The times., 1901-06-02

fought for the preservation of the Union
nearly forty years ago. 1t was the most
| impressive occasion of the entire tour, and
| that the President was flied with deep
emotion was evident in his manner and
speech when he addressed the veterans.
Monterey was the first capital of Cali
fornia, and the old and weatherbeaten
town still contains many historic struc-
lures crumbling into decay
! Sunday morning DR.. Rixey decided that
| Il was necessary that Mrs. Mckinley be
removed to San Francisco. She needed
moro than the rest and quiet which could
| be obtained at Del Monte Accordingly,
| the Presidents private car, the Olympia,
was detached from the train. and accom-
| panied by the President, Secretary Cor
telyou. and Dr. Rixey Mrs. Mckinley was
! taken with all possible haste to San Fran
| cisco, where three additional specialists
were called into consultation with her
own devoted physician Her removal was
the beginning of the end of the tour of
the President which had been begun in
triumph and came near ending in tragedy.
The Presidential party leaving Del
| Monte was like the movement of COM
pany without its captain. and interest in
the trip both on the part of the people
| and those who had accompanied the Prs
| ident. began to wane. In vain did Secre-
tary Hay and his associates in the Cabi-
net attempt to fill the place of their chief,
| but while they were warmly and cor
daily received it was evident that the
people were disappointed The President
had no understudy who could fill his
place.
THE REDWOOD TREES,
The people of Santa Cruz were probably
more disappointed than any others. The
forest of big redwood trees which the
President intended to visit is there, and
the citizens had looked forward with
much pleasure and anticipation TO the
coming of the nations chief. The town
| is situated a few miles off the main line
of the railroad and thus it happened that
| the President did not pass through there
even on his hurried trip to San Fran
cisco.
| why, a part of our show has been in
course of preparation for more than 5000
| years; those trees are fully that DID," ex-
| claimed one downcast citizen. "and we
have made all arrangements. and to think
| that Santa Cruz is the only place on the
schedule which Mr.. Mckinley is forced TO
pass is certainly diseouraging."
The other members of the party how
ever. paid a visit to the forest, were pho
tographed beneath the towering redwoods
| and lunched under their shade, and
viewed with wonder and astonishment the
titanic growth to which tlese giants of
the woods have attained. One of them
! still standing, but followed at the base
of the trunk sufficient to permit seven
teen persons to stand within it, was
pointed out as the place where General
Fremont had once quartered himself dur
ing a winter campaign.
Mrs. McKinley's condition permitted the
President to returQ to San Jose for an
hour on the following day and deliver a
brief address and accept she mammoth
bouquet measuring sixty feet in circum-
ference and composed of scores OF varie-
ties of flowers which had been prepared
for him. 1t was presentation. but not
a delivery. for owing 10 its immensity
the bouquet could not be carried away,
and the best that could be done was to
make photograph of it. San Jose had
also arranged for a floral procession, but
the special train could not be delayed
long enough to permit the party to wit
ness it
At Palo Alto the seat of the Leland
Stanford, Jr., University, the students
awaited the arrival of the President,
but were likewise disappointed They, |
nevertheless, felt themselves honored
by the addresses delivered by Sec
retary Hay, Postmaster General Smith,
and Secretary Long, the latter of whom
joined the Presidential party at Los An
geles, having come on from Colorado
i Ii
daughter, who is i'll.
A PERIOD OF ANXIETY.
The entrance into San Francisco was a |
triumphal one. but nevertheless tinged |
with sorrow and expectancy. The Presi- |
dent met the train Just outside of the |
city. and the form of reception was gone |
through with as originally intended. and |
he led the procession which drove from |
the depot to the reviewing stand. but |
anxiety over the Illness of his wife COM |
PEELED him to leave before the entire pa |
rade had been reviewed.
+ Then followed the long days and nights |
of worry and sorrow as Mrs. Mckinley |
lay sick unto death. At first the pro- |
grammes were postponed from day to day |
and from hour to hour. until finally. when |
her condition had reached a most critical |
stage, it was found necessary to cancel |
ali arrangements, including the cOntinu- |
alton of the tour beyond San Francisco. |
Telegrams of sympathy and enquiry |
poured in upon the President he /
sat by the bedside of his sick wife mo- |
mentarily expecting, as did all of her |
friends, that the end was near at hand, |
and that there was no possible chance of |
her recovery.
In his exhibition of devotion the people
had an opportunity for new admiration
for the President They had seen the po-
litical and public side of his nature. but
now they were afforded a view of his do
nestle life. There was surprise well
as relief and rejoicing when Mrs Nc
Kinley began to show signs of improve
ment She did SO after hope had prac-
ticaIly been abandoned, and the city was
beginning to prepare to change its gala
dress for a garb of mourning.
1t was a remarkable recuperation, and
fortunately came in time to permit the
President to witness the launching of the
battleship which had been the prime OBJ
iect of his trans continental trip.
But even while the President was thus
temporarily absent from the bedside of his
sick wife he was kept constantly advised
of her condition for a Western Union tel
egraph line had been placed in the resi-
dence of Henry T. Scott, and he was thus
enabled to know that Mrs. Mckinley had