Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-05-02
PRESIDENT M'k|NLEY At
LOuS|ANA'S METROPOLIS
BANQUET GIVEN IN HIS
HONOR.
WELCOME EVERYWHERE.
A RAPID TRIP ACROSS THE COT
TON BELT WITH RECEPTIONS
AT SEVERAL TOWNS.

NEW ORLEANS, La. May 1.-The
presidential party travelled across the
cotton belt to-day from Memphis al
most to the Gulf of Mexico. Down the
low lying rich Yazoo valley, fertile as
that of the Nile, it went to Vicksburg,
teeming with its memories of thirty
years ago, thence east to Jackson, the
capital of Mississippi and from there
down into the land of the magnolia and
the orange to Bregantine City near the
mouth of the Mississippi with its ira
ditions of French and Spanish rule.
The outpourings of the people to see
the presidential, train along the route
to-day were larger if anything than on
the previous two days and the demon
STATIONS at Vicksburg and Jackson, the
two principal stops, were very strik-
ing. The visit to Vicksburg was in
some respects the most interesting yet
made. Here a triumphal arch of cot
ton bales, with the magic word Elk
pansion," pointed out to the President
as he passed under it, the path of the
new South. At some of the stations the
crowds actually impeded the passage of
the train and the engineer was oblig-
ed to slow down to avoid danger of run
ming over enthusiastic people. AS the
sun was lowering the train crossed the
bayous with their tangles OF moss coy
cred cypress and live oaks and skirt
ing Lake Pontcha the train steamed in
to New Orleans This is the first time
New Orleans has ever had visit from
the Chief Magistrate of the nation and
it was a royal reception that the old
city iextended to President Mckinley.
The air was filled with the blare Of
bands, the booming of cannon and the
scream of whistles from the harbor
craft as the train drew into the sta
ton. Here the President and his party
were greeted by Governor Heard, Mayor
Capdevielle, Senators McEnery and
Foster, the entire Louisiana Congress
siona1 delegation. the City Council and
representatives of the various CONNER
cial exchanges.
While the mayor was formally ex-
tending the hospitality of the city to
the President, fine military band was
completely drowning his words with
New Orleans favorite air, Louisiana
LOU"
The crowd around the station was so
dense that it required the heroic efforts
of the police to keep the path Of the
carriages clear A big military parde,
consisting of the Louisiana cavalry
troop, the Washington artillery and all
the militia from this end of the State,
escorted the party along Camp and
Canal streets to the new st. Charles
hotel
Never except in Mardi Gras times
were they known to be SO choked and
damned with surging humanity.
Mrs. Mckinley and the ladies of the
party dined quietly at the hotel, and
later received the ladies of New Orleans.
The President and his cabinet with the
other gentlemen of the party were given
an elaborate banquet at the hotel in
the evening. About 800 of the promi-
nent men OF New Orleans were present
and the banquet was said to have ex-
ceeded in every respect anything of
similar character attempted in this city.
Senator McEnery presided. Governor
Heard, Mayor Capdeveille and the
President responded to toast.
1t was past II when the President
rose to speak. He said:
Governor Heard, Mr. Mayor and
Gentlemen: ! cannot find phrase or
speech to express the profound appre-
citation which feel for the warmth Of
your welcome and for the gracious
words spoken in your behalf by the
Governor of your commonwealth, and
the Mayor of your city. Since my jour
neying through the South. leaving the
capital last Monday morning, | have
received in every State through which
| have passed, in every city and village,
town and hamlet. greeting genuine
and sincere from all the people, and
tonight, we have the crowning consum-
nation of a welcome from the repre-
sentative people of this Crescent City.
(Great ,Applause).
The Governor has we'll said that's
will ALWAYS have differences. Men who