The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-11-05

At Lincoln, where we lay last /
night, the psople began TO gather |
about our car before the earlies. !
dawn; but, respecting his need OF
rest. they maintained an aim ost
complete silence. AT breakfast e !
group OF pretty women entered the
car with fresh roses for Mrs. Bryan,
and then the hushed eoncourse
found voice III gathering roar.
The broad square adjoining the rail-
way was impassaI,s.
The tree. at Jacksonville bore hu-
man fruit, and the telegraph poles
supported clusters OF men as flowers
grow on the cactus. Mr.. Bryau's
voice was aaible TO the limit of the
crowd. A lceal paper put on the
train, by a gfotesque paragraph
aimed at the silver cause, afforded
him g trail on which ae based an
address powerful as the blows Of a
sledgehamf0er and terse as teie
gram.
At Bloomington he was driven
mile through = continuous double
line of cheers. At mining town
further On he spoke to an audience
composed of so per cent. Of miners
and 20 per cent. farmers, and it is
safe TO say that where he found one
friend ne left ter. At Joliet it was
!ha same.
Il is significant to note the be-
hafior Of the wearoEs % tia yellow
ri15on in these crowds. Coming TO
scjf, they return to pray. They
forget their badges and stand in the
opsn without, absorbing every
void.
One is reminded of Macaulay's
verse
Evea the ranks of Tusculam could scare
forbear to cheer.
IS the elimination Of the cam
p. IN draws on the defections from
| ihe gold cause grow greater and
come faster. And of the five
millions CT m3Ge persons whom
Bryan has tn6t during his canvass,
the vast III jority { these who were
| 'oD the fenee' have ciimbe down
1 on the silver side, and most
of the declared gold sympathizers
will have vaulted the obstruction
completely.
And now Chicago. 1t was Ike 6
plunge down the rapids of Niagara
For over mile outside the Altor
and Chicago Railroad station {
horde Of yelling men pursued tht
train. The Eoise they made drown
ed the roar of the cars, and We coule
scarce hear one another speak with
in. Mr.. Bryan stood, with his wife
on the rear platform. HIS face wa
set and rather stern. Rumors 0
tens Of thousand awaiting him q
the depot had come to US.
There is always b savage under
tone in q Chicago mob. We rolle'
into the station amid a thunderou
acclaim. The sight that met US wa
unforgetable, and cannot be accu
rately described. Earth, buildings
almost the sky, seemed to be mad
of frenzied men waving hats, swine
ing their arms, yelling open-moutt
ed in fierce excitement. Tie ins:c,-
We stopped We were. wedged anna
mass Of human beings who mgr
have lifted the great car from th
! track.
With q fellow-journalist I su'
g ceeded in forcing my way from tt
rear end of the car, leaving M
'' Bryan to be conveyed to the ca
> riage which awaited him by the cor
!, mittee and the police. We game
the steps leading up to the stree
/ hut, for the time, to proceed fnrl
er was impossibls.
At tbs head Of tie steps We toe
!, our stand, At their foot b line
II ! police struggled 10 keep back d
, msd crowd below. Through t!
!, crowd the strong men Of the for
g had strlyen TO maintain a mario
u lane from the car hither, but it W
D. beyond human power. They dar
: aot use their clubs; it might ha
- cost them their lives.
l. Anon, far away amid the turmo
~ * l described Bryan; s. gigantic polio
. man, had him by enc arm, comm
teeman not less stalwart by the OF
Il. er. Bryan himself is a man of i
e, mense strength. But those tbr
id came on like leaves tossed on t
gd surface of boiling stream.
be lfeared for their lives; s. misst
p would have been fatal. The II
e, in which they struggled was its
n, dashed hopelsssIy to and fro. T
de police rallied and fought their "
ch with desperation, swung hither q
re you, vet advancing. With a ST
le. den rush they gained the steps;
of police formed in line behind the
I'd for al instant they held the thro1
M then all gave way. and up came
ch rush on Bryan's heels.
a AS he was born toward me, he g
am looked backward with great ankle
EN- no wonder. Mrs. Bryan was sol
m where in that awful press behind,
an was a terrible moment. Do what
an might, he could rot get back to
ter one inch. Methinks he would 81
the iy have forfeited the Presidency
have had her safe.
3u, But onward must he go. In
his other moment he was on the top
it's the steps and was whirled onwar'
tbs the carriage, and then for the
hn- time l saw Mrs. Bryan close beh
and pale and breathless, but
Mr.. possessed and secure. 1t was
the come sight, and well nigh a mir'
of lous preservation.
The Bryans were in the csrri
US drawn by four white horses. l re
and ed the street by a side door. In +
saw and along the thoroughfare, as
une as sthe eye could reach, were the
for pie Of Chicago. They were jam
was along the sidewalks on either
1ich and on the pavement, having ba
yer space for the procession to
through.
van. The dingy buildings that hen
al in the living river were thems
m alive with forms and faces. A
~ row Str;p of psth wav was left be