The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-27
THE GRANT BOOM IN CALIFORNIA.


After long watching and waiting, the happy
Friscans were enabled last Saturday to wei
come the return to his native Ithaca of our
Great Ulysses, after having safely escaped the
Establishments of the Calypsos and Sirens, and
so forth, of the seductive East. And IN the
management of the reception business the fes-
tive FriscanS, though ruled by kcarneyite
mayor, did no prentice work. Indeed, 1t eX-
ccedcd in brilliancy any similar display Grant
had been honorcd with even in the gorgeous
Fast and he confessed in private conversation
after it was over that no honors extended to
him anywhere IN the old world had been on so
grand scale, or had gratlied him so much as
this splendid welcome home.
The steamer Toxic, in which Grant arrived
| from Yokahama, had been expected for three
days, and during that time San Francisco was
the scene Of busting preparation and eager
expectation. Half the population of the state
seemed to have gathered in the city vast bod
les of soldiers aud sailors in organized corps
awaited orders to move dozens of big guns
stood ready loaded and primcd, flags toaed
from every building, streets upon streets were
gally tcstooned with silks, damasks, trailing
vines and tons of flowers and generals, colonels
captains, marshals assistant marshals and un.
derstrappers without number cavortcd about
the streets on horseback, ready at the tap of
the bell to spring to the mighty work Of organ
izing the vast moving crowds into orderly
procession Thus call creation" stood on tip
toe until about 3 p m on Saturday, when a
tap Of the bell on the top of the Merchants
Exchange announced the Toxic IN sight. The
hustle and excitement now were simply in
dscrbable, An hour later the reception com
mttee boarded IA tug and proceeded down the
bay to meet the advancing steamer, and they
we're followed by a swarm of larger and
smaller crafts 1t was after 7 O'Clock, however,
before the Toxic reached the dock, on which
amid a shout like the voice of many waters
and the believing of Home Again by a
dozen of brass bands Grant was conducted by
dozen of oflicious committees in safety to
terra .frH,0. As his foot struck the land, acting
Mayor Bryant, who awaited him ready
charged, fired at him gushing speech of wei
come, to which Grant replied III a few set
phrases. Then he entered a carriage, and the
grand cavalcade, or escort, or procession, fell,
as far as was possible under the circumstances, |
INTO line and moved, amid the tremendous
cheers of the crowd the booming of cannon, |
ringing of bells and screaming of whistles, to
the Palace Hotel, where Grant soon afterwards |
appeared on the balcony and bowed to the
crowd, and then disappearing for the night
The chronicle of all these mighty events, of
which we are giving the shccrest outline, pro
ceeds to state that on Sunday Gen. Grant re
NAMED quietly indoors, having declined sew
eral pressing invitations to go TO church. and
only as late as 5 o'clock p. m consented to
take a short ride III Golden Gate Park He is
to remain in San Francisco about week, the
being that on Monday he was to
receive most sf the day and visit the Cali
fornla theatre in the evening; Tuesday he at
tended special session of the Methodist Con.
ference at the Ralston Palace, holding another
grand reception IN the afternoon; Wednesday,
after visiting about the city, he attended "Pin-
,fore" at Baldwin's theatre in the evening
Thursday he went to Oakland, etc The Gen
,ra Is to spend month SO on the Pacific
slope, and then, by slow stages, he will work"
his way, reaching his home ia Galena about
he middle of November, where, it is said, he
expects to spend tho winter.