River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-06-22
is WARMLY WELCOMED.
visit of the President to HoIyoke,
Mass.-He Attends the Col
lege Exercises.

Holyoke, Mass, June 19.-"If only
for the great crowd here il would be
a grand success" said President McKin-
ley, as he stood upon the reviewing
stand here Saturday afternoon, await
ing the arrival of the parade. There
were fully $4,000 people upon the
streets. The arrival of the presidential
train at ten O'Clock Saturday morning
was the first event of the day. The sec
ond was the big parade, which was re-
viewed by the president in the after
noon. Afterward the president and
Mrs. Mckinley were driven by former
Congressman William Whiting TO his
stock farm and log cabin on the banks
of the Connecticut at Chicopee, where
they rested and enjoyed the first quiet
moment since their arrival. Dinner was
served Immediately on their return, and
the evening was spent quietly at the
Whiting mansion. No visitors were
received.
Sunday for the president was any
thing but the day of rest that was
hoped for. The continual crowding of
the curious citizens, the immense jam
at the church in the morning, aud
later in the day an unexpected and
totally unprepared-for reception in CON
nection with the baccalaureate eXer-
cises at Mount Holyoke college, made
the day long and tiresome for all.
Holyoke, Mass, June 20.-Notwith-
standing that the day was long and
tedious one, both the president and
latr f1,.ar ft.af irtni m
to the great demonstration at
Northampton and the journey back TO
Holyoke very well indeed. The trip to
Mount Tom in the afternoon was wei
come change from the turmoil of the
morning, while the quiet hours were
fitting climax to busy day. The entire
morning was taken up with visit TO
Northampton and Smith college. The
parade was an interesting feature of
the programme, and was followed by
the senior chapel day exercises of the
college. Here the president and his
party occupied the platform, and lis
tened to the exercises by the gradual
ing class of $50 young women, and to a
resume of the work of the year as given
by President L. C. Seelye, of the college.
During these services beautiful low
ing cup of cut glass, trimmed with sill
yer, was presented to Mrs. Mckinley by
Bethesda chapter, Order of Eastern
Star, and later the entire party, with
the exception of Mrs. Mckinley, were
taken for an hours drive about the
city. The only special incident of this
drive was when the president, noticing
a venerable, gray-headed man seated
in chair near the curbstone, ordered
his carriage driven near the spot while
he shook hands and spoke few words
to the aged gentleman. He was Gen.
Benjamin f. Cook, 81 years of age,
father of Capt. Frank Cook, of the
United States cruiser Brooklyn.
President Mckinley was then driven
to the residence of Harry L. Williams,
where Mrs. Mckinley had been resting
while the others were seeing the city.
Before they entred the carriages again,
President Mckinley went out upon the
grounds and personally shook the hand
of each of the militiamen who had done
escort duty for him during the parade
The trip back to Holyoke was without
incident.
An interesting feature of the visit of
President Mckinley to Smith college
was the comforting of the degree of
LII. d. on him by the board of trustees,
which held meeting in the afternoon.
This is the first time Smith has con-
ferred an honorary degree upon a man.
But one other honorary degree has been
conferred by the college in its history.