The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-29
NOT ANY CIRCUS.
governor Buffers Visit to Harvard.
An Enthusiastic Reception
by all Hands.
Old Heads Ha5nObbing-Mr. Choate's
Speech Butler introduced.

RcsToN, Mass. June 2S-Those who ex-
pected that the Harvard commencement of
1893 would be circus, with Butler for the
clown, were sadly disappointed In a
coach and six, escorted by the scarlet-coated
lancers, the governor triumphantly advanced
on Cambridge. His new black snit. an ex.
quisite button-hole bouquet in the lapel of his
Prince Albert coat. the neatly fitting patent
leather shoes, displaying the elegance of his
dainty and shapely feet, and, above all, a
great white Panama hat fresh from the shop
with flowing garniture of black, combined to
render the governor even more than USUALLY
striking and noble in his personal appearance
The acknowledgement sat with him in the
barouehe
President Eliot and the other college dons
received the governor at the door of Massa-
chusetts hall instead of at the entrance of tie
yard, as has always been customary. The
procession moved at once. The faculty and
speakers of the day wore silk gowns and NOR
tar-board caps, while the seniors were clad In
swallow tails and silk hats
In the Sanders theatre, where the custom
airy exercises occurred, Gov Butler sat
quietly for two hours, and Joined heartily in
the applause when President Eliot announced,
in the customary Latin phrases, the award Of
an Ii. D. TO Gen. Francis E. Walker and DR.
George E. Ellis
After the exercises at the theatre came the
alumni dinner in Memorial hall. Every
available seat at the tables was taken, and
the galleries were crowded with alumni who
paid for dinner they could not get.
Nice-President Choate, who filled the place
which Judge Hoar would not occupy because
Butler was to be there sat smilingly at the
centre of the table set apart for the invited
guests
When half through the dinner President
Eliot pulled out of his pocket copy of Life
and passed 1t to the governor with a smile.
Its principal cartoon is a caricature Of the
Harvard Yale race. The Harvard BOYS use
spoons for oars, and in the prov of their
shell sits Butler, with small balloon bearing
the inscription Ill. D." attached to his but
ton-hole. Butler saw the point and smiled
He showed the cartoon to President
Choate and the three great men put their
heads together and laughed over it like school
boys at the teachers Joke
Vice President Choate raped to order, and
began the speech-making with a witty al
dress He said:
BRETHREN | hardly know how to begin.
Ny head swims when | look from this giddy
and somewhat dangerous elevation to which
you have unwittingly raised me Here l have
been sitting for two hours between two horns
of an obvious dilemma. Laughter On the
one side the president of the university
(laughter] and on the other his excellency the
governor of Massachusetts [renewed laughter
and applause whom to-day we welcome to
the hospitalities of Harvard, [Applause. ]
The president yon all know we'll You know
how he strikes always from the shoulder a
true Harvard athlete, and how idle it is for
any ordinary alumnus to contend with him
As for his excellency, long professional OBJ
servatIon, and some experience of him has
taught me that he too Ike the president, is a
safe man to let alone [Applause and laugh
teri have got along splendidly with both
OF them by agreeing exactly to every ything
that each one of them said. Zap
plause.l For you know the horns of A
dilemma. however perilous they may be
to their victim, never can come to anv con-
fiict with each other daughter and applause1,
ana so riding directly between them, if you
take care to hold as | have done-right to
each--you are sure to find safety Laughter |
A good omen hope of that peace and har-
mony that shall govern this meeting to its
close. GGreat applause.l And now, breth :
ren, am at loss whether to thank you or
not for the honor you have done me in calling
me to preside on this OCCASION because it was
not until the alumni had lost their head that
they called upon me to supply the deficiency
] sincerely regret the absence from this chair
to-day of that distinguished gentleman who
should have occupied it, in Difference to your
wishes and ballots, daughter
When Butler was introduced the applause
was tremendous, and it was again and again
renewed Then there was almost narfac+
silence He spoke at length of what the com
monwealth had done for Harvard college,
and what, in its turn, Harvard college had
done for the commonwealth.
Only once did the governor refer to his last
degree "Allusion has been made, ne said
''to the fact that men of Harvard were among
the first that went TO the war of the rebellion
Yes, know that Nobody knows that better
than | do. And Harvard has done one
thing to-day which, if | felt after the kind
reception you have given me, a thought of
upkindness toward her. would wipe it all
away. Tremendous applause and cheers. !
Forty years ago entered the military ser
vice Of Massachusetts. Soon after became
an officer of regiment of the Massachusetts,
militia. The officers of that regiment thought
that one of the best officers possible in that
regiment was the pious, kind-hearted, ener-
getic, brave chaplain. Such chaplain was
found in the 9Th regiment of the Massachu-
sets militia. That regiment was one of the
first to march, because it was ready, and
then it met baptism of fire and blood at
Baltimore. In that regiment was the Rev.
Mr. Babbidge, its chaplain ON whom your
college has this day conferred the well-won
and deserved degree of doctor of divinity.n