The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-07

velts sixty-six day tour of the west
began in earnest here today, when he
stepped from the Pennsylvania special
at S:45 o'clock and was received by
Mayor Harrison and a special reception
committee, not to mention n huge
crowd which made its unofficial pres
ence known by cheers which could be
heard across the river. AS soon as the
cars could be switched, the presiden-
tial party started for Evanston, where
the president addressed the students
of Northwestern University on the
value of a college education. The
party returned to the auditorium for
luncheon.
After luncheon the presidential party
went to the University of Chicago in
carriages. At the quadrangle approach
to the university grounds, the presi-
Dental party was met by the faculty
and trustees, in caps and gown and
led by President Harper. The presi-
lent was escorted to the Kent The
the degree of Ii. D. d.. Harper
handed the president a diploma and
directed that the doctors hood" be
placed upon his shoulders. The presi-
dent spoke no words, but bowed in
acknowledgement of the homo con-
ferred. AS the procession emerged
from the theatre, the university band
played national airs and deafening col
lege yells greeted the president. At the
head of a congregation procession in
which the young men of the colleges
participated the president made his
way to the site of the law school,
where preparations had been made for
him to lay the corner stone. An i'm
| mense stone weighing several tons
was ready to be lowered in place
President Roosevelt. trowel in hand,
| gave the signal, and as the huge mass
settled upon it's foundation, he cast q
small bunch of mortar beneath il. The
presidential party then returned to-
the city.
Six thousand people in a hall, the
seating capacity of which is but five
thousand. gave an enthusiastice greet
ing to President Roosevelt when he
stepped upon the stage Of the audi
rum tonight. The great building a
held many a throng, but never n
that was more hearty and unstinted
in it's applause for any man. than the
crowd that filled it tonight. From the
first floor to the roof, it was packed
/ to it's utmost capacity. Every seat
was occupied and although the aisles
i were kept cl6dr, dill lit space III tHe
lobbies and on the stairways was filed
| and even the passage ways leading to
the hall from the lower floor were
damned with hundreds of men, who
were utterly unable to hear 81 word of
] the presidents address.
| When the president, escorted by the
members of the local committee ap-
pared o n the platform, he was met
! with great enthusiasm. the vast crowd
4 q riCfno fn SIC foot on1 cr1nn1oro nnfio ~
it's hearty cheers with waving pro-
! grammes and 1uttering handkerchiefs.
| The president acknowledged his recep-
ton with repeated bows and ut once
took his eat between Franklin Mac
| Veagh, the chairman Of the committee
n Mayor Harrison, who was to de-
| liver the formal address OF welcome.
| AS o as his voice could be heard,
Mr.. MacVeagh in a few words an
nounced that the nations chief execu-
tive would be made welcome to the
city by Mayor Harrison, who then
| spoke briefly, extending to the presi-
dent a hearty welcome and expressing
| the pleasure felt by the people Of Chi
| cago by his visit and offering him
their best wishes for a happy and
pleasant trip during his two months
| vacation.
The president bowed his thanks to
Mayor Harrison and to Mr.. MacVeagh,
who introduced him to his audience,
n expressed his pleasure at the COR
| dial reception extended to him upon
the first stop of his long trip and then
turning directly to the audience in
| front of him, proceeded in his peculiar
ly energetic manner to deliver his adj
| dress. The address throughout was
| received in a most cordial amer.
At the conclusion Of the address,
| there was renewed and continued ap-
plause and while the better part Of
the audience was leaving the hall, the
president was holding an imprUmptu
reception on the platform. The secret
| service men closed about him during
the short Misunderstanding, and quickly
| escorted him back to his apartments
in the hotel.
Immediately preceding his address
in the auditorium, President Roose-
welt was entertained at timer in the
| banquet hall of the auditorium by the
| members of the local entertainment
| committee. About $50 guests were
present, besides the president and his
party.