The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-07

pie In a hall, the seating capacity Of
which is but 5000, gave encourage
ment to President Roosevelt when he
stepped upon the stage Of the Audi
toYium. tonight. The great building
has held many a throng, but never
one that was more unstinted in its
applause for any man than the crowd
that filled 1t tonight.
From the first floor to the. roof it
was packed to its utmost capacity.
Every seat was occupied, and al
though the aisles we're kept clear, all
the space in the Hobbies and on the
stairways was taken, and even the
passageways leading to the hall from
the lower floor were damned with
hundreds of men who were utterly un-
able to hear a word Of the presidents
address.
All that came to them was the roar
Of applause from within and with such
loyal tongues did they accept their
that several times they were CIV
ing vent to cheers when those on the
inside had died away and the presi-
dent had resumed his address.
Twice during the evening Chief of
Police O'Neill was compelled to send
word to the patriots without the door
that they must cheer in better time
or he would be compelled to clear the
stairway.
In the street outside for more than
an hour before the time set for the
opening of the presidents address
small assemblies of policemen were
kept busy. Thousands of people filled
Wabash avenue in the rear of the
Auditorium, damned Michigan avenue
In front of it, and blockaded to the
best of it's ability Congress street,
which run at the side of it.
The officers were stretched in dou-
BILE line along all the walks immedi.
ately adjoining the building, and no
person who could not exhibit ere.
dentials emitting him to admission to
the hall was permitted upon the walk.
The jam at the doors of the hall for
30 minutes preceding the time at
which the president was to open his
address was of a character to test
the patience Of the police without and
within.
When the president. escorted by the
members of the local committee, ap-
peared on the platform, he was met
with great enthusiasm. the vast crowd
rising to it's feet and supplementing
it's hearty cheers with waving pro.
grams and futtering handkerchiefs.
The president acknowledged his re-
ception with repeated bows and took
his seat between Franklin MacVeagh,
the chairman of the committee, and
Mayor Harrison. AS soon as his
voice could be heard Mr.. McVeagh, in
a few words, announced that the ma
tons chief executive would be made
welcome to the city by Mayor Harri-
son, who then spoke briefly, extending
to the president "a hearty welcome
and expressing the pleasure felt by
the people of Chicago at his visit and
offering to him later the best wishes
for a happy and pleasant trip dur
ing his two months vacation.
The president bowed his thanks to
Mayor Harrison and to Mr.. MacVeagh
and to his audience, and expressed
his pleasure at the cordial reception
extended to him on the first stop of
his long trip, and then, turning di-
rectly to the audience in front of him,
proceeded in his peculiarly energetic
to deliver his address.
He had some difficulty in commenc-
ing, for the reason that the, cheers
that had greeted his first appearance
in the hall burst forth with renewed
vigor. and it was several minutes be-
fore he was able to proceed. The ad-
dress throughout was received in the
most cordial name and with as
much approval for the manne in
ter which it contained.
At the conclusion of the address
there was renewed and continuous ap-
plause and while the greater part of
the audience was leaving the hall the
president was holding an impromptu
reception on the platform, where all
tho mem hers Of tho committee that
could be seated with him on the plat
form and many men from the audi
ence pressed round him to offer their
congratulations on his address.
Immediately preceding his address
in The Auditorium he was entertained