Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1901-05-02
CONGER BACK HOME
GIVEN ALL-DAY RECEPTION BY clTl-
zENS OF COUNCIL BLUFFS.

ZENS OF COUNCIL BLUFFS.
Des Moines Sends Big Delegation to Join
China, But Reserves It's Ovation TIL
Major Reaches Capital City.
Omaha, May 1.-Major e. II. Con
ger, United States minister to China.
and his party, including his wife,
daughter and niece. arrived in Omaha
over the Union Pacific railroad
this morning. The car was taken to
the Iowa side OF the river Immediate
ly after breakfast.
On the arrival in Council Bluffs car.
riages We're in waiting and Minister
Conger and the members of his party
We're taken into them and driven to
the Grand Hotel, escorted by the old
! soldiers, the Dodge Light guard, the
High School cadets and other organ
izations that turned out to take
| part in the demonstration. The party
was then taken in carriages for drive
to Paramount park and about the city.
Following this drive came the pub
lie reception. beginning about Ill
o'clock, when Major Conger met and
shook hands with the people in the
corridor of the Grand hotel This re.
ception continued for en- hour and
half
One O'Clock was the hour set for the
banquet, which was given in the main
dining room Of the hotel During the
time the banquet was in progress Mrs
Conger and small party of women
were entertained at luncheon given
under the direction of Mrs. John n.
| Baldwin in the reception room at the
entrance to the dining ROOM
The program of toaSts was:
Toastmaster-Gove Shaw.
i Address of Welcome-Mayor Victor
Jennings.
Toast-"Our Guest Hon. Edwin III.
Conger, minister of the United States
to China.
Toast-"Hon. Edwin II. Conger,"
John n. Baldwin.
Toast-"The Open Door; the Enlight.
ened Policy of Civilization in the Ori-
ent," G. G. Saunders.
Toast-''Westward the Star of EN-
pire Takes Its Way" A. B. Cummins,
Des Moines
Toast-"Iowa in the Councils and
Service of the Nation" United States
Senator j. p. Dolliver. Fort Dodge.
Toast-"0ur American Women,
Ever Brave, Loyal, Tender and True, y
G. ]. Harl.
Des Moines sent big delegation
who entered heartily into the cele-
bration at Council Bluffs and WIN take
Minister Conger and his party aboard
their special train and leave for the
capital city at ; o'clock this afternoon.
In connection with the speculation
y as to. the governorShip and Mr.. Con
ger, considerable significance is at
tached to the complexion of the delega.
: tion that went to Ogden to meet the
returning minister. The Republicans
of the party were to man anti
, Cummins workers and were in a posi-
tion to give Mr.. Conger a good idea
of the situation.
The following Is quoted from q
l private letter from Hon. w. E. Balm
bridge, second secretary of the lega
tion at Peking. to Captain L. B
4 Cousins of Council Bluffs: Iowa has
o reason to be proud of Edwin H. Con
3 ger. He is the kind of stuff thai
: men are made of and his courage dur
t Ing the last year under the strain OF
e his tremendous responsibility has beer
K most remarkable. No man here dur
Il ing the siege seemed to command the
T confidence and regard Of everyone az
e he did. 1t was due to his fixed deter
: mination that our marines held the
section of the city wall which was
the key to our whole defensive posi-
r tion. He is, in fact, a great man. {
n statesman in the broadest sense,
r skillful diplomat and a safe coun
r. selor."