Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-08
Is This WILLIAM ]. BRYAN?
THE SAME: AND HE SPENT SEVERAL
HOURS IN KANSAS CITY.
He Looked Up Louis Robidoux, Wasn't
Called on by Sullivan, Ate Din
ncr. Talked nS Usuui, und
Went His Lonely Way.

When the Santa Fe train from Texas
reacEel the Union depot yesterday after
4 noon, there alighted from it IL man slightly
above medium height, rather stout of stat
ure and ruddy of countenancc. who carried
| three big grips. He wore Il suit of black.
Il Prince Albert coat, and big siouch hat.
| His face was covered with Il black beard
| two days old. AS he stepped from the car.
and hesitated before trying to carry three
| grips to the depot with but two hands. he
| locked up and down the platform as 1t he
| expected TO see someone he knew. Then,
seeing no one, he gathered up his packages,
| trudged into the depot and put MS parcels
away at the checkStand
| He was William Jennings Bryan. of Liz
coin; Neb., champion OF silver, recently Il
candidate for president. and author OF
| book, who has just abandoned the lecture
! teld. He had been in Texas on hunting
| trip, and was on his way home.
No one apparently recognized him until
Depot Director Dave Bradley went forward
| 10 welcome him to the city and see about
| his comfort.
Mr.. Bryan was glad to be recognized. lie
had some friends in the city he wanted to
see, and did not know just where 10 ind
| them. He asked Bradley where TO md his
personal friend, Louis RObidOuX, and -
mesSSen niger was sent across to the place OF
business over which Mr.. RobidouN presIdcs,
and he came to the depot post haste. Mr.
BRYAN and Mr. Robidotlx sat i'll one corner
of the waiting room discussing matters
possibly of political nature-for an hour.
and after having listened to a full account
and the developments of the LeXow COM
mittee. he parted from Mr.. RobidouS and
Robidoux called Il carriage for him. but MIR.
Bryan insisted on riding in the street ear
like other plain citizens.
OF course. Mr.. Bryan was recognized at
once when he arrived at the Coates House.
and every attention possible was shown
him. Several prominent citizens met him,
and for half an hour he was busy in the
parior talking with them.
Then he went to dinner In the dining
hoI ZhG several
ami a number went to his table to speak to
him, and there were several requests Tor
his autograph. He courteously consented
to " rite his name. even though he had to-
interrupt his dinner for the purn0se-
was ass met bV a reporter for the Journal. he
declined to talk about the selections Mr.
Mckinley had made for his cabinet saying
such comments would be indelicate. Tho
comments he made on the selection of Ly-
man Gage were made, so he said. in the
presence of Il reporter at Galveston before
he knew to whom he was talking. Elc said
he had talked so much on the silver ques-
tion and so often pointed out the future
of the fight that any more comments would
be stale.
NIr. Bryan was not inclined to discuss
his recent lecture engagement that was
so abruptly Cancelled. There had been diff
ferences threatened, he said. in conneC-
tion with the business management of the
venture that were certain to make II uu-
pleasant for him, and so he had made
short matter of ii and stopped. The lect-
ure course. he said, would be continued
along other lines. He was preparing a
statement relative to the matter and his
future plans that would be issued shortly,
During the evening he met Colonel George
Warder and was entertained by him until
train time, discussing politics in a gen.
eraI way. Mr.. Bryan expects to be iE
Washington to see Mckinley inaugurated,
His plans for the future, he said. had not
been perfected so that he could announce
them. He had various invitations to speak
and three legislatures had adopted joint
resolutions asking him to make an address,
but to all these he had as yet made M
reply.
Colonel Warder accompanied Mr.. Bryan
to the depot and babe him farewell as this
train left for Lincoln. AS he entered tho
car Mr.. Bryan met 4 young man named
William II. Bryan who said he lived in
Kansas City, who was anxious to meet
the man whose name was so much like
his Mr.. Bryan drily remarked: IL for
merly thought my name not at all COM
mon. but recent events have shown me that
ct is very common name. There are
Bryans in all of the cities of the land
Mr.. Bryan appears TO be in the best of
health and says his weight is now greater
than at any previous time in his life. lie
had with him the first copy of his book
that came from the press. 1t is elegantly
bound. and on the front page appears his
picture in silver. He is very proud of his
book.