The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-09-24
BRYAN'S WELCOME TO ASHEv|LLE.
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PEG
Pile GREET HIM.
An Interesting Description or the
Great Ovation Given to the Next
President
Special to the Greenvillc Mountaineer.

AStlENll<LE, IN. ", Sept. itl.
1t is worth going much farther than
TO Asheville to hear William Jennings
Bryan speak. and the dozen or moro
Greenvillians who heard him here yes
terday felt moro than repaid for their
trip. 1t was II glorious occasion. All
day Tuesday, Tuesday night and We'd
nesday morning people poured into
Ashcviilo from far and near. We'd
nesday morning, loud clatter of
hoo(s was heard coming up the streets.
Everybo rushed out Of doors to see
what it meant. 1t was two or three
hundred sturdy mountaineers riding
into town on mules and horses. and
they made grand spectacle rs they
galloped along waving their hats and
shouting for Bryan as only mountain
eer can shout. They were of all ages
and sizes, but oil were for Bryan and
free silver.
Mr.. Bryan on his arrival was driven
to the Battery Park, where he par
took Of an elegant dinner in company
with a fcw invited guests. Host e. p.
McKiasick presided over the table, aud
Mr.. Bryan, of course, occupied the
seat Of honor on his right Judge j.
S. Ccthran represented South Caro-
lima.
The speaking was scheduled TO be-
gin at 3.30 p. m, but it was after four
o'clock when the Bryan party reached
the stand. The stand was erected
near the depot in a place seemingly
designed by nature for sLch an occa-
casion. Directly in front OF tho speak
nc'>S tar nd md
large platform, admission TO which
was by ticket Beyond this rises u
curved hin, forming grand natural
amphithcatre. On the hillsides were
wore thousands and thousands of peo-
Pile, all OF whom seemed to hear MIR
Bryan's words as we'll as those on Che
platform nearer him. But this was
not all. Behind the stand and on the
sides people were huddled tog ether for
several hundred yards. The number
OF those present was variously csti-
mated. think there could not have
bccn less than %, 900, and believe this
is a conservative estimate Men who
are good judges of crowds place the
number even above this figure. Cyrus
Watson, the Democratic nominee for
Governor Of North Carolina, told me
there wero at least %, 900 there, and he
knows what he is talking about The
principal thing that struck a South
CarOlinian was the contrast between
this meeting and a campaign meeting
in the Palmetto State. There was not
the slightest disorder. Every one
seemed intent upon catching every
word that the speaker uttered, and ii
there were any goldbugs present they
did not make themselves prominent.
Mr.. Bryan was introduced by Mr..
Locke Craig, young lawyer, of Ashe
Vile, whose speech was eloquent, but
just of the right length. When Bryan
stepped forward, the crowd rose to a
man and yelled until Mr.. Bryan had
to wave his hands to them to bc scat
ed. From the start he had tho crowd
under control and by a mere gesture
stopped any unnecessary cheering. His
principal arguments were met with re-
sponsivc cheers before hc sometimes
reached his climax. In beginning, be
paid tribute to the late Senator
Vance, and his culogistic reference to
to this great North Carolina statesman
set the crowd wild again. His denun-
citation Of John G. Carlisle was cnthu-
siastically received by the crowd as
was also his sarcastic reference to the
"Assistant Republicans. 1t was a
Bryan crowd through and through.
DoihC "CIC III lin
speech. was not, and yet it was not
what thought it would be. Having
heard so much Of his eloquencc, | had
expected q succession OF well.framcd
and prettily wordcd paragraphs with
out much real argument. Bryan is not
as eloquent as he is logical. He fol-
lowed up one argument after another
with just the right thought. His gcs,
lures are not SO carefully studied as tc
detract attention from the argument,
but you don't notice bis gestures or
how he says anything. What he says
keeps you fascinated. His arguments
were plain enough to be understood by
the most ignorant, yet not so plain as
to weary trained listener.
So much for the speaker. The
man, Bryan, is q wonder, too. He
Is mag.nilicently proportioned. 1t il
doubtful whether his pictures do hin
1Mstlce or whether they llattcr him
They probably improve the looks of the
ieatures, but do not near give q true
loeit OF MS expression. His mouth is 0
Pecnllar shape, but is not ugly. Like
ali the features Of his face it is vcr,
snfgI. snngI re opens it very wide when h'
spchhs, But his eyes arc what catcl
ones attention. They show determi
itI nu'lon ana power and ability to contro
oOnoie' Ills voice must have been al
most tuperhuman before he commonc
ca nls series of speeches, tn one her.
6elng number l3O. When he began
improved as he proceeded and thnnol p"
eV;l,dIently et;,I ,C @ IN very bad condition i
still wonderful'y strong and for.rench
ing, Mr.. Bryan looks very M tired 1"u,' "o
cvident y cannot stand this strai "i
much longer. He had to refnSo Hv,"t :
shake hands, as his right hand 10 oor y
and badly swollen from cont,nUo aUr
shaking. n''no'
When he closed his speech. tho t.,
mense crowd jumped up and shortnd ,,d
and then mado rush for the ston.
Mr.. Bryan made his way to the % Ssno
wi tn difficulty, though he had onlu d.
minutes in which to catch his fra;, ~,
His speech lasted one hoar and WIZ
he closed the people shouted for hi,
to go on.
1T was great day for the Mort
Carolina Democrats, but they wer
not alone in their demonstration i
honor OF their leader. There wer
people here from Alabama, Georpi
and Tennessee and crOwds from Somt