Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-03

one gets in his way or the path becomes
blockaded he will push along with the rest
Of us, whereas President Mckinley would
stand still until we cleared the road.
THE great trouble as a rule with the
police and the guardsmen who do duty on
these OCCASION" he continued, "is that they
hold the crowd back up to the time the
president arrives and then become so intent
on seeing the president that they forget all
about the line behind them and are overrun
by the crowd Just at the wrong time. We
pay less attention to the president than we
do to the people around him.. I always size
I'D every person within a radius OF twenty
or thirty feet and keep watching in front
for the slightest sign Of anything wrong.
Since the Buffalo affair we are OF course
particularly careful to inspect the hands OF
everyone who comes near. No one with his
hands in his pocket or under a cape or COW
cred In any way will succeed In passing
very close to the presidential party. We
try to be polite and often get people to show
their hands without letting them know
what we are about, but IL necessary we pull
their hands out Of their pockets or force
them back"
The personal safety Of the president is also
a great load upon the railroad men VINO
handle the presidents train. Every rosa
is eager to have the president carried over
its line. but when It once gets possession
OF the train 1t is just as eager TO nave inc
run completed and turn over the precious
cargo to the next company that is to haul.
IF anything in the way OF an accident
should happen to this train" declared a
big railroad ofhcial, I'VE prefer to have 1t
happen on some other road"
Al the conclusion OF every run-at least
during the day time-the engineer, IRE
man. conductor and brakeman may have
the privilege OF q special reception by the
president. who receives them in his car
with a hearty handshake and expression
OF thanks for what they have done to con-
tribute to his safe journey.
The route laid out fo7 the president
could have been materially improved II the
main object were mere comfort in travel.
All members Of the party protested that the
trip from Clarinda to Des Moines was the
worst they had encountered and wondered
why such a jolting line had been selected
for them.
wen all be rough riders before we get
through with this" exclaimed one OF the
wits.
Inquiry developed the fact that the itin-
erary in several states was practically a
reproduction Of the itinerary that had been
made out for the president when he con-
templated a western tour last fall which
was interrupted in Indiana. The tour then
came Immediately before election and the
congressional districts traversed were sup
posed to be more or less doubtful. The
h, choice Of railroads and stopping points be-
comes more readily understandable in the
light of this information. This explains
also the queer mistake that put down in
the official information book as the chief
item on the program for Omaha a review
Of an electrical pageant-the electrical
parade Ak-Sar-Ben had planned and ex-
ecuted at the time the president was to
have been here last fall.
But Omaha will be down in all the
diaries among the red letter days Of the
tour. All members of the presidential
party had nothing but fine words for their
entertainment in Omaha and spent much
Of the morning following in recalling its
pleasant features.
1--WE had Just the best time at Omaha
we have had at any place we have visited
SO far on this trip" declared one Of them
who is we'll known. in a tone that showed
that he meant It. Your people know how
to give their guests a good time. They
do not overdo it, but just make us feel
at home. Neither do they forget all about
us in the effort to get the most out of it
for themselves. We have had more elab-
crate banQuets than the little Dime at
the Omaha club, but none that was as en-
joyable."
That's right, chimed in another. "Those