St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-09-26

The reception committee of five hasten
ed to the Pacific Mail dock and put
seaward without delay to hurry up the
CITY of Toxic, while various other
committees and guests betook them
selves to their posts on shipboard or at
the landing. A hotilla of steamers and
yachts left the city front at quarter
past four.
The RECEPTION committee met the City
of Toxic coming in several miles out
side the heads. Their tug drew along
side the steamer, and the executive
committee, quarantine officer, customs
officials and representatives of the press
boarded her., No ceremony was OBJ
served except general shaking of
hands, and after the committee had an
nounced the object of their visit and
informed Gen. Grant of the reception
prepared for him, conversation became
general. In the meantime it seemed
as though the whole population of the
city, men, women and children, had
sought positions from which view of
the naval pageant could be obtained.
Every gun at the forts and on board
the vessels opened with heavy and con-
tinuous salutes when the steamer came
up the harbor, and the smoke complete
ly obscured the whole feet. The Toxic
reached her anchorage about 6 o'clock,
and for blocks the streets to the ferry
were literally jammed with people, all
cheering.
The ferry boat reached the landing
about 7.30 o'clock, the band playing
CLONE Again." as the General once
more stepped upon his native land.
Mayor Bryant greeted him and made a
congratulatOIy speech, referring to the
interest felt in the travels of the Gen
eral in foreign lands and the kind re-
captions rendered him there, and said
that San Francisco desired to receive
him as an old and honOred resident and
friend. AS such the mayor rendered
him the Inequalities and freedom of
the city. Gen. Grant briefly returned
thanks. Gen. Grant took seat in the
carriage with Mayor Bryant, and the
procession was formed with great diff
Guilty, the crowd cheering continuously
as Grant appeared. The veterans of
the Mexican war formed a guard of
honor. The procession included the
ex-Union and ex-confederate soldiers
and sailors and many of the distin-
guished public men of the state. San
Francisco was filled with strangers.
Delegations of prominent citizens from
all the principal cities of the state and
from some of the neighboring states
contributed to the crowd, and took part
in the procession. Military companies
from many places were also at San
Francisco with their bands of music to
in, 10 itu hn ifxr
was everywhere gay with flags and
decorations.
The procession moved through Mont
gOmery to Avenue, then to Kearney
street. There, if possible, the crowds
were more dense and enthusiastic, and
the display of fireworks, electric
lights, lime lights and every conceiva-
BILE means of illumination was of in
creased brilliancy. On arriving at
Market street the procession, moving
up few blocks, cOunter-marched to
the Palace hotel, where a magnificent
arch forty feet in hight spanned New
Montgomery street, blazoned with the
national colors and bearing the inscrip-
ton, "Welcome to Grant" At this
point the carriage containing the Gen
eral was drawn up while the procession
marched in review, cheer on cheer
rending the air as division after division
passed by.
On the conclusion of the review the
various organizations were dismissed,
and Gen. Grant was conducted to his
quarters in the hotel, which had been
specially prepared and furnished for
his reception. Within, the immense
sc
beauty. Electric lights-and 500 gas-jets
lit up the vast interior, and the dense
throngs that packed the court and filed
the balconies and corridors surged Co
and fro in anxious expectancy of the
coming guest. At 10 o'clock the doors
were thrown open, and barouche con-
tanning Gen. Grant was driven within
the building. He Immediately dis
mounted, and crowding his way through
the packed mass of human beings, was
hurried to his room. AS he aligted Il
chorus of 500 voices opened from one
of the balconies with an ode of well
come.
AS soon as the review was finished,
and the various divisions had disband-
ed, the soldier and sailor veterans of the
late war repaired to the sand lots with
a field battery. 1t seemed kind of
poetic justice that here, where Denis
Kearney had threatened a few weeks
ago to hang Gen. Grant in effigy, the
insult should be wiped out, and guns
manned by boys in blue told that the
people of San Francisco have no SYM
pathy with the spirit that would offer
an insult on political grounds to a man
hn oft clio Il
as their guest.
After the chorus was rendered, Gen.
Grant, in response to repeated calls,
appeared on the balcony of the fourth
floor and bowed to the shouting crowds,
Immediately retiring. Still the enthu-
siastic pOpulace thrOnged the court and
refused to leave. Finally, Mayor Bry-
ant appeared and announced that as
soon as the General had finished his
dinner he would show himself. In q
few minutes Gen. Grant, amid deafen-
ing and lOng-cOntinued shouts, ap-
peared. Mayor Bryant called the crowd
to order, and the General, mounting a
chair which had been passed over the
heads of the surrounding crowd, was
again greeted with succession of
cheers. When the noise had subsidized,
he addressed them as follows: "Fellow
citizens of San FranciscO-After 25
years absence, l am glad to meet you
and assure you of my cordial thanks for
the kind greeting you have given me-.
l shall stay in your city long enough to
greet you more fully" The General
then withdrew, amid prolonged and
tremendous cheering, and the crowd
reluctantly scattered.
Gen. Grant is looking extremely
well, and expresses great satisfaction
with the experiences of his trip, and
surprise at the tremendous demOnstra-