The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-15
PRESIDENT 1pKINLEY REFUSED.
Would Not Enter "Biitmore' Unless News paperm en Were Admitted

Asheville, N. C., June 14.-An unex- pected incident of President McKin- ley's visit developed this afternoon when it became known to newspaper men accompanying the party that per mission to enter Biltmore House, George W. Vanderbilt's splendid man. sion, had been refused to them, while extended to other members of the par ty. MT. Vanderbilt is abroad, and his representative, Charles McNamee, is with him. In the absence of both the estate is governed by E. J. Harding, said to be an Englishman by birth. When waited on by the local commit tee of arrangements a day or two ago for permission for the president and party to enter Biltmore House, he ob- jected strongly to receiving any mem- bers of the party other than the presi- dent and his cabinet and the ladies with them. He even refused permis- sion to Manager McKissick of the Bat tery Park hotel, in charge of the party here, and in the course of a conversa- tion with two members of the commit tee said:
 MT. Vanderbilt spits on newspaper notoriety, and so do l."
 After this there was nothing for the local committee to do but to withdraw So the matter rested till to-day, when the president arrived and MT. Addison Porter, his secretary, was told of the incident. He must have informed the president, for later MT. Harding was called up on the telephone by Mir Por- ter and asked if it were true that news paper men would not be admitted to the mansion. MT. Porter was told that 1t was true, and then he informed MT. Harding that the president considered that the newspaper men were his in- vited guests on the trip, and that they were as much a contingent of the par ty as members of the cabinet. MT. Por- ter notified MT. Harding that the presi- dent had authorized him to say that if the newspaper men were barred from the mansion he would not step his foot inside the estate.
 This brought things to a crisis. MT Harding capitulated with the best grace possible, and the newspaper men were admitted to the mansion on the same footing as the president and his cabinet.
 Before going to Biltmore, Represen- tative Pearson persuaded MT. McKin- ley to attend meeting at the Young Mems Institute hall. The hall was filled to it's utmost capacity with col ored people, comprising the laboring classes as well as local colored politi- clans and their wives and children. With Congressman Pearson on one side, for ten minutes the president shook hands at rapid rate with all who were presented to him. It was very warm work
 Presently the president called for air and seven colored men famed him while the hand-shaking went on. At Biltmore the luxuries of the library were fingered over with especial de- light. Mrs. Mckinley was given a handsome bouquet from Mir Wander bilts conservatory as she left the cha teau The drive continued over the French broad boundaries of the estate from the river cottage to the entrance lodge and the Biltmore incident was closed The train was taken at Bilt- more station and the journey to Wash ingtOn resumed at 6 o'clock. Secretary Alger was indisposed from the extreme heat of the past two days, but left AsheVille somewhat recupeTated.