Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-08
TO RECEIVE PRESIDENT
PLANS UNDER WAY BY RICH
MOND PEOPLE
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
RICHMOND, Va, october Z. 1905.
The people of this city are preparing to
make the visit of President Roosevelt rnem-
orable. Little chickering's have been mag
nifed and they have been healed. They
have nothing to do with the visit of the
President, and on all sides 1t has been
agreed to stop and to settle differences after
the President has come and gone, and to
keep it out of the newspapers.
The city council and the mayor are at
tending to the official end of the reception.
and the chamber of commerce and other
bodies have taken up the matter of hav-
ing the citizens committee named from
men who represent all walks of the city.
So far, however. not solitary colored man
has been named for a part in the affair, and
none will be. The man who drives the car
rage In which the President is to ride will
be the most conspicuous colored man in the
city, and will be closer to the President
than any other colored man.
The city is to be decorated with national
colors state flags, and is to be made more
beautiful than 1t has been for years. There
is to be an escort Of honor for the Presi-
dent, to be composed of the citys most
representative young men. These will ride
with the President and will be mounted on
state. There will be about one hundred of
these, and they will ride alongside the
Presidents carriage.
Twenty thousand school children are to
be assembled along the line of march from
the depot to the hotel at which the Presi-
dent will stop. Each child is to have
small American flag, and this is to be
waved as the President moves along tie
street. The city is to have holiday and
nearly all the business houses Of the city
will be closed.
After the luncheon, which will take place
shortly after 1 O'clock, the President will
an address. He will speak from the small
pavilion In which the statue of Henry Clay
is kept. The pavilion is open and affords
commanding view of the square.
Large Crowd Expected.
1t is expected that fully 25.000 persons
will assemble to hear what the President
may have to say on that occasion.
The military and police arrangements will
be- perfect. The streets are to be cleared
from one end to the other and while the
procession Is passing no one is to be al
lowed off the sidewalk. The secret service
men of the city will be reinforced that day,
and 1t is expected that the military will be
used largely to assist In the preservation of
order, thus allowing the police to be on
the lookout for people who may become
obstreperous.
One feature of the banquet, as 1t is called,
is that there are to be no speeches. No
toasts will be proposed. This has already
created little discussion, for If there is
anything of which the people of the state
of Virginia can boast 1t is ability to make
a speech. especially after dinner There
will be a number Of men In attendance who
wish to have a chance to toast the Presi-
dent, and when the announcement was
made that the speeches would be cut out
there was disposition to criticise the COM
mittee. one gentleman alleging that ''the
members of the committee incapable them
selves of making speech, determined that
no one else should have chance"
Arrangements have been made for seat
Ing some 800 guests when the luncheon is
served. and 1t Is known that the number
OF gentlemen who are ready to receive in
vitations exceeds at least ten times that
number Offers of $40 for invitation cards
have been made. but as no one knows as
yet who will get these, there have been no
sales. But there is to be no lack of atten-
tions and honors to the President by the
people OF the city. The regret Is that he
will be here seven hours, instead of two
days, as was expected and believed.