The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-16
THE CHRISTIAN ENDEAVORERS
CROWDS THRoNG THE PALACE
HOTEL AT MIDNIGHT
Moye G. Norton of the State Reception
Committee Returns Enthused
From the North

MITCHELL ana Harry Patton, made UP tn e.
Los Angeles representatives on the state
reception committee appointed to re-
ceive William Jennings Bryan, returned
from the north yesterday, and had much
to say regarding the arduous trip, which
exhausted every one but the hero of the
occasion.
1T is useless to allude in detail to the
numerous meetings held" said Mr. Nor
ton, ''for on every occasion and without
any exception the attendance was sim
ply limited by the capacity of the
grounds l would like to point out what
seemed to me to be circumstance
worthy of note. LII along the line dur
ing the trip north, at the little way sta
tons that the train might or might not
stop at-and if it did only for a few mo-
ments-crowds of people would congre-
gate and in every instance ask that Mr..
Bryan would speak if only a word or
two. AS opportunity afforded he did
so, and in a conversational manner,
with plain, straightforward language,
spoke to these knots of people, compris-
ing probably forty or fifty at a time, and
with such potent effect that not at all
infrequently men were seen with tears
tricklipg down their cheeks. Political
economics, as a rule, are not calculated
to make hardy men cry. but it was re-
peatedly pointed out during the last
campaign that from the very necessities
of the situation the small rancher and
a lyaa Jay a n
the silver question than his city brothers.
And SO it appeared to me as If those
little groups of men not only understood
perfectly the arguments of Bryan but
in their own persons comprehended their
applicat ton.
There were nineteen cars filled with
Christian Endeavorers preceding our
special car. and each evening delega-
ton of these good people came into the
car and sang some of the songs that have
reused the San Francisco people to en-
thusiasm. Mr.. Bryan received them most
cordially and remained standing
throughout the short service-if it could
be called such
AT Bakersfield our arrival was dram
attic. The train got there about $3.50 in
the evening, and the place where Bryan
was to speak was about two miles dis
tant from the station. There was only
about half an hour in which to fill the
program. Carriages for the entire party
were in waiting and about $50 Cow
punchers" and others acted as an es-
cort. The dust was fearful and added to
the darkness of the night. After DASH
ing along for a few minutes a curve was
turned and the carriages drew up in the
presence of 5000 people. Electric lights
cleaned all around and illumined the
vast throng. Bryan spoke for twenty
five minutes and then the Shrek of the
whistle warned us we must be off.
"On arriving at Alameda the local
committee entertained Mr. Bryan and
his party at most delightful breakfast.
The tug Vigilant, gay with bunting from
stem to stern, trans ported the party
across the bay. That day Bryan spoke
al Alameda at 10, Oakland al II, at San
Francisco, in Central park, at 8, and at
Woodward's pavilion at in the even
ing. 1t was assumed then that the days
work was at an end, but upon being
driven back to the Palace hotel the
courtyard and the eight galleries were
black with people. The hotel was gaily
decorated in honor of the Endeavorers,
many of whom were stopping in the
hotel; and there, too, the fine Italian
band of sixty pieces had drawn a crowd,
but the music had ceased and the crowd
remained in expectation of something.
Mr.. Bryan had to be taken up a private
staircase i'm order to reach his rooms.
The people wouldn't be denied a speech,
however, and although his voice had
been strained by-frequetn speaking dur
ing the day, Mr. Bryan gave them fif-
teen-minutes' talk. At the conclusion
what a roar went up! The waves of
sound beat back and forth from gallery
to gallery and reverberated grom the
vast glass dome that capped the build
ing.
1T was about midnight them and we
had to leave for San Jose at 9 o'clock the
next morning. The bed pulled awful
hard and I'll confess 1 didn't feel like
getting up for an early breakfast. But
to the establishment of our party when
we gathered for breakfast we discov-
cred that Bryan had been up since
o'clock and had made his way out to the
Sutro baths under the able pilotage of
w. w. Foote, and was fresh and vigor-
Gus for another day of hard work But
admiration, the behavior of Billy
Foote in getting up at o'clock in the
morning was a puzzle. Such behavior
on his part was contrary to the tradi-
tions of life time, so we put 1t down
to an odd, but not displeasng eccentric
ity on the part of the genial Billy.
"Of course you know, for the Asso-
ciated Press kilograms probably told
YOU said Mr.. Norton, in concluding,
that Bryan had a reception in San
Francisco that neither Hancock, Hayes
or Harrison could parallel The outpour-
ir,g to welcome Harrison was the most
imposing that this state had ever seen
up to that time, but all sorts and condi-
tons of men turned out to welcome the
political leader who had with magic
power fused them together by belief,
common to all, in the fundamental prin-
ciple for which Bryan contends, and
which is believed by them to be the most