The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-15
THEIR TRIP WEST
GEN. AND MRS. GORDON RETURN
FROM CHICAGO CENTENNIAL.
AS GUESTS OF THE CITY
WE'RE ACCORDED SIGNAL HoNoRS
IN WESTERN METROPOLIS.


Chicago Was a Mere village.
Tells of Pleasant Incidents on the
Trip.
Gen. and Mrs. w. w. Gordon have
returned from Chicago, where Mrs.
Gordon went as the guest of the city
of Chicago during the city's centen-
NAL. They were royalty entertained,
and bring back many pleasant men,
cries of their trip to the Western me-
tropolis. To a representative of the
Morning News they talked entertain
ingly of their trip.
Since their return Mrs. Gordon has
been the recipient of a pretty memento
of the occasion, in the shape of
handsome paper weight, the gift of
the Chicago Historical Society, on
which is inscribed a representation of
the old log fort, on the present site
of the city of Chicago-Fort Bear
born. 1t was just without this fort.
that Capt. John Kinsey her grand
father, bought a tract of land and
built the first house in what is now
one of the greatest cities of the world.
Il remember" said Mrs. Gordon.
when was little girl-quite a num-
Der of years ago-and l was attend
ing school in Chicago, our teacher an
nounced one afternoon, after the days
session, that a census of Chicago had
been taken and showed that the town
had population of 6,OOO and she add
ed that she expected many of us would
live to see it grow to a city of 10000
people.
Flowers From Perry Boys.
I'VE had quite a time of it, l re-
ceived more flowers than l knew what
to do With never saw so many: my
room was crowded with them all the
time. One bouquet which 1 appreciated
especially, was from one of the Per-
ry boys, of Goshen. He sent IL with
an invitation for me to come to their
nome and visit them. His mother
wanted me to stop. l found / could;
and l did stop"
1t will be recalled that Perry was
the young Indiana soldier whom Mrs.
Gordon nursed on the train during the
Spanish American War, when he was
near deaths door. With his brother
they came up from Miami. At Jack
sonville Mrs. Gordon found that he.
with seven others stricken with fever,
had no one to minister to them. The
brother died. His remains were taken
to the home of Mrs. Gordon. where
the funeral services were held Later
the brother returned to his Indiana
home with his brothers body. There
were eight young men in the party
who attribute their survival to Mrs
Gordon's kindness and nursing. At
Goshen she met the mothers of the
young men. 1t was, an unusual and
a touching meeting; and one which
Mrs. Gordon will, perhaps, never for
get.
Story of Their Trip.
Gen. Gordon was asked by the rep
resentative of the Morning News to
give an account of his trip. This he
did willingly, relating the various in
teresting experiences with a realism
only hampered by his modesty. While
IN Chicago both Gen. and Mrs. Cor
don received attentions such as were
never before showered upon Georgians
in private life.
We left Savannah on the steamship
Birmingham for New York, Sept. 8,
and had a smooth and uneventful voy-
age, said Gen. Gordon in telling of
the trip.
After few days spent in New York
city we went to Saratoga. and enjoy
ed its bracing climate until the Gath,
when we went to Chicago.
I'VE had been notified that, as Mrs.
Gordon was to be the guest of the
city, a committee would meet her on
arrival, and we found the CITY attor-
ney representing the Mayor Col. Nc
Ginniss u. S. A, Fernando Jones Zone
of the Oldest settlers in Chicago three
more gentlemen (whose names have es-
capped mel and two lRdes-awaiting
us-although our train was three hours
late,
THE city attorney made a welcom-
ing address, after which the entire
party were driven to the Auditorium
Hotel; where a suite of rooms had been
engaged for us.
Mrs. Gordon was informed that a
carriage was at her order, for her use
during her stay in the city.
ION Saturday a committee of ladies
escorted Mrs. Gordon to the platform
outside of the public building, to which
was attached the tablet to commemo-
rate the building of Fort Dearborn
the u. S. military post, which first
occupied the land upon which is now
the city of Chicago.
An Historic Scene.
THE platform was occupied by the
committee and their invited guests, de-
scendants of the families OF Lieut..
Swearingen, who built the block house,
and of Capt. Whistler, who built the
fort. and of John Kinzie, who was the
first white man who brought
his family and settled outside
of the fort. In addition to
these there were about a dozen In
dian chiefs in full war costume, repre-
senting the various Indian tribes for
merly living between Lake Michigan
and the Mississippi river.
Speeches were made by members OF
the committee and some of the de-
scendants, and also by two Of the In
dian cheifs--then the tablet was I'M
yelled by two little girls.
After the ceremonies were over the
committee and guests were driven, to
Lincoln Park, where the Indians who
had been invited by the city were en-
camped. There were about 100 In
dams of all ages in parties from the
reservations of the Winnebagoes, Pot
towatimies, Sacs and Foxes, and many
other tribes. The camp was in the
shape of a hollow square, each tribe
being by itself and all enclosed by
wires and guarded by numerous po-
licemen to restrain the crowd of spec
tators. which was almost countless.
Sunday was a day OF rest from pub
lie functions, but filled with calls from
relatives and friends and acauaint-
ances; as was also Monday.
At Big Reception.
Monday night was a reception by
the Chicago Historical Society at their