Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-05-02
MR.. M'KINLEY'S TOUR
Presidential Party Passed Through
Dixie's Land Yesterday.
4 WARN WELCOME At MEMPHIS.
After Speech In Court Square the Presi.
dent Was Taken to veritable Beauty
Show ut the Twentieth Cen
tury Club.

dental party passed through the
heart Of Dixie yesterday and at 4.3o
in the afternoon reached Memphis,
on the banks of the Mississippi. This
was the first resting place of the
tour. After descending the noun
tains Monday night the train yester-
day SKINNED along through north
ern Alabama and the valley of the
Tennessee river and touched at Cor
NTH, Miss, where Gen. Grant worsted
Forrest in his campaign to cut the
confederacy in two.
The fresh green southland, with
its fruit in full blossom and its inf
mite variety of wild flowers in the
fields and forest, was a great change
from the backward spring which the
party had left behind at Washington.
The heat was rather oppressive, but
the weather was not so warm as the
presidents welcome. The hearty
greetings extended to him along the
route testified how completely he had
captured the hearts of the people of
Dixie. Confederate veterans at all
the stopping places were among the
presidents most enthusiastic audi
tors.
During the morning, at the regular
hour for the cabinet to assemble, the
president summoned his advisers into
the observation car and there, behind
closed doors, the first cabinet meet
ing on wheels was held. No impor-
tant advices had been received from
Washington which required action,
but the foreign dispatches in the pa
pers were talked over and some OF
the details as yet undetermined were
discussed
At Memphis the party received a
wonderfully impressive welcome. A
committee, headed by Senator Car
mack, met the train at Corinth and
escorted the party to this city. A ma
tion:l salute of 81 guns fired from the
river bluffs signaled the approach to
the city. At the station Gov. McMil-
lin and others reinforced the greet
ings to the party. A military parade,
with company of grizzled confed-
crate veterans in their old uniforms.
acting as the guard of honor, escorted
the party in carriages through the
principal streets and around the Gus
tom house, whence q view of the Mis-
sissipp, now almost overlooking on
the Arkansas side, was obtained, to
court square The city was elaborate
ly decorated with flags and bunting.
The cheering through which the
procession passed was tremendous at
points along the route. In court
square, where the open air reception
occurred, the platform was so hedged
around with roses and other blossoms
as to make 1t flower show Over
10000 people were packed into the
square when the president was intro
duced by Mayor Williams. In re-
Spouse to the cheers which greeted
him the president made the first really
notable speech of his trip. His theme
was the resistless power of a great
united people and was delivered in his
best vein. When he referred in clos
ing to the noble record of the Ten
nessee volunteers in the Spanish and
Philippine wars Gov. McMillin led
the cheering.
After the speech the party was
driven to the Twentieth Century club,
a ladies' organization of this city.
Here there was veritable beauty
show. About 30 charming southern
bellies held court in a bower of roses,
ranged around gilded arm chair,
which was designed to hold the presi-
dent. Mr.. Mckinley, however, was
too wary to be caught in the net. He
did not take the chair, but braved
the battery Of eyes and after greeting
each of the young ladies personally
IN turn he was introduced by W. J..
Crawford. of the Commercial Appeal,
and made pretty speech.
After this function the ladies of the
party were taken in hand by the ladies
of Memphis. A reception was held in
their honor and later banquet was
given them at the Peabody hotel. At
the same time on the floor above the
president and the gentlemen n his
party, with about 200 prominent bust
ness men Of the city, sat down to an
elaborate dinner
At lao o'clock this morning the
presidential train resumed its journey
for New Orleans, which will be
reached at 4:30 this afternoon.