The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-03-07
THE PEOPLES CHAMPION
Met Hearty Reception at Ardmore.
One Continual Ovation.

cfatlc leader and peerless orator, |
was the guest of the Bryan and
Sewall Democratic club of Ardmore |
last night
He arrived at $50 last evening,
and was met at the depot by crowd
of people variously estimated at
from $500 to 5000. A conserva-
tive estimate of the crowd would
probably be 4 800.
When the train drew up at the
station, the immense throng surged
toward the rear coach and began
clamoring for a glimpse of the dis
tinguished gentleman.
Very few in the crowd had ever
seen Mr. Bryan, so there was a
great deal of anxiety lest he should
alight and get to his carriage un-
observed. Their fears were with
out foundation. The reception
committee had provided against
any such accident. When Mr..
Bledsoe appeared on the platform
of the car, the crowd yelled He's
coming; there's Bledsoe." And
sure enough, close after Mr.. Bled-
soc came the one man of all others
wko was anxiously sought. There
could be no mistake. That was
certainly Bryan. He didn't look
very much like the newspaper
cuts either, but there was something
familiar in MS pleasant countenace,
and upon the first glimpse of him
the crowd applauded. A smile lit
up the visitors face and a bow to
the right and to the left rewarded
the audience for its demonstration
| Immediately upon alighting Mr.
Bryan was engulfed in perfect sea
of peOple-men, women and child
ren, the latter both afOOt and in
arms. As if by magic, and before
anyone hardly realized what he was
doing, he had organized the crowd
into an orderly, moving stream,
and for more than half an hour the
great man stood and shook hands
with his friends. There was moth
ing of the patrician and the plebian
in all this. He seemed as much
pleased to meet the people as they
were to meet him.
5 After the reception at the rail
way station Mr.. Bryan was driven
/ to the home of S. T. Bledsoe where
g he took tea. Besides the host anC
. hostess there were present Mr.. anC
: Mrs. A c. Cruce, Mrs. j. G
Thompson, Mr.. and Mrs. w. A
: Ledbetter, c. D. Carter and Mayor
John l.. Gait.
At the opera house a cOmpan,
limited only by the capacity of tn,
f hall awaited the speaker when a
close to 9 O'Clock he was presented
4 by Mr.. BledsOe. For two hours o.
4 more the public questions whicl
are foremost in the minds of states
men at this time-finances, trust
and imperialism-were discusses
in convincing and intelligen
manner. 1t is useless to undertak
a review of the address. Suffice
= to say that those who heard Mr.
\ BRYAN last night as he discusse
x Pending Problems have grea
3 cause for congratulatiOn that thei
x good fortune led them in the wa
y of such a treat.
3 After few hours rest, Nh
Z Bryan took the 3.36 train for FoI
x Worth, at which place, this even
3 ing, he will lecture on the them
q 'Naboth's Vineyard"
3 Mr.. Bryan's objective point o
: this trip is Austin. Tex, where
3 by invitation of the legislature c
q the state, he will address that bod
: on Thursday evening. He wi
q then return to his home in Lincoln
m The reception given Mr.. Brya
in Ardmore would indicate that
is as much in favor with the peopl
as at any time in his career, whic
must be gratifying alike to him an