Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-06
From the CITY to the Grounds.

There was somewhat of a delay at the depot
in this city, between the embarkation of the
President on the cars and their departure for
the fair grounds. But the pauses were filled
with maneuvering of militia, the rushing
hther and thither of warmly clad police in
their chase after something they never caught,
the pushing, crowding, surging masses of
people, and the screeching and kissing of appar-
emily lost locomotive engines. which glided
up and down the tracks in search of trains that
never existed. Those who had come too late
to see the chief and executive as he was trun-
died down their street, bowling until his back
bone was bent like the bow of Achilles, and
yielding to the violent exertions,
crowded in unutterable confusion about
the presidential train and satisfied
their desire for just one look at royalty
as they CHANGED to behold the horid face of it's
representative bobbing here and there from
window to window. Either by accid mt or de-
sign the President was placed in the last car,
while the vehicle which brought him into the
city, and which was specially set apart for the
use of himself and family, formed the Il aiding
coach as the train drew out Of the
depot. Waiting perhaps fifteen minutes.
perhaps twenty, the patient soldiery fairly
frying under the rays of the sun, which it
would seem never fell more forcibly upon
this city, baking, boiling, griling everybody in
fact who had the misfortune to be without a
superficial foot of refreshing shade. After
perhaps twenty minutes of this kind of di-
luton, and when the outside populace
who had gathered either from idle curiosity
or been compelled from official or military
conditions to endure the fortunes of an out
side station, had been sufficiently done to
turn as one would a griddlecade, the train
at last drew out of the station, and began
its fairgrounds journey.
1t was nothing more than an ordinary ride,
even though there was President ON board.
The wheels rumbled just little louder. for
this reason, and the locomotive engines back
ing and an filing" on the side ), tracks
ability with a louder hiss and a
more prolonged volume than they would
have done under more ordinary circumstances.
There was beyond doubt sort of spontaneous
unihcation of enthusiasm on the part of car
wheels and rails. that made them Join in send
ing up a shriller and more
nerve startling screech at the
curve near the fair ground, than they
had ever been known to do before. It was,
perhaps, because there was a president on
board, presidents wife, hook-nosed attor-
ney general ponderous body and Drained
of lesser lights; it was, perhaps, because they
were all in a hurry to get to the grounds
and go through with the davis
work before them; it was, perhaps, because
minneapolis was jealous of st. Paul, and the
President had given the former the go-by: it
was, perhaps, on some of these accounts that
the train went but slowly, that there were bolts
en- route, that that there was Jerking, and
humping and general indicislon in the move
ments of the train. 1t was, perhaps.
after all, owing to the fact that the
engineer was trying to get even with the Presi-
dent because the President hadn't called up in
the cab to see him. No matter what it was,
The guests on board the train were lust as
good natured as it is possible to be with ones
shirt in sticky wad under his shoulder blades.
his collar demoralized, his eyes full of dust,
mouth ditto, hand perspiring and begrimed.
and everything wilted and played out. No
matter which way the breeze came, it bore
with it great clouds of dust which drifted in
at the open windows, and piled itself on furni
ture, fine clothes, until the cars were freighted
with dirt covered humanity. Yet the train
load of excursionists were just a. happy az it
was possible forsuch gathering to be. The
President smirked with his old-time accom-
pllshed air, his red face lighting up with that
unsatisfactory expression which has become
notorious in him, and he kept up constant
tusiilade ut small talk with the ladies and the
gentlemen about him.
And so things went until the grounds we're
reached ~