The times., 1901-06-02

this fact caused. Col. L. 5. Brown, the
general agent of the Southern Railway
Company. who accompanied the Presi-
dent to New Orleans, after leaving Deca-
tur, gave directions for stopping the train
al a favorable point to enable the photog-
raphers aboard to take pictures of the
members of the party and of the train.
Tuscumbia had been informed that the
special left Decatur at 10:l5 and would
arrive in Tuscumbia at 11:40.
ALARM IN TUsCUMBIA
The picture-making occupied fifteen
minutes and when the hands of the sta
tion clock at Tuscum5ia pointed to 11:4O
and the Presidential train had not put in
an appearance there was great alarm ,in
the little Alabama town. Five minutes
passed and the station agent and opera
tor stood out upon the track anxiously
watching for the locomotive and listen
ing for the rumble of the car wheels. but
they neither heard nor saw anything to in
dicate the approach of the train. Five
minutes later Tuscumbia called Decatur
to enquire the cause Of the delay and was
Informed that the special had left on
time, ana in good condition. Instantly
i1lG ID4tAlIsSOtl was ttdNAltd NtAdl st4l 1'-Cl-
dent must have occurred, and an order
was given for special engine to pro-
ceed cautiously up the track with
wrecking crew to investigate. They were
just preparing to depart. when the special
hove in sight and the station agent
breathed sigh of relief, while the crowd
cheered vociferously.
En- route through Alabama the Presi-
Dental train passed directly in front of
the old plantation home of Gen. Joe
Wheeler. The popular warrior was not
there at the time. but a big banner float
ed in front of the house, and a group of
plantation darkeys stood beside the track
and waved their hats as the train sped
by. Fighting Joe" has for many years
been the SoutheIns agent at the little
station there, which bears his name. 1t
is nothing but platform and a shed
where the country people come in and
flag the train if they wish to go aboard,
and General Wheeler. when not absent
attending to official duties, supervises the
handling Of boxes of freight and express
which his neighbors bring in for ship
ment
It was at Tuscumbia that the first Con-
federate nag was displayed along the
route IL did not appear to have been
raised with any i'll feeling, but merely
for purposes of decoration, for q I'm
ion banner noated beside it, and the peo-
pie who stood beneath them waved
their hands and cheered as Justify as any.
II was here toe. that Mrs. Mckinley was
met and greeted by two of her Oh school
mates, who years ago In Ohio mad studied
with her.
In the Journey through Alabama the
train was once held up. but instead of oc-
casioning any alarm. it only afforded a
few country people near Scottsville an
of seeing the President which
tkey would not otherwise have had. There
are no fences along the rsilroad through
some of the Southern country, and. in
the cattle stroll up on the
tracks and occasionally refuse to move
when the shrilI whistle of the locomotive
warns them to do so. The company finds
1t cheaper to pay for the killing of an oc-
casional bovine than to construct fences,
and this method of selling a COW is not
always objected to by the farmers. So.
when a COW with crumpled horns stood
on the ties and defied the locomotive
hauling the Presidential train. it was nee
essary to stop and allow one Of the crew
to ahght and throw stones at the obdu-
rate beast until she moved on to more
fertile pasturage.
THE MEMPHIS RECEPTION.
At Corinth. Miss. a committee Of cit-
zens from Memphis came aboard the train
and escorted the President to the Tennes-
see metropolis, where no less than fifty
thousand people lined the streets of that
thriving commercial city. and saw Mr. Nc
Kinley as he was driven about the stand
and TO the public park. where, standing
on platform with Governor McMillin
and Mayor Williams, he addressed a
crowd of ten thousand persons. The ban
quet which was rendered him in the even
ing afforded the President an opportunity
to speak on broad national questions more
than ne had done before. and while the
crowds which saw him in the parade
the city were undemonstrative.
his speech was received with great ap-
plause. Mrs. Mckinley was feted, too the
most important events Of her entertain
ment there being the reception rendered
her by the bellies OF the town at the Nine
teenth Century Club, and the ladies' ban
quet in the evening.
There was no more cordial reception ex-
tended to the President anywhere than
that given by the citizens of the little city
Of vicksburg. made so historic by the
siege which General Grant conducted for
it's conquest during the civil war. The
on the main street were covered
with decorations, and the street was lit
orally canopied with streamers of red.
white. and blue. A picturesque feature Of
the decorations. too. was the mammoth
arch built OF cotton bales. beneath which
the President drove, and on either side
on a platform Of bales stood a negro with
a big basket of unginned cotton.
The programme Of the Presidents en-
tertainment In Vicksburg included a drive
through the beautiful National Cemetery
on the hillside overlooking Che Mississip-
Di. where lie buried 1000 Union soldiers
who fen In and about the city during the
siege. On the summit of the
biz which overlooks the town and COM
nands a view Of many miles up and down
the river IS erected a monument on the
spot where Grant and Pemberton met and
arranged terms for the surrender Of the
,ity, and the entrance of the Union forces.
The site OF the Confederate batteries
which so long held Grant at bay was
pointed out to the President.
After leaving Vicksburg the Presiden-
iaI train turned east for short visit to
the State capital. where 1t was
net by Governor Longino with his staff |