The Topeka state journal., 1897-02-20
AT HAMILTON HALL.
People Almost Hung on by Their
Eyelids and Bryan Spoke Out
side and In.


Does Topeka need an auditorium
Well just ask the thousands of people
who pushed and squeezed and fought
their way into Hamilton hall last night.
and then stood or sat in a cramped po-
istion in the sweltering atmosphere OF
the hall for three hours. And then ask
the hundreds more who were unable to
get 1arther than the doors of the hall
and filed Quincy street from Sixth al
most to Fifth street.
Topeka people had an object lesson on
the auditorium question last night. The
results of the lesson will be seen when
the question of building an auditorium
is submitted to the people.
Outside the night was pleasant. and
inside the, hall the tempera ture was at
summer heat. Those who had sufficient
room to move their arms removed their
wraps and overcOatS, and some men
went so far as to remove their under
coats and sit through the long interval
of waiting and the speech in their shirt
sleeves. Others who were unable to
shed their winter apparel because of
their packed condition, mopped their
faces and attempted to get the air in
circulation by rotating their hats and
handkerchiefs. There was never such a
before.
notwithstanding the crowded and
heated condition of the hall but one of
the hundred of ladies who were present
tainted. This was Mrs. Ralph Squires,
who shortly before the arrival of Mr..
Bryan dropped to the floor in q SWOOn
IN the rear of the hall. An opening was
forced through the crowd packed in the
stairway, and the unconscious woman
taken to Klingman's drug store There
her home.
People arrived at Hamilton hall as
early as $50 yesterday evening lust
two hours before the appointed time for
Mr.. Bryan to deliver his speech. By
l:30 the hail was filed, and from that
time on adTnittance to the hall was a
matter of physical force. BY $50 even
this failed, and those who were unfort-
unate enough not to gain admission
cOntented themselves by filling Quincy
street with the hope that Bryan would
make a short speech before entering the
hall.
The crowd in the hall commenced to
grow noisy by o'clock Every once in a
while those near the front window
would call here he comes and each
call would be the signal for a tremend-
Gus cheer. This proceeding was kept up
at intervals until Bryan arrived at 9
o'clock.
Shortly after 8 o'clock someone on
the stage espied James Scully, the
WelI known amateur comedian of this
city, in the audience, and called for him
TO come on the stage and entertain the
crowd. The crowd heard the name
'Scully" and at once took it up and
proceeded to yell until Scully was
pushed forward to the stage and lifted
up the steps Major Shreve. then
stated that Mr.. Scully would sing a
song, and this Mr.. Scully did render
ing ''McCloskey, Close Your Mouth"
This was a starter for the crowd,
and Scully was recalled When he
finished his second song he was recalled
again, and was in the midst of his
third selection when Ed Little and Mrs
Bryan reached the stage, having come
from Representative hall.
When Scully concluded, Ed Little
stepped to the front of the stage and
told the crowd that Mr.. Bryan was just
finishing his speech at Representative
hall and would arrive in a few min
utes- This statement. was greeted
with cheers. Then the ex-consuI to
Egypt started to make a few remarks,
but the crowd preferred ScuIly and the
cries for the comedian completely
drowned the speakers voice. Realiz-
ing that the crowd was bound to have
it's way, Little pulled ScuIIy forward
from hiding place ne had secured at
the rear of the stage, and ''Kelly's
Dream took the place of a talk on
the money question.
When this piece was concluded, Soul
ly escaped for good, and the crowd
then yelled for Mrs. Bryan. In re-
sponse to the yells Ed Little implored
the people to be quiet and not call for
Mrs. Bryan, as she would not speak
Just what the crowd would have de-
manded next is impossible to imagine,
but at that juncture tremendous
cheer from the people congregated out
side the hall proclaimed the arrival of
Bryan. After a short interval, during
which time Mr.. Bryan was making q
short talk to the overflow outside the
ed at the south door of the hall with
the free silver champion, and for ten
minutes there was a roar of applause
that could be heard for blocks.
When the noise died away. Ed Little
introduced Mr.. Bryan. The silver
leader talked for nearly an hour, but
his speech was wholly argumentatiVe
and he made no attempt at eloquence-
He was apparently worn out by the
exertiOnS of the day.
In part Mr.. Bryan said:
It appreciate more than words can
express the honor done me by your
legislature, by your mayor, and by all
the people. If I thought it would be
pleasant to you, I would tonight avoid
all mention of partisan questions, but
I know that there is one great question
uppermOst in the minds of the people,
and the time that I occupy intend to
apply to the money question.
The other day / received a letter from
a man who said that he had just found
out that 1 had been elected. And was
unable to answer his logic He said:
| Didn't they say that if you were elect
ed banks would fail and business men
would go into bankruptcy And have
not they done this2' As 1 say. 1 was
| unable to answer his logic
when I want TO read anything thor
| oughly humorous, L go to the gold stand
/ ard. papers instead of to the humorous
| publica tons. In a Kansas City paper
| l read this morning that Mr.. ingalls,,
| president of the Big Four railroad, who
| was a strong advocate of the gold
standard during the present campaign,
| had given, as an illustration of the fact
| that times were better, the fact that
| passenger traffic was greatly decreased.
| He said that he thought people were so
| busy that they didn't have time to ride.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mark Twain
| never wrote anything more delightfully."-
/ humorous than that.
| 1--WE claim for bimetalIism, not that
| it is perfect but that it is better than
! the gold standard. That it gives more
| Justice between the debtor and creditor.
! And we have proved this; we have Civ
| en- you a reason why you should vote
| for hirneta llisrn. until q better system