The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-30
Thus Speaks PresidentRoose-
Welt at St. Louis.
BIG THRONG GRtETS HIM
And One Poor Old Lady Makes Holy Show
Of Herself by Looping After His Car
rage With Vocfsrous
Cheers.
(By the Associated Press.)

st. Louis, Mo, April 29. President
Roosevelt arrived this afternoon to par
ticipate in the dedication ceremonies of
the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
1t was expected generally that he
would leave his train at Union station
and a dense throng had congregated
there. but to avoid just such an assem-
blage, arrangements were made to have
him leave the train at Forsyth junction,
three miles from the center of the city
Members of the National Commission of
the Worlds Fair, a reception commit
tee, headed by President Francis and
crowd of spectators were present to well
come the President.
President Francis, of the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition. seized the hand of
the President and gave him an informal
welcome to st. Louis. Mayor Wells and
others shook hands with the President
who was at once driven off to the Good
Roads Convention. Just as the carriage
started, a middle aged woman rushed
through the line of officers. wildly waving
her handkerchief and vociferously cheer
ing the President She attempted to
reach in and seize his hand, but the
quickness pace of the horses prevented,
and although she ran after the vehicle,
still cheering and waving her handker-
chief for the distance of half block she
was finally distanced and lost in the
crowd.
The military companies and platoon
of police had been waiting two blocks
away, and as soon as the line of car
riages appeared a slower march was
taken up to cover the three miles to
Odeon Hall. People We're congregated
along the streets and wildly cheering
as the President passed He continually
dotfed his hat in acknowledgement The
hall was packed with a crowd which had
been waiting patiently for hours The
President spoke of good roads in tones
hich showed, as we'll as his words that
he was thoroughly in sympathy with
the object of the associations.
Roads" he declared "tell the great
ness of nation. The influence of the
nations which have not been road build
ers has been evanescent Rome the
most powerful of the older civilizations,
left her impress on literature and speech
she changed the boundaries of nations
but palmer than anything else left to
remind us of the Roman civilization are
the Roman roads,
AT this point in the Presidents speech,
the crowd rose and cheered, waving
handkerchiefs and hats.
The President declared that good roads
probably were the greatest agency for
regulating the flow from the country to
the city Of young men and young wo-
men.
From Odeon Hall the President was
driven at a sharp trot to St. Louis Uni !
versty. few minutes were spent here,
after which the President and other
guests repaired to the home of Presi-
dent Francis for dinner
President Cleveland arrived over the
Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern al $50
o'clock, twenty-f five minutes late, and a
large reception committee was waiting
for him. The members of the diplomatic
corps arrived shortly before. AS Mr.
Cleveland alighted from the train he was
warmly greeted by President Francis,
who had driven rapidly to the depot af-
ter greeting President Roosevelt at For
syth Junction The members of the
committee crowded around and Mr. |
Cleveland was unable to proceed FOR
several minutes so thick was the throng
about him. A passage was finally cleared |
and with President Francis he walked !
through the aisles formed by the crowd /
and entering a carriage was driven to |
the residence of President Francis, where |
President Roosevelt is also a guest.