The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-29
CREELMAN.S PICTURES.
He Tells How Bryan Acknowledgement
at Jacksonville

markedly graphic so much so that they
are practically unequalled in all the
literature of this campaign The New
York World of Monday. which reached
Topeka today. contained the following
from Creelman's pen:
Jacksonville. Ill. Oct. 25.-After an
unparalleled week of campaigning in
Ohio. Indiana and Illinois, Mr.. Bryan
got a day of rest in this interesting col
leg'e town, where he spent six years of
his youth studying for the great polit-
zeal career he planned for himself. Here
he met and won his wife Here he de
veloped and trained that matchless
voice which has been heard by nearly
million persons in the last seven days
And this morning he sat in the old
Presbyterian church with his wife as
he used to do when they were both stu
dents. The college girls and boys
thronged the building to see the pleas
ant picture.
When the day broke the special car
was standing on a sidetrack in Jsck-
sonville, and a policeman kept the crowd
from approaching the spot where the
tired leader slept. The morning wind
spread carpets of yellow leaves around
the car and rolled them up again. 1t
was place Of peace.
All night long Mr.. Bryan's ears We're
filled with the clamor Of crowds as
sembled around bonhres to see the
train pass No wonder that he says he
is sure of more than 300 electoral votes.
The noise of the fight for the conquest
of the great middle west has over
whelmed him
Last night I slept in the stateroom
next to Mr.. Bryan. with Vice President
Stevenson in the berth beneath me A
Mr.. Bryan The sounds that reached
me reached him also. 1t seemed as
If the whole country through which the
train was dashing at speed of 20 miles
an hour was filled with the voices of
shouting mObs. At every crossing
there was a sudden wave of hOarse
cheering, swelling into a shrek and dy-
ing out like a sullen chant The iron
clamOr Of the train began to take on
a resemblance to the roaring of the
crowds. Now and then there was a
swift crash of martial music, q harsh
tumult OF bells or q thrObblng OF drums.
Earth and sky, field and river, lOcOmO-
tive and train. seemed to join in the one
supreme cry, Bryant Bryant
Mr.. Bryan heard it all and went to
sleep to the sound of it. So, when he
awOke this morning, he then said that
he considered 300 too small a figure in
estimating his electoral vote
Vice President Stevenson had already
left the party and was on his way TO
Bloomington.
Mr. Bryan looked worn and his voice
was ragged He shook hands with all
the mem bers Of the party and limited
that they ought to go to church.
Mrs Bryan's face was drawn and
pinched 1t is remarkable that the
slender little student wife has been able
to endure the hardships of this extra
ordinary journey
This is the very heart Of the continent
and the center of the actual battlefield
Of this campaign. It is ground upon
which Lincoln and Douglas fought out
the slavery question.
The demonstrations the past week
have been astonishing. Mr.. Bryan and
his wife have at times had to struggle
in a d-tO-hand contest with the rap
turous half crazy multitudes.
When they left the train this morn
ing a carriage took them to the house
of Dr. H K. Jones, where Mr.. Bryan
lived in his college days. They passed
the Presbyterian college, where Mrs.
Bryan won valedictorian honOrs. There
was a picture of Mr.. Bryan in one win
dow and a picture of Mr.. Mckinley IN
After breakfast Mr.. Bryan received a
few of his old friends. Then he went to
the State Street Presbyterian church
with his wife. There was great crowd
in the street in front of the church a
hundred or more youths, wearing vel
low ribbons raised a cheer for McI&in-
ley as they entered the door Al the
carriages in the street We're adorned
with yellow ribbons. Many of the con-
gregatiOn wore party cOlors, and Two
of the ushers had yellow chrysanthe-
NUNS in their buttonholes- The spirit
of fhe PARTY ran high in the church.
Mr.. Bryan noticed the display of po-
ntica1 emblems and smiled. he saId
Yesterday that he was anxious to get
Republicans to turn out, so that ne
could convert them. and the further Mr.
Hanna carries his plan of counter dem
onstration the more he pleases Mr..
Bryan .,
leader looked as he lowered up beside
his wife and sang Buffers hymn deep
and t11lei The long rows or cOiege
girls stopped singing and watched ms
earnest face. The college boys wis
Dered and wagged their yellow ribbons
secretly in the peWs
The Rev. Mr. Norey prayed for edi-
tors and political leaders, but preacheu
a non-partisan sermon
When the service was over there was
= wild rush towards the Bryans ana
scene Of graduation and hand shaking.
Then Mr.. Bryan returned to Dr. Jones
As he left the church the Republican
featherheads again hurrahed for Nc
The air was full of drifting leaves
and the sun thrust a thousand spears
Of light through the half bare branches
under which husband and wife passed
A troop of blind girls from an asylum l.
near by halted in the street. turned their
ei0h4less Young faces towards the car
riage. waved their hands and uttered
cries of delight
Mr.. Bryan left Jacksonville eight
wears ago an obscure young lawyer ana
lecturer VINO had never earned more
man 81 900 a year. Today he returned
the chosen leader of a great political
party. with millions of followers and
half the civilized world anXiOusly wait
ing for the result Of the gigantic strug-
gle to put him in power.
All afternoon and evening Mr. Bryan
Tomorrow he will address a mass
meeting in the public square. Then he
viii start for Chicago, speaking at sew
eraI towns and cities on the way