The morning news., 1891-05-29
PRESIDENT BENs RIIE.
John GilDin Almost Outdone by Mr..
harrison in an Illinois Town.

harrison IN an LIMOS Town.
From the Chicago Tribune
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, May 20.-History ana
fiction tell of notable rides and riders, such
as Paul Revere, John Gilpin, Young Loeb
invar, Hank" Monk, ''Bill' Cody and I.
O'Shanter, but the President OF the United
States made trip through Springfield to-
day that, for brevity in point Of time and
the amount Of territory covered therein,
eclipses all previous records. He came in
over the Wabash at 9:15 a. m, and at the
depot stood a carriage. to which four coal
hurdle racers were atta ched. On the box
In these parts. Mr.. Little held In his left
hand the reins with which to guide the
steeds, and in his right whip with a lash
that would reach from State to Halsted
| streets. The President. when he stepped
| into the carriage, remarked so that "Sant"
Little might hear: 81 haven't but an hour
| to stay"
II will get you back in time," said Mr..
Little.
| And so he did.
Perhaps the President does not think
much of the capital city and the Thirty
| seventh general assembly. His route VAS
| laid out so as to give him single hour in
| the town. He said he wanted to visit the
Lincoln tomb and would address the popu-
lace therefrom. 1t is all of three miles
| from the Wabash depot to the Lincoln
| tomb. and it is the same distance back
again. The local committee on arrange
ments, realizing that speed was the essence
| OF the contract, recruited a band of fifty
horsemen, mounted on beasts of good wind
and great speed. The equestrians took UP
another hole in their saddle girths when the
train came in, jammed their silk hats over
their eyes, gathered their bride reins with
q firv.1 rr,rsya a - Il,
FIFTY pairs OF human legs ache tonight.
The ride was terror. When "Sant'
Little made chirrup to his horses and Gen.
Vances big guns roared a presidential
| salute, then began race the like of which
| was never known out this way. The horse
men threw the combination of CAD and
spurs into their horses. Little "got there"
| with his long whip, women screamed and
tainted. babies bawled, and strong men
| howled lest the President be injured in
| some way.
He had but single hour for Lincoln's
old home, and out over the beautiful streets
| and roads the procession went like a herd of
cattle on a stampede. The band sped along
SO fast you couldn't see anything at all or
recognize anybody. A pair Of pretty girls
| had kodak at the cemetery gate ready to
take shot at the President when he came
| by. One pushed the button when the Presi-
| dent was in focus, and the negative shows
/ the features of Col. Patrick Day, who
| brought up the rear line.
And the visit to the tombl
Ten minutes would cover it all, reception,
speech and everything. Col. Power'e neart
is broken because he couldn't give his lect-
ure on the monument, and there was no
market for photographs.
In five minutes after the President ar
rived at the monument he was ready to de-
| part. He clambered into the carriage
drawn by Little's steeds, already a trife
blown, and looked around as if in search of
man in authority. His eye rested on the
very man, in the person of Henry Davis,
Jr., Northumberland and inspector-gen.
eral of the Second brigade, Illinois National
| Guards.
SIS there short way to the depot by the
state houseP' asked the President.
There is" replied Col. Davis
81 haven't long to stay" said the Presi-
dent.
80 1 am told" replied Col. Davis.
| Take the short cut" said the President
And then "Sant" Little struck the short
road, through the byways and the side
/ streets, over the hills and the corduroys
with Col. Henry Davis, Jr., on a horse tha
could do mile in 80 in advance, as al
outrIder.
The fifty horsemen above referred to were
| left at the post SO to speak. The President
| got lead of half a mile. A two-miuutt
stop at the state house and the party .wai
off again. Up Capitol avenue it came, will
a colored man mounted on a mule in pursuit
1t was neck and neck for two blocks between
Little and the mule, and then the mule was
| distauced. The train was due to leave a
| 1915 a. IN. AT 1914 SO the President stepped
into his car, followed by Messrs. Wana
maker and Rusk. The pretty girls will
the kodak aforesaid got negatives of the
President, Jerry Rusks flowing whiskers
and Mr.. Wanamaker kissing a fat baby
handed up by fond mother, former resi-
dent of Pepper-Pot City. George Boyd. the
assistant general passenger agent of the
Pennsylvania system, waved a signal to the
engineer, and the train moved off TOWARD
the boundaries of the state of Indiana.
| The day will be long remembered. 1t wa.
an event in the history of the city, and il
years to come children now unborn will bl
told the tale of ''the day pap chased after
the President"