The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-07
GOV. ODELL, The MAN OF 1904!
BRILLIANT PAGEANT or CANAL
CONTRACTORS ron Az ESCORT.


Holder OF n Canal Contract To the
National Convention with Train
Typical Of the aIOI 900. 600 Canal
ST.. LOUIS, June 10, 1907. All the curiosity
of the crowds gathered here for the he
publican National Convention centred IN
the arrival Of Gov. Odelrs slOl OOO.OO
train bearing the delegates from the state
of New York. The people of st. Louis
who recalled the pageantry of Gov, oden
trip here in April, 1908, when he came to
attend the dedication Of tho worlds fair
were prepared for a show of grandeur;
but imagination did not stretch to the
transcendent splendor of the Governors
party and equipment.
Five cars specially built for this journey
contained the members of tho GRAB 'luh'
who act as a personal escort to the Cover
nor To be eligible for membership in this
club one must hold canal contract let
under the Davis l,OO0-ton barge canal
act.
The club members. who have super
seded the military staff as the Governor s
bodyguard wear uniforms of uneXampled
macpificence They are of woven gold.
No space l., wasted in cloth, and the sim
plicity of the sheen is broken only by the
buttons of pigeon-hlood rubes, the epau-
let's of massive real pearls and tho rosottes
of diamonds. The cigarholders, worn in
stead of swords. are afre with precious
stones In what detail these niceties are
carried out may be guessed from the fact
that the sales of their shoes are made in
the printing office of the Treasury Depart
ment.
rf-t l,,,l S>f tl,n
spectacle as the members of the club, each
in his own automobile, formed around the
Governor, most gorgeous of all, as the
parade headed for the hotel which was
built for their special entertainment. Be
hind the club members came the expert
engineers appointed by the Governor under
the Davis act, and while their adornment
was less snowy, it was. by the express
wish of the Governor, quite az expensive
Then came the resident engineers, 1000
strong, and splendidly drilled, escorting as
an exhibit the canal board fettered hand
and foot with golden shackles.
The excavators, laborers, timekeepers,
paymasters and clerks exempt from the
civil service were transported in six trains,
which followed the Governors special,
and made so formidable body that it
took them five hours to pass given point
Among the exhibits which the Governor
brought along as part of New York's
exhibit at the worlds fair were the State
charitable institutions. each decorated
with a banner For President Business
Ben Odell." the State hospitals for the
insane, and the State prisons, which are
to be shown in the Agricultural Building
as demonstrators of Newburgh groceries
The handsome marble shrine to Bill Tweed
will be placed at the entrance of the New
York State building.
A description Of the parade would be in
complete without word about the band
1t consisted OF 5000 men (the ma jorty by
which the Governor was elected in 1902
each with an instrument fashioned Of gold.
The expense of this State band is met out
OF the canal funds by an executive order OF
the Governor. Capt +. Norton Goddard,
who was playing large wind instrument
with characteristic skill, was greeted with
cheers all along the line of march,
The membership Of the Grab Club includes
a ma jority of the delegates to the National
Convention.
II the Governor is nominated for Presi-
dent, he has promised to call special ses-
sion OF the Legislature at once TO appro-
pirate few more hundred millions for the
canal enlargement, as it is now clearly evil
dent that the pitful SOL ,OOOO will only
cover the prelimin1ries
Many interesting anecdotes are told of
the journey from Albany to st. Louis illus
trating the good fellowship of the members
OF the club II seems that John W. Gates
stole aboard the train at Buffalo and tried
to get into little poker game that was
II progress. He had never before played
with solid gold chips embossed with dia-
monds, and was somewhat disconnected by
the uuaccustomed lavishness. After losing
a couple Of millions he tried to buy $500 Geo
worth of checks. The banker was for cast
ing him out at once.
"Oh. let him pike along" said the gentle
man who has the contract for the first
section of the canal; after he gets his nerve
maybe he'll buy whole stack"
Many of the club members are wearing
the little notices which the club adopted
last year: "Get in Right. Buy at New
burgh'