The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-10-25
A MULTITUDE
Of Forty Thousand People Flock
to Welcome Thurman
at Peru.
Immense Enthusiasm Which Rain
Couldn't Cool Foraker
ana Bob Lincoln.

PERU, Ind, October 1s.-Judge Thur
man and party arrived this afternoon to
attend the big barbecue for which he has
been preparing for some time past. The
Judge was accompanied by Governor
Gray, Senator Vorhees, ex-senator Nc
Donald, number of visiting statesmen;A.
g. Smith, of Cleveland, laboring man, who
proposed three rousing cheers for the
judge at Ft. Wayne last night; and press
representatives, and had special escort
of 1b0 uniformed members of the Ft.
Wayne Hendricks club.
Crowds we're coming into the city from
early this morning, and the streets were
filed. However, the rain drove many
within doors, and many more went home.
1t is rainy and muddy day, and bandana
parasols are made to do duty as umbrellas.
The judge, on his arrival, was taken to a
hotel in carriage, the crowd along the
sidewalks walking in the drenching rain
and cheering at the sight of him. The
opera house was packed with an enthusi-
astic audience, who greeted him with
prolonged applause. Preparations for
the barbecue had been under way for
several days. Sixty beeves were furnished
by farmers from all townships in the
county, and other provisions being served
to the crowd at the grove on the edge of
town.
Peru has about 5000 population on Or
dinary occasions, and that has been
largely augmented to-day, but the crowd
does not reach the immense throng
there was at Shelbyville. The streets and
roads are SO wet and muddy that trans
portation becomes navigation, and many
stay quietly at home, but still there is an
immense crowd here, who are enthusiastic
in their welcome to their party's chosen
candidate.
The little opera house in which Judge
Thurman spoke has seats for 600 or 700,
and, after receiving that number, became
crowded until the balcony became danger
ously overcrowded. The sight of fresh
crack in the walls drove many out, but a
great many others, more fearless, at once
took their places. On the streets an i'm
mense crowd watched the float procession,
that carried party notices to the delight
of the spectators. While Judge Thur
man was speaking in the opera house
this procession was going on. 1t is
estimated fully 10000 people were in
town during the morning, many of whom
left before the meeting of the afternoon,
at which time there we're probably $4,000
people in the city. While the crowd was
not so great as at Shelbyville, it was much
stronger lunged, and gave the judge
royal welcome. In his speech he discussed
the tariff and the question of the surplus,
following the same line of argument pur
sued last night at Fort Wayne. His audi
ence gave the closest attention, frequently
interrupting with applause, and showing
an intense and keen appreciation of
the points made throughout his discourse.
Immediately on the conclusion of his
speech, which lasted thirty-five minutes,
Judge Thurman was driven to the depot
and rested quietly in his private car. A
large crowd was on hand to cheer him
there, and he came out three times with
them. Owing to the pulling experienced
by Misunderstanding from the platform,
he would not shake hands,
explaining that he was not like Peter
Pindar's medicine, which was to be well
shaken before taken, for if they wanted
him it would be necessary to take him
without the shaking. The Judge and
Governor Gray talked for some time with
the crowd, the repartee being fresh and
breezy and greatly delighting the people,
AT INDIANAPOLB.
INDIANAPOLIS, October 18.-Judge Thur
1 l. f. -.
before 8 O'Clock. 1t was heavily loaded
train, the eight coaches being literally
jammed with mass of enthusiastic,
shouting democratic humanity. The Judge
will remain here quietly at the Grand
hotel until Saturday morning, when he
will go to Brazil to close his Indiana
campaign. No speech will be made in
this city, no hall of sufficient size being
o5tainable.
Foraker and Bob Lincoln.