Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-05-11
WELCOMED WITH ROSES
President at the Los Angeles
Floral Fete.
IMMENSE GATHERING IN CITY.

/, Governor Gage of California, Cow
ernor Nash of Ohio. Major General
shafter and stan All Come TO Meet
! the CHIEF Executive.
Los Angeles, May 9.-The president
and his party had their first taste OF
! the hospitality of California yesterday.
The introduction to the land of sun
shine fruit and flowers was like
dream of paradise after three days
spent i'll the alkali deserts of Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona. 1t was like
passing into fairy land. No words can
picture the beauty of the rich sun flood
ed valleys between snow capped peaks,
| the orange groves Of the Santa Ana and
the trees and flowers which the presi-
dent saw. Nature seemed to have
adorned herself for the occasion in her
brightest colors.
| Governor Gage and the California
congressional delegation met the presl-
dent at Redlands. In the San Bernardo
no valley, at o o'clock in the morning
and welcomed him to the state. 1t was
here that the president got his first
idea of the wonderful treat that await
ed him. Through an avenue lined with
palms and Venetian masts he drove
over beds of roses, beneath triumphal
arch of flowers and fruit to the Casa
Iona hotel, on the balcony of which
the exercises took place. drive
| through the orange groves and parks
| followed All along the route of the
| drive Indies showered the president
and Mrs. Mckinley with flowers. and
through the streets they bombarded
them from the windows with confetti
/ until the air was q perfect maze of
| color.
From Redlands to Los Angeles II was
a continual ovation. Every station was
crowded by children with wreaths of
flowers in their hands and by cheering
men and women Minute stops were
made at Cotton. Ontario. Pomona, and
at 2:30 o'clock the train drew into Los
Angeles.
A Welcoming Din.
The approach TO the city of Los An
! geles was heralded by terrific din
| which could be heard for miles. Steam
whistles screamed, cannon doomed, and
as the train passed through the Chi
nese quarter of the city long strings OF
/ firecraclsers hung from awnings ex-
ploded like the continuous rattle OF
mnsketry
The city had been beautifully deco
rated in honor of the presidents COM
ing. The fiesta is in progress here, and
the town was dressed like queen to
receive the coming of her lord. The
colors of the carnival--red, yellow and
green, representing the wine, orange
and -predominated. The streets
were avenues of masts festooned with
yellow bunting and crowned with palm
leaves and wreaths Of laurel. At the
station the party was met by the citi-
zens' committee and many distinguish
ed people from all over California.
General Shafter commander of the
department of the Pacific. with his en-
tire staff, In full uniform, had come
down from the Preside to greet his
chief Secretary of the Navy Long.
who was to have met the party at San
Francisco, also came here to meet the
president and was at the station. The
party was driven in carriages to the
| Vannuyes hotel.
An escort of art0ery and several
companies of militia had been provided
to escort them, but both the military
and police had to fight their way
| through the enormous crowds that had
swarmed into the city. drawn by the
double attraction of the presidents Wis
it and the carnival.
Meets Governor Nash.
At the hotel the police were obliged
| to literally force way TO the entrance.
There the president met Governor Nash
of Ohio and the Ohio cong. ssional
| delegation, which had arrived Y diff
| ferent routes an hour before. In the
rotunda of the hotel the mayor of Los
Angeles formally greeted the chief eX-
ecutive and extended to him the free
dom of the city
The president then held short public
reception In the parlors of the hotel.
Meantime Mrs. Mckinley and the la
/ dies of the party had been driven to the
womans club in Figure street, where
they met the ladies of Los Angeles.
Last evening the president and Mrs.
Mckinley dined at Bivouac. the hand
some residence of General Harrison
Grey Otis, and after dinner a private
reception was held there in their honor.
| They spent the night at Bivouac.
Governor Nash held public recep-
ton at the Chamber of Commerce. Late
i'm the afternoon some of the members
of the presidents party assembled Mount
Low, 5000 feet high, whence they had
birds eye view for 40 miles of south
ern California and the Pacific ocean 20
miles ont to sea. Last night the mem