The San Francisco call., 1896-10-26
With His Wife the Candidate
Visits the Scene of Col
lege Days.
GALA TIMES FOR ALITTLE TOWN
Hundreds of Illinois Farmers Will
Flock Into Jacksonville to Hear
the Orator.

JACKSONVILLE, Ill, Oct. 25.-All
morning to see Mr.. and Mrs. w. J. Bryan,
and during most of the day the residence
of DR.. Hiram K. Jones, where they are
stopping. was surrounded by curious peo-
pie. 1t was in this old educational town
that Mr.. Bryan spent six years OF his life
as a student, two at Whipple Academy,
and the rest at the Illinois State College.
Mrs. Bryan, too, was pupil at the jack
sonville Female Academy, and the ac-
quaintance which eliminated in their
marriage began here. The candidate and
mis- wife naturally anticipated pleasant
stay in such. familiar environments and
they spent a delightful Sunday, meeting
old friends and talking with them over
their college days.
Although Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan did not
reach Jacksonville until nearly o'clock
this morning, after a run through the
night over the Burlington road from
Quincy, many people had waited up too
see them and to cheer the candidate.
Little rest was allowed the nominee in
that fast ride.
He was awakened twice-the first time
to make midnight speech to big audi
ence OF torch-bearers and shouters at
Bluffs, and again at Mount Sterling,
where neither the lateness of the hour nor
the fact that it was Sunday could stay the
enthusiasm of the Bryanites there. The
Jacksonville people who awaited the ar
rival of their former townsman were dis
appointed, for Mr.. Bryan remained in his
ho frni
nearly o'clock this morning. With Mrs.
Bryan he went to the house of DR.. Jones
and later in the forenoon attended divine
service at the State-street Presbyterian
Church, where the pastor, Rev. A. M.
Morey. preached a sermon that had moth
ing in it about silver or GOLD. The church
was crowded to the doors. A number of
small boys and some others who were not
so small, all wearing strips of yellow rib
bon, followed Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan from
their carriage into the building and gave
suppressed hurrah for Mckinley.
Four houses of worship, including that
attended by Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan, occupy
the four corners of the streets, and the
congregations of all of these were dis
missed within few minutes of each
other, so that with the 500 or more who
had been waiting outside for the two most
interesting persons III JACKSONVILLE 10 ap-
pear, State-street Presbyterian Church
was surrounded bv quite a large assem-
blage as the candidate and his wife hur-
riedly made their way to a waiting car
riage and were driven back to the resi-
dence of their host.
Mr.. Bryan slep: part of the day and the
rest of his spare time received old friends.
When ne went out at dusk, accompanied
by Mrs. Bryan, to tea with f. Dunlap.
Jacksonville banker, with whom he had
been associated in local politics while
resident here, DR.. Jones house was the
center of interest for several hundred peo-
pie here many of them in carriages, who
had waited patiently for long time to see
the Democratic nominee.
Tomorrow morning Mr.. Bryan will
visit the State College and probably talk
to the students about the time when he
was an undergraduate. In the afternoon
he will make speech in the public en-
closure known as "the square" and at 5
O'Clock will leave on his special train for
Alton. Many farmers drove into town to-
night, and the chances are that with ex-
pected excursionists to augment the Jack
sonville people who want 10 hear Mr.
Bryan, one OF the biggest crowds that
ever gathered in this town of colleges will
attend the political meeting in honor of
the Democratic candidate.