The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-11-21
GRANT.
His Reception by the People Of Chicago.

had been devoted. was everything that the most
devoted admirer Of the ex-President cou
have desired or asked for. The people of the
city turned out by the hundreds of thousands
and were reinforced by hundreds OF
thousands from abroad. 80 that there was
no lacking in numbers of enthusiasm
there was also an abundance. and the
procession was the largest, the finest, and the
best gotten-up affair of tie kind perhaps ever
Witnessed In the West From the Chicago
papers we condense the following account OF
the reception exercises:
The train bearing the distinguished visitor,
which came over the Chicago. Burlington and
Quincy road from Galena, arrived at Park row,
on the lake front, at o'clock p m. The rain
began to pour down, but the thousands of peo-
pie who thronged the Lake park and all
the adjacent streets did not seem to heed il in
the least, but pressed forward to get as near
as possible to Gen. Grants carriage. In spite
of the dsagreeable weather, the decorations,
the gay uniforms of the militia, the thousands
of wagons carrying flags and notices, and the
smoke from booming batteries on the lake
front, presented q scene at once beautiful and
grand. Haste was made to set the huge pro-
cession in motion. The rain pouring down
in torrents made this matter of great diff
Guilty, but finally the column began to
move down Michigan avenue, which was
crowded with moist spectators from one end to
the other, as far as the line of march extended.
By-and-by the sky cleared, the sun came out
and made everything infinitely brighter. The
1od oil hxyo fba
izations then came the civic societies with
largo number Of carriages, and finally the fire
department., with thousands of vehicles of
every description, with ell sorts of mottoee
The head of the column had reached long
distance down town before the wagons had
fallen into line The police had
great difficulty in clearing the way. Grant
was everywhere greeted with the most
vociferous cheering. AS the procession moved
down town toward Washington, State and Lake
streets, the jam OF human beings became, II
possible, greater than ever. Bye o'clock the
head of the procession passed the corner of
Washington street and Fifth avenue The sky
was now perfectly clear. and the streets along
which the parade passed were literally impass-
able Every available inch of standing room
on sidewalks and steps was occupied, and ev-
cry window had its spectators.
The South Side, in the neighborhood of the
and residents alike From early morning
until noon from all sections of the city, there
was rush to the section named At noon, on
State street, from Lake street up to Harrison,
there was perfect jam. Once in the crowd. it
was an utter impossibility TO advance or recede
Not only was the street packed, but the win
dows were black with human heads.
This crowd was not confined to State street,
but all along the line of the procession the
streets were densely packed, while every win
dow, every roof, every housetop was crowded
by spectators to its very utmost.
The procession, as seen from State and Wash
ington street, was grand and imposing beyond
description. As far as the eye could reach
flags fluttered to the breeze from every window
and point Of vantage. The fronts draped in
bunting-the red, white and blue-showei
that the city had put on holiday attire
The sidewalks and streets were blocked
with people, crowded 80 closely together that
passage was impossible-a vast multitude, in
which the movement of individuals was
scarcely perceptble--a closely packed throng,
which was hardly stirred at the approach of
the riders, and which constantly threatened to
verge upon aud precipitate itself upon the
procession. Standing for hours, many of
them in the mud and water that had collected
from the rain, every head was turned
and every neck was craned forward,
it's appearance as it moved north
from Washington street cry went up from
the throng in the street that was echoed from
the windows and porches, also black with peo-
ple-cheers that drowned the music of the
bands, the trampliDg of the horses and the
tread Of the rapidly marching host-voices that
were hoarse with long waiting and standing in
the water and mud, and that rose and swelled
in volume as the contagious enthusiasm spread
instantaneously through the throng.
As the carriage in which Gen. Grant sat, fac
ing Hon. Thos. Hoyne and Mayor Harrison, made
A,ox. o,x Il
ed by platoon Of police on each side, the
vast multitude broke into cheer that extend
ed all along the street. in universal, hoarse,
deep-throated, shout of welcome.
AS the shout went up all along the long
route, Gen. Grant raised his tall silk hat, and,
bowling silently, kept his head uncovered for a
few minutes. AS soon as he had replaced il,
another shout would again cause him to re-
peat the operation. He wore a heavy black
overcoat, with nothing about him to indicate
his distinguished position as the guest of the
city.
A clear, rudy color in the face, the beard
but slightly grizzled, the hair hardly tinged
row perceptible from the street, Gen. Grant
looked in the very prime Of manhood and
vigor
On the arrival Of the long procession at the
Palmer House, the General was met by the Re-
ception Committee of 500 prominent citizens of
Chicago, and Carter H. Harrison, Mayor, made
8 speech of welcome. After the conclusion Of
Mayor Harrison's short welcoming address,
Gen. Grant stepped to the front OF the balcony,
and, in a low voice, unheard by large ma
jority of the large crowd, spoke as follows:
Mr.. Mayor, and Gentlemen of the Committee of
the Chicago Reception, and Gentlemen of Chica-
go and of Illinois:
l feel very much honored by The welcome
which am receiving at your hands day.
feel highly honored by the speech of welcome
that has just been uttered by your worthy May
or 1t is something so personal to myself that
it would hardly be in good taste for me to re-
spond to the language Of it, and il leaves,
therefore, nothing further for me to do than to
repeat my thanks to this committee and to the
citizens OF this city for the hearty reception
which they have given me-
In regard to one allusion to nv reception
abroad, / will say that in every case felt that
it was a tribute to our own country. will
add. further, that our country stands diff
ferently abroad, in the estimation of Europeans
and the Eastern nations, from what il did a
quarter OF a century ago. An American citizen
is regarded in different light from an Ameri-
can citizen Of one-quarter of century ago. At
that time II was believed that we had not
nation-that we were mere confederation OF
States, tied together by a rope OF sand
that would give way upon the slightest friction.
They have found out their grand mistake.
They know that we have now q Government,
that we ire q nation. and that we are n strong