The bee., 1901-05-23
An INTERESTING EVENT.
President Mckinley Reviews Near
ly Fifty Thousand San Fran
cisco School Children.
LITERALLY RODE ON BEDS OF FLOWERS.
The President Hrsponded to Call for u
speech by Eyt"iiing the Advantages of
an Education and the Ambition to FRO
curs One--A Visit to the Presidio and
Gen. Shafter.


an Education and the Ambition to FRO
curs One-A Visit to the Presidio and
Gen. shsrter.
San Francisco, May 22.-President
Mckinley yesterday reviewed nearly
fifty thousand school children OF this
city. Both sids- of Van Ness avenue
from Jackson o Market streets were
lined with cheering and enthusiastic
children as the president and MEM
hers of his party and local officials in
carriages were driven from Jackson
70 Market and back on the avenue to
jackson. The president was the re-
cipient of continuous ovation.
Almost every child had been proyid
ed with a good-sized American flag.
and their voices and flags were
worked in union. Each little girl
wore white. and most of them had
red zashes. Thousands of Youngsters
had gathered large bouquets which
they threw at the president as he
PASSED along. In some cases every
pupil from certain school carried a
bouquet OF the same variety and
color of fioV crs. Some classes spread
the flowers in the street that the
president and his party might literal-
ly ride among the roses.
President Mckinley rode with his
hat in his hand. bowing and waving
from right to left. smiling continual.
ly. and receiving the ovation with eyi.
| Il ...tI Ia. 4
The avenue was rich in color. In
addition TO thousands of flags carried
by the children the residences were
decorated with bunting and flags and
the school banners of silk, bearing the
names OF every school in the city. were
conspicuous objects along the line of
review. Halfway between California
and Sacramento streets the presi-
dents carriage brought up and the
other conyeyanses came to stand
still.
speech, Speech" rang out along
the avenue, and the children swarmed
about by the thousands. President
Mckinley sat in his carriage, reach
ing down and shaking their hands for
several minutes. He finally arose and
was greeted with cheers. The presi-
dent spoke briefly, saying in part:
Il desire in a single moment to ex-
press the pleasure which has been
given to me to meet the $4,000 school
children of the city of San Francisco.
1t has given me an introduction into
the countless homes of your great
city, and has permitted me to wit
ness the sunshine which this number
of young people bring to the firesidcs
of the city. l know of no richer pos
session than great scholarship, no
nobler ambition than to obtain il. We
can not all be great scholars. but we
can all have good scholarship. want
to assure you young people that there
is nothing so essential to your easy
| advancement and success in after life
as good education.
"If those of us who have battled in
the rivalries and contentious of busy
WORLD could go back to our youth and
school days. we would embrace cheer
fully our neglected opportunities and
pursue them with industry and de-
light. If the testimony of the active
men of San. Francisco and of the
country could be taken it would be
uniform in the declaration Of the en-
barfassments under which they had
suffered from scanty mental training
in youth.
Nothing has given me more pleas
ure in my long trip from the Allan
tic to the Pacific than the scene which
we have witnessed here this after.
noon Applause EVERY child waving
the flag of our faith and our hope and
every little heart filled with the love
of country. Great applause With an
army for liberty and union and civil
ization. IGreat applause Why, we
have in the public schools of the Unit
ed States four-fold more children
than there were people when this gov
ernment was founded fApplause ;. and
all of them proud of their country
and all of them meaning that when
the time comes for them to take the
responsibilities of administration they
will be prepared to do their duty and
pass along this free government with
ever-increasing virtue. intelligence
and patriotism. Enthusiastic ap-
plause.
II thank you and wish for all of yoa
the realization of every worthy ans-
bition." Great applause. a
After reviewing the school children
President Mckinley and party drove
to the Preside. Gen. Shafter and
members of his staff were on hand to
welcome the commander-in-chief, and
he was escorted about the grounds
and shown the camps where thou
sands of volunteers going TO and com.
ing from the Philippines have been
quartered, as well az the camps of the
regulars.