Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-09-16
NATIONAL FARMERS CONGRESS.
The Recent st. Paul Meeting-A Grand
Excursion.
EN- ROUTE HONE.

I'm lAOOlE
/ promised the editor of The
CHIEFTAIN that my address should
be published in that paper after l
had read it before the congress.
Well, l thought if / could just
squeeze through l would be salts
fed, but when President Clayton
called me forward for introduction
and said that / had come all the
way from the Indian Territory to
read that paper they cheered in
such a manner that l knew no
matter how poor the paper was,
it would be kindly taken. Well,
l have not told the reason for writ
ing this; l cannot give you the es-
say for st. Paul news reporter
simply slipped it out of my hands.
1 stood there protesting and ex-
planned that the National Farmer
Congress had asked for it to place
in the minutes, and that my home
paper desired it, and that was the
only copy; but he told me the city
of St. Paul must have it first of
all, and my photograph as well.
So if / ever hear of it or get copy
of the paper, will have it in
print for you yet.
After the congress adjourned the
special excursion train of the
Great Northern to the Dakotas-on
board seven hundred delegates
and members of the press-we
were taken up to the lake region
of North Dakota, to Grand Forks,
a distance of $50 miles from St.
Paul. J. Bunyan and were the
guests of the Minnesota delegation
when we left St. Paul but after a
few miles travel the press
folks sent John NJ. Stahl, of Chi
cago, 10 ask me to be adopted into
their association and be introduced
to their wives, sisters and sweet
hearts, and occupy seat in their
special car. OF course l accepted,
and if could would tell you what
a grand time / had for the next
seven hundred miles. There were
two elocutionists with them, both
young ladies, and impromptu en-
tertainments interspersed with
music lead by DR.. F. 7. Bushnell,
editor of the Dakota Farmer, who
is also a songster of great merit,
and when he had tired of solos
he bounced down on a seat and
said. "Sisters, help me sing
marching Through Georgia" or
"My Country 'Tis of Thee" or
Tramp The Boys" and we all
sang, and l heard several say they
never heard a better choir. f. l.
Whitney, general passenger agent,
was also in the car. 1t was he
who gave us this delightful free
ride which counted up to eleven
thousand dollars. We flew past
all the smaller places, as our time
was limited, but at every stopping
point there was a handsome turn
out to take us around for an hour
or more to see the sights; and there
were many to see. Grand Forks
is one of the most beautiful cities
l ever saw, and especially the res
ident part. The many delightful
" terraced lawns with lovely trop-
ical flowers on every hand, and
gardens just now coming on, and
vegetables of such size am afraid
to tell you. When we left Grand
Forks to resume our way south
ward through the great wheat re-
gion, the people were crowded on
the platforms with bands of music.
Our delegation called out, "ladies,
to the windows with your hand
kerchiefs," and we had our heads
at the windows waving, and the
men hurrahed and screamed for
Dakota and its wheat field, and
we were cheering for the Great
Northern railway and they-the
men folks-played us a mean trick;
all fred a volley into the air and
beat us at last, and made US take
our heads in.
We came next day at the famous
twelve thousand acre farm that
was visited by the worlds fair
committee in 1898. The manager