St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-03-20
PRESIDENT HARRIsON's VISIT

lie the fact that he was the only
o-,s;dert of the United States who ever
;.;ted this section of Vermont while in
Hoe Mr.. Harrison visited st. Johns
hurry on August &c, 1891, and the day is
honorable one in the history OF Gale
5ooia county. The President at that
lime made quite tour in Vermont. He
,,.os present at the dedicatory exercises
81 +he Remington monument on August
"a then spent few days at Saratoga,
ro came to Burlington on Tuesday, Au-
oct Oh and during a two hours stay
.here was the guest of Senator George F.
7,d,,rrds. In the afternoon the presi.
dart;aI party sailed in W. Seward Webb's
,.ocbt "Elfrida" to Maquam. From
there they went to St. Adams where Mr..
Harrison was the guest of Ex-Governor
G Smith over night. Wednesday they
went to Montpelier and visited special
s.ssion of the legislature, coming from
there to St. Johnsbury in the afternoon.
The reception rendered the President
here is too we'll remembered to need an
extended review. 1t was the greatest
Gala dav St. Johnsbury ever saw. The
President was greeted by town full
NJ people who had come from all over
northeastern Vermont and from New
Hampshire and Canada. Among those
who made up the presidential party was
Secretary of War, Proctor, who but two
DAYS previous had been appointed by
Governor Page, United States Senator to
fiji the vacancy caused by the resigna-
ZION of Senator Edmnnds. Next to the
President Mr.. Proctor was the central
figure of the occasion. The procession
that escorted the President from. the de-
not to Underclyffe, where he was enter
tanned, included about every organiza
ton in the county. The immediate es-
cort of Mr.. Harrison was Chamberlin
Post, No. 1, G. A. R., which with visit
ing comrades numbered about go vet
Grams. The village was decorated as
never before or since, and in the evening
extensive Examinations added to the
beauty of the gaily decorated streets. In
the evening the President was escorted
to the Athen9um by squad OF mounted
veterans. On Main street and Eastern
avenue and in Court House square it
was estimated that Is, 1000 people had
gathered, when about $50 Mr.. Harrison
appeared on a stand erected in front OF
the Atben9um.
The chief magistrate was introduced
by his host, Col. Franklin Fairbanks,
who said:
1T is 100 years since Vermont was ad.
mitted to the sisterhood of states, and
during that time she has received three
presidents within her borders-Monroe,
Grant and Hayes. We in the northeast,
IN the Passumpsic valley, have waited
100years for president to paw us visit,
and know bespeak your wishes in ex-
tending to him cordial welcome-so
hearty that we hope we will not have to
wait hundred years more. Let me in
troduce to you-the President" Mr.. Har-
rison's address was as follows:
My Fellow Citizens: | could wish
that | were in better voice and in full
strength that ] might better respond to
this most magnificent demonstration.
have rarely looked upon a scene more
calculated to inspire patriot than this
upon which my eye rests tonight | do
most profoundly thank you for this great
welcome. The taste and beauty and
elaboration OF these preparations exceed
anything have looked upon in this jour
ney. | am sure you are here tonight
after making all this preparation to give
witness by your presence of your love to
the flag of our country, and to those in
sttutions of civil government and lib
erty which that flag represents. 1t gives
me great pleasure to see that the flag is
everywhere. Ijourneyed across this con
tluent, and, except when darkness shut
in the landscape, was never out of sight
of the American flag. On those wide
plains of the West, once called the great
American desert, now and again, on the
home Of some adventurous settler, the
flag appeared and was waved in greeting
as our train sped on its way. rtjoiced
tosee it everywhere in the sight OF school
children. On that great demonstrate
IN New York, in observance OF the centen
NAL OF the Inauguration Of Washing on,
as moved from the Battery up through
those streets dedicated to commerce,
saw every front covered with flags, hid.
ing for the time those invitations to
trade which covered their walls. The
thought occurred to me, what will be
done with these flags when this celebra
ton is over; and it occurred to me to
suggest at the centennial banquet that
the flags should be taken into our school
houses. rejoice to know that every
where throughout the land, iii our patri
otto towns and villages, movements are
being lnaugurated to display the Ameri-
can fl & over our institutions OF learning.
have several times been brought
IN contact with incidents showing this
love OF the flag. remember that when
Hood was investing Nashville, and when
that gallant, sturdy, unostentations but
always faithful and victorious leader,
Gen. George H. Thomas, was gathering
the remnants of an army that he might
confront his adversary in battle, it was
assigned to me to intrench through the
beautiful grounds Of resident in the
suburbs of Nashville. The proprietor
IL
digging and tearing the sod OF his beau
t;1,I 10 ,,.. L. r-,oe .a,,,ou;px he Il.o.,,