Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-08-26

Crowded thrOughOut their entire ex-
tent. At this hour many of the stran-
gers had already/gone to the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad depot to catch
the special excursion train, while
scores Of othsrs took street car rides
about the city, or went out to stroll
around town on foot. Hundreds of
others called upon the local wholesale
and jobbing houses, and many Of
fees OF the wholesale district were
damned with people between noon and
two O'Clock and merchants and their
employers were kept busy greeting
friends, shaking hands with new ac-
quaintances, and showing callers over
the large stores. Every employe OF
most Of the stores was on duty, even
statesmen being especially called in off
the road to assist in looking after the
welfare Of the visitors, and everybody
had all he could attend to.
Matters went on in this general way
until two o'clock, when the repeated
announcements that the special train
was about to start from the Balti-
more and Ohio depot thinned out the
crowd, and by three o'clock there were
not over one hundred people at head
quarters and twice as many scattered
along Main street in the wholesale dis
trict. The details of the railroad trip
will be found elsewhere,
One of the notable and pleasant
events Of the day was the large num-
! Der of ladies who came in with the
visiting merchants. Several hundred
ladies in all came to town and spe-
ciaI efforts were made to make things
pleasant for them. AS matter Of fact,
there should have been an especial
ladies' headquarters at one Of the ho-
tells, with a committee Of resident
ladies in charge, but no one antci-
pated there would be the rush actu-
ally experienced. and that excuse for
several little matters must suffice.
Early yesterday morning the at
tempts at decoration apparent on Tues
day evening were supplemented almost
unanimously in the wholesale district,
and in a less general way along the
retail streets, and by eleven o'clock
Main street from Twelfth to the creek
looked very pretty. Some Of the whole
sale houses made really elaborate dis
plays. and much taste was exhibited
in this work along the street. Taking
the business portion Of the city as a
whole, it had looked better but few
I times in the history of the town, and
a good many hundred dollars were
expended for bunting, banners, flags,
streamers and the like.
In many of the larger wholesale
! houses business was almost entirely
suspended, the time Of the force of
employees being taken up in entertain
| ing the visitors and making sugges-
lions for spending a pleasant day, or
in assisting in carrying the programme
into effect. Many of the leading bust
ness men dropped evrything and went
on the afternoon railroad trip through
the surrounding towns, and then con-
concluded to make day of it and went
on out to Wheeling Park.
BY half past six o'clock last night the
headquarters on Main street was de-
serted, except by a few employees and
one or two committeeman, and at seven
o'clock the doors were closed, and the
day was over for thai particular To-
! cality.
Much praise is due the membership
of the local committees, and partic-
ularly Messrs. Quarter, Caldwell,
Buchanan, Baer, Lallance, Brock,
Shaffer, McMechen Mccoy and the en-
ployes of the committee, @Iessrs. Will
hnson, Singleton and Campbell, for
efficient services rendered.