Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-04
RETURN TO DAILY TOLL
MEN HOME FROM
THE EXPOSITION CITY.
Six Days of Recreation as Guests of St
Louis and B. and O..
Railroad.

The Washington correspondents special
rolled into the Baltimore and Ohio sta
ton a half hour ahead of time this morn
ing and discharged cargo of one hundred
newspaper men. who had been gathering
enthusiasm for the Louisiana purchase ex-
position during the past six days. The spe-
cial left Washington last Tuesday for ST.
Louis. where it remained from Thursday
afternoon until Saturday night. During this
time the correspondents were the guests of
the exposition company. Many entertaining
features were embraced in the program,
which with one or two slight derar gements
in the plans of the entertainers, doubtless
due to the gigantic task of the city's first
effort as host on a large scale was most
creditable.
The Baltimore and Ohio special was under
the personal supervision of J. Fl. Maddy of
that road. and Maddy voted the prince
of entertainers and a railroader Of no mean
ability. This was demonstrated in getting
his special to ST. Louis exactly on time.
Notwithstanding he had to pass two spe-
Gals going the same direction--one carry
ing the governor of Maryland and the
other the Marine Band. On the return trip
he beat his own schedule by lalf an hour.
p. V. DeGraw the eastern publicity rep
resentative of the exposition company, de-
voted himself during the entire trip 10 the
comfort and entertainment " his guests.
and in this he found a most efficient sec
Ond in j. d. Preston of The Senate press
gallery. AS a result the Wa shington news
paper men have secured Il correct impress
sion of the scope Of the exposition and of
the ability of St. Louis idle the crowd.
and have imbibed some - spirit OF its
promoters. They parIici .--.a. in the dedi-
cation ceremonies and We're ':anqueted and
toasted. President Francis G: the eXposi-
ton company told them of their patriotic
duty in using their influence to make the
show a success. The same impression was
the burden of Secretary Stevens speech
and eXPresident Cleveland 'jollied' the
writer's with what he termed confession
of how he had sometimes felt hard toward
the Washington newspaper men, but he
had come to the conclusion that he was
wrong and not the press.
Response Of MI. Hay.
In responding E. B. Hay touched jovially
on some of the disappointments of the press
In ST. Louis. He saw Liberty, equality
and Justice engraved in petriied letters
on the breasts of the chickens which the
French caterer had been serving-chick-
ems which he had no doubt were tenants
of the territory purchased by Jefferson.
This good-natured rebuEe had the desired
effect and the only grievance which could
have left an unpleasant impression was
eliminated.
Carriage rides base ball, races and a
visit to all points of interest in the city
were parts of the stay of four days in the
city, making the program full each day
and evening. The visit closed with a box
party to witness Julia Marlowe, and the
correspondents showed their appreciation
by presenting her a tribute in the form of
American beauty roses, presented by the
dean of the corps. Major Carson. The
theater party was followed by a midnight
luncheon at Faust's, and good-byeS were
said to the local entertainers and the party
placed itself once more under the protect
wing of Ma16V for the plpa of
the return trip.
The Most Surprising Feature.
The development and disclosure of vocal
musical ability among the correspondents
constituted the most surprising thing of
the journey to and from the exposition city.
Every one of them who had a voice tried
It, Every song they could think of was
ventured. They supplied an amazing va
riety. To be explicit, it may be said the
party's repertoire was extraordinary
melange of vocal expression ranging from
the songs of childhood to the latest vaude-
vile catch. There We're not a few good
voices exploited and with occasional strik-
ing effect as all came in the chorus to
some patriotic or popular ballad. a Gu
rious phase of these impromptu car con-
certS was the unfolding of the very evil
dent fact that all of these newspaper men
had enjoyed a religious training. They
sang pretty nearly all the average hymnal
contains, and the most remarkable feature
of the song service route, which car
red the touching strains of long gone early
piety was that the hymns were invariably
led by Mr. George NJ Bailey of the
Galveston News and that the tune was
correctly "toted' always by Herndon Nor
sell of the Gridiron Club.
When leaving St. Louis and crossing the
mississippi the song was Shall We Gather
at the River?' OF course when the
stream of that name was reached ION the
Banks of the Wabash was most feeingly
warbled. The "Old Kentucky Home" was
sung all along its borders. The shifting
of the repertoire was truly unique For
instance. on one occasion they sang .'There'u
Be Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight"
and followed 1t Immediately by rendering
The Holy City" AS they neared the Bal
timore and Ohio station this morning all
joined in Home Again