The Topeka state journal., 1897-09-10
BRYAN AT lola.
Over 1 200 People Present to
Hear Him Orate.
Is Given Grand Ovation by
Friends Of Silver.
IN SPLENDID FORM.
Crowds Greet at Every Station
Along the Route.
Incidents of His Journey
1000 People in Trees.

southeastern Kansas to lola yesterday.
He spoke at the fair grounds to the
largest crowd that ever assembled in
one place in Allen county
People came from all the surround
ing towns: 400 came from Fort Scott,
275 from Chanute, 800 from Garnett. 250
from Colony and vicinity and delega-
tions from other nejghboring towns in
proportion The bulk of the audience.
however, came from the rural districts
surrounding lola for the distance of 30
miles One small town. Is miles from
here, sent a delegation of 100 young men
on horseback All of them had cast
their maiden vote last year for MI
Bryan
Mr. Bryan himself said that the au-
dience was an ideal one, containing
more representa- tives of the men who
till the soil and earn their bread by the
sweat of their brows than any audience
he had ever addressed. In consequence
he was grea tly inspired. He made pos
sibly the strongest speech he ever made
In Kansas. That the silver cause was
not dying out was manifest
Mr. Bryan was to have left EmpOri3
at o'clock in the morning. but the
great disaster of the night before, the
heroic part he took in it and the events
surrounding it, told so much on his
physical strength that he thought it
wise to gain two hours rest, and in
stead of arising at 6 o'clock in the
morning to go over the Santa F,a he re-
nnained in bed until O'Clock and went
over the Missouri, Kansas & Texas to
Piqua, and then drove overland to lola,
a distance of ten miles, and arrived here
an hour earlier than he would have
done had he gone over the Santa Fe.
The fact, however, that ne did not go
over the Santa Fe disappointed thous-
ands OF people. At every station be-
tween Emporia and lola a tremendous
crowd of people gathered. At every
stop that was made hundreds of people
crowded upon the cars and rushed fran
Jicaliy through the aisles in dssper-
ate effort to see Mr. Bryan before the
train pulled out
When Mr.. Bryan arrived in lola and
was driven through the streets cheers
passed along from street TO street that
would do honor to conqueror. He
tipped his hat in recognition and gave
the crowds that pleasant smile for
which he is noted To prevent his car
riage being blockaded he had to be
driven to the Thompson House, where
he was assigned room Is, which he ac-
cepted without the customary supersti-
tious protest.
After resting a little while he was
driven to the park, where he received
the. grea test ovation ever accorded a
public man in Allen county. People ga tn
cred about him until he was completely
wedged in the crowd and il took the
best efforts of several policemen to cut
a passage for him to the speakers
stand. When hopes of reaching the
grand stand without further trouble
was apparent, three colored women of
middle age broke into the passe geway
and would not bulge an inch until they
got to shake Mr.. Bryan's hand. With
this ambition gratifed, one OF the wo-
men shouted with all the force of her
lungs, "GOOdy, goody," and went about
prOclaimin in loud voice that sne
was the first coIored woman in lola that
had the honor OF shaking hands with
Bryan
There was room on the speakers
stand for only four persons. and they
were Mr. Bryan, Congressman Peters,
Captain a. L. Taylor, the president of
the fair association, and Captain 4. II.
Ewing. prominent Republican of Al
len county, who was chosen to introduce
the distinguished visitor. When Mr..
Bryan reached the stand. the greeting
accorded him by the 15.OO0 people On
the grounds was tremendous and lasted
for fully five minutes. during which
time the chairman tried in Va in to make
himself heard Captain Ewing intro
duced Mr. Bryan in well chosen words.
and another storm of applause broke
out.
Mr.. Bryan seemed to be greatly
amused over the applause he received
from what he termed the galleries"
The galleries in question were the great
trees of the park. Fully ]. .0G0 persons
pre-empted seats on the branches of
these trees as early as 10 O'Clock in the
morning and held on to them for fully
six hours. They roasted there like wild
turkeys and not few of them fash
toned theirsnethod of applause after the
song of the gobbler, which was fur
ther amusement to Mr. Bryan and the
audience.
Mr.. Bryan. although he could not sue
ceed in making more than two-thirds of
the vast audience hear him was in
splendid voice and made proba bly, the
best speech he has made in Kansas His
reference to the threat of Mckinley'S
commission to the English that unless
they would agree to some policy of bi-
rnetailisrn the United States would be
turned over TO the silverites, made a
great hit, and the audience fairly went
wild over the sarcasm he used in deal
ing with it. Another burst of enthusi-
asrn followed his treat tment Ofthe claims
of the Republicans that they were re-
sponsible for the high price OF wheat
He went on TO show by the market re-
ports of 1894 and 1897 that December
wheat is now 20 cents higher than it
was in 1894. but il is also fact that
corn is II cents lower
If the Republican administration
he said, lis able to bring us high prices
for products of the field, why do they
discriminate between wheat and corn.
as they do between the products of the
raines-gold and silver2 IL they insist
on taking to themselves the credit OF
raising the price of wheat, you farmers
ought 70 hold them responsible Tor low
ering the price of corn
When he referred to the Republican
ella inns that the silver craze is dying out
a thousand luSty throatS would Sn0ut,
I'VE will show them in 1900" and then
the young men cried, ''Hurrah for Bry-
an in 1900"
did After the speaking was over there
was great stamT ede to the steps of the
epea ker's stand The pressure of those
in the rear against those in front was
no great that it seemed TO be impossible
TO keep an exit open Mr. Bryan shook
hands with 800 people by actual count,
and although he was Tanned continu-
aTIx the perspira ton rolled down his
face Being almost exhausted he was
com PEELED to retire before he had
shaken hands with much more ttan
haTf of those who sought the distinction
In the evening the streets We're illu-
minated by great blazes of natural gas