The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-09-14
GREAT CROWDS AT ELwooD.

Parade through the Mud and Driving Rain
Exercises at the Opcra-Housc
Elwood was having q tremendous down
pour of rain as the Indianapolis train.
with its fourteen cars. rolled up to the
wooden station. There was. however, u
great crowd present, awaiting the appear
ance of Governor Mckinley. A cheer. loud
ana strong. defied the dsmpening effects of
the weather. It was remarkable that.
though the circumstances could not have
been more disagreeable, the crowd wss of
the most enthusiastic type. The procession
of clubs was standing in line OF
review, waiting to escort the Gov
ernor to the hotel-a place known
rs the Stevenson House. 1t is small two
story frame, and was packed TO it's utmost
capacity with the exception OF the apart
ments reserved for the gubernatorIai guests
and other distinguished gentlemen. The
parade to this hostelry was accomplished
in the midst of continued heavy down
pour.
MARCHING IN THE MUD.
The clubs walked bravely through the
several inches of mud. The citizens of
Elwood have been too busy booming the
town to feel the need of solid streets.
which find their counterpart In strong
Democratic wards of Indianapolis. 1t
made no seeming difference. how
ever. that neither overhead nor under
foot was marching attractive. The clubs
in linen busters etuck to them. Tho clu bs
with gala-cOlOred umbrellas just let the
water seep through the frail texture. The
companies clad in white greaves did not
mind it that the mud was sadly soiling
their leg gear. It was all borne in the
name of Harrison, Reid, Mckinley and the
Republican party. The gaily- attired bands
of music were perhaps ineonvenienced
somewhat but the patriotic airs were still
discernlble. Marching through Georgia"
was the favorite. Every one of the score
OF more of clubs had q band. and pretty
near each of them had turn at this popu-
lar air.
There were quite number of horsemen
III the line of march. The gallant Captain
Tarleton was chief marshal. and rode as
becomes O member of Governor Chases
staff. The bad weather utterly and COM
pletcly demorallzed all previous arrange
mentssas to the parade. and after the pro-
cession had marched q square or two be-
yond the hotel it countered upon Its track
and disbanded.
the Marion Club. led by President WIltsie.
The muI was no obstacle to its members,
of whom about eighty were out in uniform.
There were no organizations IN line
Logansport club carried parti-colored um
brellas which gave 1t a striking and unique
appearance. This organization was nearly
two hundred strong. The Frankfort Club
had $50 in line. Their uniform was tall
white hat, of the grandfather" type. and
they carried canes made of American tin.
Marion had two hundred in line, carrying
parti- colored umbrellas and wearing a
striking yellow badge with celluloid
portrait plate OF Harrison. Kokomo's del
egates carried tn-pails. Fort Wayne had
three clubs present; The Soldiers and
Sons Club, the Morton Club and
the TippecanOe Club. The Ander-
son Young Mems Harrison and Reid Club
acted as escort of the gubernatorial party.
They were striking in white helmets and
braided white military coats. Richmond
had delegation of 250 headed by large
and handsomely uniformed bugle corps.
tion of one thousand present. exceeding
any other one delegation. Il lkbart. New
Castle. Muncie and scores of smaller towns
were represented.
THE CROWD ESTIMATED.
The crowd required two hundred coaches
to transport it to and from Elwood. Thou
sands drove into the town or came on regu-
lar trains. and a conservative estimate of
| the number of strangers in the CITY is fif-
teen thousand. The railroad men estimate
| that with q bright, clear day there
would have been fully thirty thousand
| people in ElwOod. 1t was a constant
source of wonder and delight with Repub-
| licans that, in spite of such conditions. the
opening meeting of the campaign was so
eminently successful. With such demon
| stratiOn the weather that dampened Re-
| publican physIques rejolced Republican
| hearts. Had the crowd been much larger
| ElwoOd side-track facilities would not
| have been sufficient to hold the coaches
| which made mp the score or more of special
trains.
The crowd was an orderly one. 1t was
| com posed of the yeomanry of the State. as
| sembled in pursuit of political victory
| bv means of campaign of education.
| There were thousands of farmers, thou
| sands of mechanics and thousands of busi-
| ness men. and no disorderly class whatever.
| There were not q half dozen drunken men
| seen upon the streets all the day. The
| police had little troubls in controlling tho
| crowd. The fakir was op hand. and the
| vender of campaign badges. emblems etc.,
| complained only on account of the rain.