The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-18

and Pretty Illunninations--Fine Work
of the Governors Gards--The Dinner
to MIR. Bryan.
Bryan! Bryant! Bryan!!!"
The name of the Silver Knight OF the
West was on the lips of all the thou
sands that filled Nash Square and over
flowed into Mcdowell, and Hargett and
west Martin streets last night.
Raleigh gave Mr.. Bryan the most
enthusiastic reception she ever gave
any man.
it was the largest crowd but one that
ever gathered here.
How many are in. the crowdY l
asked a man used to estimating man
kind in great masses.
Fifteen thousand, at least, he SAID
casting his eye over the vast crowd
that filled Nash Square.
Some called the crowd larger than
that.
The Bryan Special arrived from
Durham a few minutes after seven
o'clock, nearly on time.
At 6: As o'clock the Governors Guard
formed in line in front of their armory
on Fayetteville street.
just across the street beside Metro
politan Hall the torchlight procession
formed. Railroad men, mechanics,
farmers, laboring men, clerks, mer-
chants, men of all professions and
from all the surrounding counties
mingled in a merry Democracy. There
were three hundred torches that
stretched a long line of blazing fire
far down the street. The crowd was
bubbling over with the enthusiasm
that went through the thousands like
sparkling champagne. They cheered
Bryan from the time they left Metro
politan Hall until they landed in Nash
Square. The line of march was up
Fayetteville to Hargett, down Hargett
to Mcdowell, down Mcdowell to the
centre of Nash Square. The Governors
Guard headed the procession in COM
mand of Capt. Fred Woollcott. Chief
Marshal John Y. MacRae and the long
line of torch-bearers marched close
behind the Guards.
THE LINE AT THE SQUARE.
The arrangements for preserving
order at Nash Square were perfect. The
Governors Guard were placed at the
entrance to the Union Depot, and
formed a line to the diagonal walk
through Nash Square. The bearers of
torches and assistant marshals formed
line on either side the walk from the
street to the speakers stand. A de-
tachment of police guarded the stand
and kept the crowd in order.
ARRIVAL OF THE PARTY.
When the .Bryan Special arrived
the depot was filed with scores of pref
ty girls, and the line to the stand was
almost crushed by the press of the
crowd.
The band headed the march. As the
party marched through the depot the
strains of Dixie foated out to the
waiting crowd and cheer after cheer
rang out. The various committees
and members of the Bryan escort came
first, Mr.. Bryan bringing up the rear.
The moment he stepped from the depot
cheer after cheer rang from the crowd
and there no intermission until after
he reached the stand. Between the
long line of blazing torches he marched
to the stand, leaning on the arms of
Chairman Manly and Chairman Aver.
And Bryant Bryant" rang from ten
thousand threats.
Chairman Clement Manly, of the
Democratic State Committee, and
Chairman Hal Aver, of the Populist
State committee, jointly presided.
MR.. AYERS INTRODUCTION.
Mr.. Aver introduced Mr.. Bryan in
a witty speech that caught the crowd
and was well applauded.
He said: Democrats, Republicans,
Silver men, Populists, Popocrats, Pro-
hibitionists, Ladies and Gentlemen: l
introduce to you this evening man
who is the nominee of the Democratic
party, of the Peoples party and the
Silver party, for President of the Uni
ted States, and is the nominee of about
all the rest of the people in America
except one man and his name is Mark
Hanna" (Applause.)
WHEN BRYAN CAME FORWARD.
A moment of expectancy, and then
Mr.. Bryan came forward and surge
after surge of cheers for Bryan!
swept over the square and rumbIed
into the side streets and penetrated to
almost-deserted Fayetteville street.
The great arc lights and the tar
barrels at the corners of the square
threw their light on the scene and
the incandescents blazed the name of
Bryan in living light from the speak
er's stand
Ills VOICE Was u Urine husky at nrSLy
but it soon cleared and rang out with
its accustomed force. Nearly every
sentence of Mr.. Bryan's speech was
greeted with applause. AT the mention
of the name of Vance the crowd cheer
ed wildly. Every two or three min
utes Bryant" Bryant" came from
the crowd.
In the midst of the speech some one
on the south side of the stand yelled
"Come over and talk to us some, Mr.
BRYAN" He smiled and good-natured-
ly walked to that side of the plat
form.
MR.. BRYAN'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Bryan said:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
'The trip through North Carolina