Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-24
PRESIDENT At GROTON
With His Sons for School
Closing Exercises.
GREETED rN P0uTr
GREETED EN- ROUTE
CAR SWITCHED AT TRENTON TO
ANOTHER ROAD.
Thought to Avoid All Possibility of
Delay on Account of Rail-
way Strikers.

GROTON, Mass, May 24.-President
Roosevelt, who had made the trip from
Washington to be present at the Groton
school today and participate in the annual
prize day exercises, reached Groton at five
minutes past this forenoon. He was met
at the station by the Rev. Dr. Endicott
Peabody, principal of the institution, at
which two of the Presidents sons Theo-
dore, 5r.. and Kermit, are preparing for
college, and was driven to the school,
The students. anticipating the arrival of
the nations chief executive, were gathered
at the main hall. AS the carriages ap-
peared In the grounds the school yeil given
with all the enthusiasm which the occasion
prompted, greeted the President. The car
riages stopped at the residence Of DR.. Pea
body, and the President quickly walked
over to the hall where the students had
assembled to return their greetings He
said that he was exceedingly glad to meet
ana greet them and provoked laugh by
saying:
Il deeply sympathize with the two unfor-
tunates among you who have a presi-
Dental father"
Dody residence, where he remained until
II 80. when the exercises Of prize day were
scneduled TO begin in the main hall.
AZ q number of stations which were
and In some cases the school children, as
sembled to greet the chief executive The
fresfdent's party includes Miss Carow. sis
ter-in-law OF the President, and Secretary
Loeb
The presidential train made no stops and
the President did not make his appearance
at any point along the route. The most
notable demonstrations made were at Clin-
ton and at Lancaster, Mass. At Clinton
hundreds OF school children were banked
upon the PLATFORM each provided with an
American flag. As the train passed the
children cheered and waved their flags. The
demonstration at Lancaster was similar
On the way from Groton station to the
school the President stopped a few mo-
ments at the residence of John Lawrence,
a friend who entertained Mr.. and Mrs
Roosevelt at the time of their visit here
two years ago, when their eldest son, Theo-
dore, was Ill.
Dodged the Strikers.
Not to take any risk of the New Haven
railroad strike tying up the transfer boats
Maryland and Express, the officials of the
Pennsylvania railway had the car May
flower. In which President Roosevelt trav-
eled to Groton, Mass, detached from the
Federal Express at Trenton at 9:05 O'Clock
last night. The Presidents car was hitched
to an engine and taken over the Belvidere
division to Belvidere. From there 1t ran
over the Lehigh and Hudson River railroad
to Maybrook, N. Y, thence over the Pough-
keepsie bridge on the Central New England
to Hartford. The Central New England
track was cleared for the special
When the Federal Express left Washing
ton at 6:35 o'clock yesterday rumors that
the oilers and f1remen on the passenger
transfer boats that carry the trains between
Jersey City and Mott Haven might strike
began to circulate around the Pennsylvania
depot in Jersey City.
Conference of officials.
conference among officials resulted in
the order changing the route of the Presi-
dents car and sending the chief executive
and his party over the spider bridge at
Poughkeepsie. 1t was not proposed to take
any chances. Only the Presidents car was
taken off at Trenton. The Federal Express
went on to Jersey City and left on the
transport Maryland little after II o'clock
The men on the Maryland appeared greatly
surprised when they learned that President
Roosevelt had been side-tracked for fear
that he might be held up by their refusal
to make the trip. They said that the Presi-
dent would have been taken to Mott Haven,
strike or no strike. They had refused to
work the boat to carry freight cars.
At Presidents Request.
According to the New Haven railroad Of
ficials at Mott Haven the switch was made
at the Presidents request.
TRENTON, N. j., May 23.-Befoss the
President and his party left the main line
at Clinton street number of the railroad
employees learned that the President was
on the train, and when he stepped to the
rear platform he was saluted by about
twenty trainmen. The President greeted
the men cordially and, bidding them good
by, wished them all success