Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-09
CHEERED WEST
President Harrison Meets With
Hearty Greetings in Illinois.
WELCOMED BY HIS OLD COMMAND.
Applauding Thousands Gather Around to
Hear His Voice.
ONE YOUNG LADY FAVORED WITH A KISS

GALEsBURG, ILL, October S.-Cheered
by thousands President Harrison, at Peoria,
to-day responded to Mayor Starke's well
come in brilliant speech, at the conclusion
of which, Elsie Leslie Lyde, of Little
Lord FauntlerOy" fame, presented him with
beautiful bouquet on behalf of the citi-
Gems and the G. A. r. The President
| acknowledged the gift by kiss. On the
way to Galesburg he and Secretary Tracy
rode in the cab of the engine at the invita-
tion of the engineer, Frank Hilton, an old
soldier. Mr.. Harrison footed the whistle
and Mr.. Tracy pulled the bell.
When the train stopped at the depot In
this city the Presidential party was met by
the Mayor, the Council and an army of vet
Grams, and escorted to the hotel, where dis
tInguished citizens from all parts Of the
State and the West greeted the President.
Profuse and elaborate decorations glorifed
the city.
A COLLEGE SPEECH.
The party repaired to- Knox College,
where the corner stone Of the Alumni Hall
was to be laid by the Presinent. In his
speech Mr.. Harrison said:
Washington as well as the founders of this
venerable and useful institution of learning
was appreciated, and expressed his interest in
the establishment of colleges and universities.
How shall one be safe citizen where the peo-
pie are rulers who is not intelligent? How
shall he understand these great questions af-
fecting the public welfare without broad,
intellectual culture in his youth? We are then
engaged in a patriotic work as we lay this cor
stone of this new edifice, part of an institu
tion that has had great career of usefulness
in the past and is now entering on field of en-
larged usefulness. We lay this corner stone
and rededicate this institute with truth, love
and loyalty to God. lApplause.l
Following this the corner stone was placed
in position, and the President, with NOR
tar, carefully closed it and covered the
seams. Great applause greeted this per-
formance, which brought the ceremonies to
an end.
WITH HIS OLD REGIMENT.
The party then went to the hotel for din
ner, and at o'clock the reunion of the First
Brigade, tine Presidents old command, was
held at the Opera House. To this it was
found imperative to admit only old veterans
and their immediate families, and even then
the Opera House was almost inadequate to
the occasion. President Harrison was escort
ed from the hotel TO the scene of the reunion
by a committee headed by General Daniel
Dustin, formerly Colonel of the One Hun
dred and Fifth Illinois Infantry.
The appearance of President Harrison on
the stage was the occasion for an outburst of
cheers from the assembled veterans that
made the very walls tremble. After the ap-
plause had somewhat subsided President
Harrison addressed the veterans of his old
brigade as follows:
Comrades, the object of nv visit to Gales
burg was this meeting which We are to have
now. should not. think. been persuaded to
make this trip except for the pleasure which
fi,A in finU rho MAJ 0f hn 0ld
brigade, from most of whom 1 have been
separated since the muster-out day. Time has
wrought its changes upon the faces of US all.
You recognize me because there were not SO
many oolonels as there were soldiers, fortu-
nately perhaps. for the country. [Laughter.l
1 saw you as individuals in the brigade line
when it was drawn up either for parade or
battle.
SHAKING HANDS.
At the conclusion of the Presidents re-
marks the applause brought General Dustin
to the front, and that gentleman spoke
freely, after which the President announced
his desire to shake each member of his
former command by the hand. After the
adjournment the veterans mounted the stage
one by one and grasped the Presidents
hand.
The President was now driven to the
hotel where he retired to a private room
until P. M. This evening the President
attended a banquet given by the Phi Delta
Theta Society at College Hall, and later a
banquet given by the First Brigade at the
First Christian Church. At the Phi Delta
Theta the President said:
NV college associations were broken very
early in life partly by necessity and partly by
choice; by necessity so far as the compulson to
work for a living was upon me. and by choice
in that 1 added to my responsibility at an
early date, SO that it has not been my pleasure
very often to meet with or sit about the ban
quet board with members of this society. 1t
gives me pleasure to meet with you tonight.
CHICAGO MISSED.
This afternoon the President received
telegram from Hon. George r. Davis, Direc-
tor General of the Worlds Fair, asking him
to arrange his western itinerary SO as to make
brief visit to Chicago on the return east To
this the President this evening replied that
the limited time of his Western trip and the
impossibility of changing the present trip
without injustice. rendered it i'm possible for
him to visit Chicago on this occasion.
Colonel P. G. BailIngall, President of the
Ottumwa, Ia, Corn Palace, arrived here to-
day with a committee to arrange for the
Presidents reception in that city to-mor-
row, where the party will arrive in the
morning.