The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-27

In manner productive of the great
est enthusiasm the republicans of Bill
ings formally opened the campaign
last evening. The city was flooded
in a sea of light and multi-colored
fire, while the air was cleft with
cheers and applause. Six hundred
voters bearing torches marched in
solid column through the business
part of town, attesting their loyalty
and devotion to the party of prosper
ity and sound currency. Two meet
ings we're in progress at the same
time in different halls, and each was
crowded with people intent upon lis
tening to men of national reputation
as speakers and statesmen who had
home to bear the glad tidings of an
assured victory and to reason with
the erring and convince them of their
error.
Fairbanks and Doliver.
1t was few minutes before when
the special train bearing Senators
Fairbanks and Dolliver arrived from
the east The band and a large con-
course was at the station awaiting
them A reception committee compos-
ed of Messrs. A. L. Babcock, Rowley,
Goss, Paul Mccormick, Hathhorn and
Wilson boarded the train to welcome
the distinguished visitors and escort
them to the waiting carriages. They
were in the act of eating their supper
and the committee withdrew to en-
able them to complete the meal. This
done they were taken to the Northern
hotel, going on foot, as they declined
to ride SO short a distance. Here
they remained until it was time for
the parade to set in motion. During
the interim they we're waited upon
by large number of citizens and
greeted in true western fashion.
Ex-senator Carter, Colonel Malone
and j. r. Stout of Dawson county,
Senator Kenneth Mclean Of Custer
and several other prominent men of
Montana had come on the train with
Messrs. Dolliver and Fairbanks. They
introduced many of the callers.
The Parade.
While the reception was in pro-
gress at the hotel the men who were
to take part in the parade were at
the rooms of the Roosevelt and Fair
banks Republican club preparing for
that event. BY actual count 600
torches were given out, to say moth
ing of the innumerable gigantic roman
candles, of which each marcher had
an armful.
Shortly after 8 o'clock the order
was given for the column to move.
1t had formed in the alley between
Twenty seventh and I'wenty-eighth
streets, the van resting on the last
mentioned. Preceded by the Billings
band came two carriages in which
rode the distinguished guests, each
accompanied by some OF the members
of the reception committee.
North the procession marched until
First avenue, north, was reached,
down which it went to Twenty-sev-
enth street and then south to Mime
sofa avenue. Here it turned west
| to Twenty ninth street, thence north
to Montana avenue and east to the
opera house.
In addition to the fireworks carried
by the men in the column the sides
of the streets through which. they
moved were lined with sticks of col
ored fires that made night light as
day and threw into bold relief the
figures that filled street and walk.
The transparencies carried were
many and lne legends they bore
striking and original in their appro-
priateness. Roosevelt annexed arid
America" "The Crow reservation,
Dixon's gift to Montana" arid Amer
! lea appreciates annexation" "Who
caught the speakers. eye? Dixon