Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-25
INSIDE OF EAGLE AFFAIR
Facts Not Heretofore Known Why 0mat a
Failed to Get Convention.
GATE CITY WAS ON THE ORIGINAL SLATE
BOstOn's Fifty Thousand Dollars and
virsiniss Historic Attractions,
Ryder says, Could Not
he Overcome.

The other fellows bait was the most
enticing," said John J. Ryder speaking OF
Omaha's effort TO secure the next grand
aerie meeting of Eagles I'VE had every
thing framed up with the winning ticket Of
officers. headed by Ed Krause of Whining
ton, Del, and the printed slate bears the
name of Omaha for the convention. This
arrar cement would have easily prevailed
too, IL the old way Of voting had been fol-
lowed. But the convention adopted the
Australian ballot, and there were enough
of the delegates who wanted to see Virginia
and the jamestown exposition to defeat uA
''Boston's mayor has contingent fund
Of $4,000 to be used for the good Of the
city. Mayor Fitzgerald contributed of this
fund for the Boston campaign. This, with
the natural advantages Of the city, put
Boston second in the voting. but II we
could have had a second ballot the Massa
chusetts men stood ready to favor Omaha,
and Spokane would have given us its sixty
votes. AS II was, believe we got more
Massachusetts votes than Boston, because
of local disaffection in the Bay state
Friends of candidates who had the highest
vote on the first ballot put through a mo-
ton to declare them elected, and II pre-
vailed in spite OF Omahas protest that 1t
required a majority vote to select the con-
vention city. That motion ended our
chances
Exposition Managers Control.
'Norfolk's campaign was financed by the
jamestown exposition management, which
issued pamphlets and other advertising
matter in profusion. All the allurements
of a historical nature, that Virginia pos.
sesses in abundance and all the projected
pleasures of the exposition, were set forth
in language and Illustrations strongly
enough to make several hundred delegates
forget their pledges. Norfolk is a minority
choice. however, and Il was a common ex-
preston that hundreds will not go to the
southern coast where thousands would
have come to Omaha. II Norfolk were able
to get the crowd that Milwaukee had, for
instance, 1t could not possibly house or
feed them, judging from the information
we could gain Later on the grand off
GERS, whose duty Il is to arrange for the
convention. may find that It will not be
for the best interests Of Eagledom to hold
| the convention in hot climate, as tail
to the exposition kite, and with multitudes
OF other visitors TO crowd them out of the
! conveniences and comforts the Eagles al
ways look for. In that event, Omaha may
still have a look in. However, we gained
a good deal of favorable advertising aI d
Omaha's EFFORT was all made along credita.
BILE lines. There is nothing to regret tx-
| cept defeat, In our ambition to entertain
grand crowd Of men and women from
all the cities of the land; and that regret
is shared in by thousands who wanted to
| come here" e. .
Omaha Makes Big Hit
| "Our friends were disappointed because
we had TO pull our tally no out of the pro-
cession after it, had covered only about
half Of the line of march II was the
largest vehicle Of the kind in the city, and
we had II loaded with fifty women and
girls. who sang continuously a catchy little
song composed byl Commissioner Guild Of
the Commercial club0- They caught the
crowds everywhere and Mayor Becker and
his party stood up IN their automobile and
cheered the Omaha party enthusiastically
Our deal was to have the tally no from 1!
! to 2, and would have been all right IL the
| procession had started within an hour OF
1 the time announced. We could not secure
1t longer. all the tally hos are owned
i by one man and are5under contract to mee
| the boats coming from Chicago Mr.. Guile
paid SIS for the twoshours, and offered a.
much more II the driver would go the route
but he replied that money was no object
he simply could no. do II. An automobile
filled with Omaha eagles and bearing 2
large banner finished the route with tn,
Omaha and Benson marching teams AnC
l want to say that Benson bunch is dis
tinctly all right. They marched and drilled
in uniform and in Indian costume, anC
were always in evidence for Omaha. The,
won one first and one second prize. anC
richly deserved both"