Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-21
Up aud at it EARLY.


Martins Ferry, o., Oct. 20.-The last
day of William j. Bryan's Ohio cam
paign was begun by the candidate with
very little physical preparation Tor the
speech making ordeal. He did not get TO
bed on board the "Idler," his special car,
until after / o'clock this morning. That
was at GAINESVILLE, where the people wait
ed more than three hours beyond the
time set for Mr.. Bryan's appearance,
and heard three speeches from him after
midnight. The "Idler" was pulled out OF
GAINESVILLE at 1:30 a. m., and waited on a
siding near Bellaire until O'Clock. Then
It was taken to the railway station OF that
Ohio river town, where about $500 people
were gathered. They shouted for Bryan,
and band played Dixie while the nom
inee was trying to get an extra forty
winks. but he did not appear until
o'clock. He made a short speech, and
fifteen minutes later the train resumed
its Journey With one exception, the
GAINESVILLE demonstration was the most
remarkable in some particulars or any OF
which Mr.. Bryan has been the central
figure The exception was at Aberdeen,
s. D.. where the candidate arrived at
nearly o'clock in the morning to ma
that three large gatherings that had been
expecting him during the many hours ms
delayed train was endeavoring TO make
up lost time over the Dakota pralrles mad
stuck sleepily but persistently to their
places. and woke up full of enthusiasm
and good humor. Last night the condi-
tions differed in that Mr.. Bryan reached
GAINESVILLE an hour sooner than ne ar
rived at Aberdeen, but when 1t Is eonsid-
cred that one of his audiences IN the
Ohio town stood in pouring rain to hear
him speak and did not permit the wett1ng
1t received to dampen it's partisan ardor,
the GAINESVILLE affair may be considered
the more remarkable after all.
Many of the excursionists who went 10
1,xr f, ho 6nff n
cratic candidate had decided to leave by
late trains, and were obliged to return to
their homes before Mr.. Bryan's much be-
lated special came to stand Sill! at
GAINESVILLE station. Many others waiting
for their trains to go surrounded the can
didates car when it arrived and fearful
of being left In GAINESVILLE over night got
rid of their bottled up enthusiasm in the
neighborhood of the station.
Mrs. Bryan, although very mucn
fatigued, went with her husband to all
three meetings. The rain was coming
down hard as they were conveyed in a
closed carriage past the cheering crowds
in the streets to hotel, on the balcony
of which he spoke for fifteen minutes to
1000 people, who were seemingly unmlnd-
full of the downpour Then ne was taken
to a place with the suggestive name or
"Gold hail." said to hold $500. 1t was
crowded to the doors and the audience
made up for it's long wait in ringing
cheers. The third and last address was
delivered to a crowd of 4500 in Memorial
hall. equally demonstrative. Then Mr.:
and Mrs. Bryan went back tothe ''Idler,"
to the accompaniment of more cheers al
the station. The "Idler'' was attached to
a regular Baltimore and Ohio train, that
had been held two hours for Mr.. Bryan's
accommodation, a and switched off at the
siding mentioned. At Bridgeport the sec
ond stop of the morning was made.
Fifteen hundred people, some of whom
had been waiting since day break. heard
him. Yellow Mckinley badges were the
most conspicuous objects in the crowds
at Bridgeport and Martins Ferry. At
the latter place terrace beside the track
was covered with them Some people had
half a dozen insignia pinned on their
coats. others had their hats decorated
Wifi, the symbols of the gold standard.