The Elbert County tribune., 1903-05-07
MANY THOUSANDS GREET THE
PRESIDENT ON COLORADO SOIL


boys. from the end OF chuck wag-
on" He ate slight breakfast in his
car in addition and then worked at af-
fairs of state on the journey to Dem
yer
Arrived In Denver at 1925 and spent
two hours and forty-five minutes. trav-
cling more than six miles. addressing
25.000 people and responding to the
cheers and acclaim OF 10000 more
along the streets.
He took dinner on his train and
arrived at Colorado Springs at
3;40 where he made a twenty-five
minute address to another immense
crowd
Pueblo was reached at $3.50. The
President went to n stand near the
tracks at Mineral Palace park and
spoke to another enormous gathering.
Then he drove mile through the
streets to the Union depot. receiving
tremendous ovation. and left for New
Mexico.
In all. fully 5000 people heard the
President speak during the day. and
100000 Coloradoans cheered him as he
passed through the streets.
He was in the state twenty hours in
all. Perfect weather continued through
VIC UP III tulH 5icAts
Upon emerging from the depot at
Denver. as he was escorted to his car
riage, the President was confronted by
q memorable scene The court in front
OF the building was filled with a mass
Of humanity that had awaited his COM
ing for hours with patriotic patience
Down the vista of the street so far as
the vision could carry the pavement
was packed with a crushing crowd.
But 1t was a quiet crowd, thoroughly
imbued with the spirit or respect, and
the cheering was of modest volume.
Amid the Haunting of flags and to
the stirring strains of martial music
the procession moved up Seventeenth
street toward the capitol.
The terraced grounds were packed
from curb to capitol, and on the
steps of the building was a waiting
multitude 1t is estimated that there
were 25.000 people in the crowd that
listened, or tried to listen. to the Pres
ident on the capitol grounds
The grand stand was over the lower
flight of steps between the capitol and
Broadway.
On one side of the stand were the
children of the North Denver high
school, on the other members of the
hereditary societies. In front were
the G. A. Il. posts. the Spanish-Ameri-
can war volunteers and lining Lincoln
avenue were the guard of honor. COM
posed of High School cadets and
company of the National Guard
The Presidents chair on the grand
stand was decorated with flowers. Be
fore he began his speech he was pre-
sented with a beautiful silk flag by
Mrs. S. NJ. Casper on behalf of the
Daughters of the Revolution, and re-
sponded with n few charming words of
thanks.
Col Charles l.. Cooper. U. S A.. in
charge of Fort Logan garrison, pre-
sented President Roosevelt with a
large photograph of the Rough Rider
camp at San Antonio. which was re-
ceived with many expressions of de-
light
Governor Peabody stepped forward
and welcomed the President on behalf
of the state. He said;
"It is my honored and most pleasant
duty to introduce TO you the President
of the United States, an American citi-
zen. honored ns a citizen. soldier and
author. the most beloved of our peo-
pie. Theodore Roosevelt
President Roosevelt's address was as
follows;
"Mr. Governor Mr.. Mayor and all
my fellow citizons: Now in greeting
all of you to-day / wish to say a special
word of acknowledgment first to the
men of the Grand Army. tApplause.) To
the men to whom we owe It that we have
to-day either a country or a President.
(Applause) The men who have taught
us by their lives, by their services in
war and in peace. how to carry our
selves alike in war and peace. | greet
you first Of all; and then the rest of
you will not grudge me greeting spe-
cially, in the second place. my own
comrades of the lesser war-the men
whose deeds in the remote Orient
followed with such keen interest, and
with the pride taken in them by all
good American citizens. applause
/ am glad, indeed, to have chance OF
coming back to Colorado, and to speak
to you as chief executive of the Nation.
81 know your people well. I have
been with them before; l have visited
the state on more than one errand.
Qaughter)
II have visited 1t on business, and
then again not on business. Laughter)
TT is a great pleasure, indeed, to
come to this great state of the plains
and the Rocky Mountains, this state
with a great past already, and with a
future infinitely greater even than its
past.
But aside from this general and
greater interest, Colorado is serving
special interests. which shares with
the group OF states Immediately around
1t, and to my mind one of the best
pieces of legislation put upon the stat
ute books of the national government
of recent years was the irrigation act
(applause) an act in which we declare
1t to be national policy that exactly
as care is to be taken of the rivers and
harbors along the lower courses. SO on
their upper courses care is to be taken
by the Nation, and the irrigating work
to be done in connection with them.