaha, and also from accompanying them over the road. His place, however, was admirably filled by Mr. Webster Snyder, his principal assistant, aided by Mr. G. W. Frost, Major L. S. Bent, General Casement, Mr. A. A. Bean, Mr. Congdon, Mr. Gambol, and the other heads of departments.

The Chief Engineer, Gen. G. M. Dodge, who had returned from the mountains during the previous week, rendered every assistance in his power; and the Consulting Engineer, by his timely presence, was enabled to relieve the others from much, if not all the heavy standing around.

THE EXCURSION TRAIN.

The excursion train consisted of nine cars drawn by two of the Company's powerful locomotives. The magnificent Directors' car, constructed by the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad Company for this road, was placed in the rear, and devoted to members of Congress, and other distinguished guests, who felt desirous of making a critical examination of the road and adjacent country, which they now visited for the first, and possibly the last time.

The next car forward, was the celebrated Government, or Lincoln car, the private property of Mr. Durant, and was therefore devoted principally to his own personal friends and their families.

In front of this, were four fine passenger coaches, put up at the Company's car-shops at Omaha. These were