Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-13
RECEIVING THE CROWD.
Two Thousand Persons Are Given
IIOmes-NcarIy 5000 in the city


The busiest place in Richmond yester-
day and last night was the big drill-room
in the Regimental Armory, at Seventh
and Marshall streets; the busiest people
We're the whte-capped young men and
young women behind the railing at the
further end of the room assigning the
troops Of delegates and visitors to homes.
All day long there was plenty of work
To do; last night between 8 and o'clock
the rush taxed TO the utmost the capacity
of the big committees Delegates were
coming IN from early in the morning,
when nearly one hundred from Mary
land ana the District of Columbia ar
rived via the Nork-River route.
The visitors came i'm in comparatively
small numbers on all trains until $3.50
o'clock when the regular Chesapeake and
ohio train got in. loaded down. This
was followed by four other trains on the
same road. the last getting in at Z
o'clock. and all loaded down. As a re-
suit. the Reception. Entertainment, and
Registration committees We're worked
very hard until o'clock.
Nearly 1000 visitors registered at head
quarters yesterday. It is estimated that
about Gro went 10 hotels and the homes
of friends without registering. There are
from 900 TO 5000 strangers in the city.
The work of homing the delegates could
scarcely have been better done. The most
perfect system characterized everything.
WORK OF RECEPTION COMMITTEE.
In the first place, members of the Re-
ception Committee met every incoming
train at points along the railway lines,
and pilOted the visitors 10 headquarters
i'm this city. Early yesterday morning Mr..
Edwin BOsher took a large detachment
of the young ladies' and young gentlemen
from the Reception Committee up TO Cor
louisville. and as each train laden with
delegates reached that point they were
met bv members of the committee. who
escorted them 10 the city. Both the
ladies and the gentlemen OF the commit
tee wore the white b. Y. p. |. caps, with
the word Reception" i'm black letters
lust above the visor, and We're thus easily
recognized.
At the depots in this city the visitors
were met by white-capped pages. who
helped handle the baggage and pilot the
strangers to headquarters in the Armory.
SCENES IN THE ARMORY.
At the Armory everything was run with
perfect smoothness. 1t was not long
after a hot and tired delegate entered the
wide door of the big drill hall ere he came
out in charge of one Of the pages, who
piloted him TO a home, where he could
cool off and rest.
The stranger was FIST taken to the
card desk. where he filled out blank
giving his State and pOst-office and the
society which he represented. and stating
whether he was a delegate or visitor.
This card was then taken to the desk Of
the Entertainment Committee and the
address of the home to which the visitor
or delegate was assigned was written in
by one of the ladies or gentlemen. Then
the card was deposited with the Regis
tration Committee. where it was entered
in the register This last was a very Ia
borlous task, and sometimes as many as
eight clerks were writing away as fast
as possible. Sixteen registers, each con-
tanning the names of delegates from
three or four States, We're used. The dele
gate got his badge from the Registration
Committee. The badge is very pretty
and neat. consisting Of finch piece OF
olive green ribbon, on which is fastened
by a green bow a celluoid tablet. bear
ing the inscription shown in the accom-
panying cut.
ESCORTED TO HOMES.
when the strangers had registered they
were then ready TO seek their new homes,
and the pages took them in charge. II
was familiar sight throughout the day
to see q party of ladies and gentlemen on
the streets and the cars being piloted TO
their lodgings by a little fellow wearing
white cap and an air OF supreme i'm
portance. The street-cars carried all the
pages as well as members Of the Recep-
ton Committee free Of charge.
MANY STATES REPRESENTED.
Every Southern State. with few eX-
ceptons has sent a delegation; nearly
all the Northern States are already par
TALLY represented, and many States OF
the West have already sent delegates.
The Maritime provinces of Canada have
sent a delegation, three ladies and as
many gentlemen. not including the trans
portation leader, Rev. J. b. Morgan, OF
Toronto. In the party are Rev. Professor
T. NJ. Kierstead. of Acadia University,
Nova Scotia. and Professor Charles f..
Morse y. A, Professor of Mathematics
I'm Horton Collegiate Academy. Wolfvile.
y. 5. The party is stopping at New
FOrd's.
one Of the largest delegations TO arrive
al one time was that which reached mere
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