The times., 1901-06-02

by nearly 4G0 of the most prominent citi-
zens of the city, whose presence and
welcome ser forcibly illustrated the fact
that politics was without significance in
the reception and entertainment, ana
was, in fact, entirely forgotten.
These men whom you see here are the
representative men of New Orleans said
one of their number. Il know nearly all
of them personally, and to my positive
knowledge there are not six about these
tables who are Republicans, yet you sec
the manner in which they greet Mr.. Nc
KinIey, because they admire him person.
ally and because he is the President of
all the people
In the buffet of the St Charles some
members of the Reception Committee pro-
posed three cheers for "William McKin-
ley, President of the United States" and
they were given with royal will. Then
some one called for three cheers for
William Mckinley, the greatest Repub-
lican in the United States"
Stop shouted a Characteristic old
Creole, in the uniform of a colonel of
the Governors staff, Il don my hat and
shout as loud as any man for the Execu-
tive head OF this nation, but l wouldn't
lisp a whisper for the gHsatest Repub-
lican in the country and the second
cheers were not given.
This sentiment was manifested every
where throughout the South. The people
forgot Mr.. McKinley's politics, and re-
membered him only as the President or
the United States. Taking his public ut
terances as a fair expression of his feel
ings. this attitude of the people was very
pleasing to the President. for 1t showed,
as he declared, that but glinmer of sec
tionalism remains. and that the country
is solidly reunited.
On every hand he saw the evidences of
the development and prosperity of the
South, as he passed by the smiling fields
where cotton had just been planted. and
in such cities as Memphis, Vicksburg, and
New Orleans saw where the crop of last
season was being stored or shipped to
the great manufacturing centres of Old
and New England. But it was not alone
in the cotton product that the President
observed the indications of material prog
ress in Dixie, for the industries of the
section are becoming widely diversified
and in every department of commercIaf
and Industrial life there is marked a--
tivity
OLD AND NEW NEW ORLEANS.
The old and the new city of New Or
leans, divided as they are by Canal Street.
afforded the President an excellent op-
portunity 10 observe the striking con-
trast between conditions a century ago
and the present day. The former has its
narrow little streets and byways. roughly
we'd and
shops and dwellings. with their long bal
comics, its ancient cathedral and old Ca
bildo, the seat of authority under the
Spanish and French regimes where SOW
ereignty was first transferred from Spain
to France and later from France to the
United States, where the President was
received by the Louisiana Historical So
ciety, its famous French market and
French restaurants. and most interesting
of all its peculiar Creole population.
But when the President drove to the
Southern University out broad St
Charles. with its handsome residences on
either side surrounded with spacious
lawns, shaded with magnolias and wide
spreading palms. and blooming with
every variety of fragrant flower, he saw
a city quite different from the ancient
municipality on the other side of Canal
Street. a ride for some distance down
the river@on one of the mammoth Missis-
sippi steamers enabled him to see the
result of the expenditure of millions of
dollars by the Government in the con-
structIon of levees which prevent the riv-
er from overfowing it's banks and COM
pletely submerging the city. There he
- h,af1f
along the crescent beside which lay great
ocean steamers being laden with the
products of the rich Mississippi Valley
and preparing to depart for distant ports,
and the river boats bringing in the cot
ton from up-river points
The journey across southern Louisiana
and the sugar growing section was made
at night, which precluded any opportunity
to view this interesting section, and be-
fore daybreak the Presidential train had
entered the great Lone Star State, and
according to the schedule the first i'm
portant stop made was at Houston. The Oil
region about Beaumont was passed in the
early morning and only a shadowy
glimpse of the towering shafts of the
wells where the great gushers have been
struck could be seen. But the President
nevertheless acquired a thorough knowl-
edge of the oil boom in Texas. for on
every hand he was told of the wonderful
strikes, the apparently inexhaustibie sup
ply of Oil, and the fabulous fortunes al
ready made and in process of accumula-
tion in the oil fields, for all Texas is
aroused over the recent discoveries and
Beaumont is the scene of a boom which
old prospectors and spectators declare
far exceeds the most intense excitement
ever experienced either at Cripple Creek
or Cape Nome.
AT Houston the President was met by
Governor Sayers. and their mutual greet
ing was something more than official, for
they are old friends. having served in
Congress together and enjoying a per-
sonal acquaintance of many years stand
ing. II is no small honor to be the exec
utive of a great and growing State like
Texas, but Governor Sayers bears the
title with the unaffected democratic man
ner which is typical of all Texans. 1t
was a wholesome, hearty, and unostenta-
tious reception which this enterprising
city of Houston, named in honor of Gen.
Sam Houston, extended to the President.
Houston is the greatest inland cotton
market of the Southwest. and her ship
ments of the product are second only TO
New Orleans. 1t was at Houston that the
President was presented by Mrs. Jones,
the widow of the last President of the
Republic of Texas. with d handsome flag
as a souvenir OF his visit to the city.