Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-10-19
M'KINLEY
GREETED
President Elet by Great
Throngs of Madison's
People.
Text of Address of the
Chief Executive
at Capitol.
Given Great Ovations and
Booming Farewells
by Crowds.

had been in an eXpectant mood during
the morning and everywhere flags were
going up and bunting was being hung
along store fronts and awnings, despite
he drizzle and the lowering, leaden-
ray clouds that seemed crushing low
er and lower down upon the earth.
Two hours before the appointed time
for the arrival of the executive train,
nearly every flagstaff in the city had
flung it's flag to the breeze. The ma
tional emblem was everywhere. 1t
foated from the capital dome, the fed
eral building, the city hall, the court
house. the banks, the schools and the
business houses. While the great
throng was gathering about the stand
in the park, another crowd had been
packing the space about the North
western station, where Capt. Quent-
meyer with the Governors Guard, was
patrolling the tracks and the platform
edge to keep the way clear for the
presidential train. The station was
decked out in banners and draperies of
bunting. Flags flew up aloft and over
the tracks a great flag fioated from a
taut cable. The hour had almost
passed when it was announced that the
train was over thirty minutes behind
time, but the crowd was good natured
and refused to stir from the points OF
vantage, though the raw air sent chllls
through overcoats and wraps.
Great was the crowd and boundless
it's good nature 1t extended from the
park all along the walks on Main.
Pinckney, King and Wilson streets to
and beyond the station. The intersec-
ton of Wilson and Blair streets was a
sea of humanity and its waves were
kept back from the tracks only by the
active efforts of the Gordon of blue-clad
men whose guns barred the way. The
handsome carriages, furnished by
Kentzler Bros, bearing the reception
committee and escorted by Major
Doyon and Sergt. Helm on prancing
horses, drove up to the station at
u CLOCK anu IIG COlllHlLlcc odI Ill
shivering dignity while the clock
licked away the minutes.
The Coming Train.
Every precaution had been exercised
by the railroad officials for the protec-
ton of the presidential train, which
crossed the state line at 1910 o'clock
The train was not only given complete
and absolute right of way but
every switch between the state line anC
Milwaukee was spiked down at Il
o'clock in the morning and kept spiked
until the chief executive and his party
had passed into the next block of the
line. Then, a quarter hour ahead
came pilot train under the persona
supervision of Asst. Supt. H. w. Battin
1t consisted of engine 159, with Driver
Henry Lille and Fireman Simon
Metcher, and a construction caboose
carrying the assistant superintendent
Master Mechanic H. S. Bentley, Bridge
Superintendent NJ. Riny and Roadmas
ter Henry Snyder. A quarter hour
passed and the presidential trair
drawn by two engines, numbers 531
and 697, with Drivers Thomas Scott
and J. B. Murphy and Firemen ]
Smith and Chris. Meyers, the best meI
on the division, pulled into the station
having stopped at Ipswich, Dodgeville
Barneveld and Mt. Horeb on the way
The train was made up Of seven splen-
didscars, the Northwestern official car
containing Vice President H. R. Nc
Cullough, Asst. Supt. w. A. Gardner
and r. A. Cowan, superintende- of the
Madison division. Six Pullmans, in
Guiding sleepers and dining cars and
the magnificent observation parlOr car
Campania, in which President and Mrs
Mckinley and the cabinet came on
from the east, made up the balance OF
the train.
The coaches came to a standstill
amid great cheering and the reception
committee, Gov. Scofield, Mayor Hoven,
Judge Keyes, DR.. C. X. Adams, Col. A.
H. Hollister, Gen. Henry Harnden,
Judge Anthony Donovan, Chief Justice
J. B. Cassoday, r. NJ. Basnford, Col. w.
J. Anderson, Attorney General E. r.
Hicks and Major NJ R. Doyon, entered
the Campania, where its members were
introduced to the presidential party.
A moment later the committee, escort
ing the president and the members of
his cabinet and followed by newspa-
permen, emerged from the car and
passed through lines of soldiers to the
carriages. The president entered the
first carriage with Gov. Scofield, Mayor
Hoven and Judge Keyes and was driv-
en- up King street behind a fine pair of
chestnut horses with silver names and
tails, Andrew R. Kentzler being on the
box. The other carriages were occu-
pied as follows: Secretaries Wilson
and Gage with DR.. Adams and Col. Hol-
lister, Secretaries Root and Long with
Gen. Harnden and Judge Donovan,
Secretary Hitchcock and Attorney Gen
eral Griggs with Chief Justice Casso-
day and R. NJ Bashford, Private Sec
rotary Courtleyou and Executive Clerk
Barnes with Col. Anderson and Atty.
Gen. Hicks and newspapermen in the
carriages following. The departure of
the carriages was wildly cheered and a
large portion of the crowd followed