The daily sentinel., 1906-10-30
DEBs DIDN'T SPEAK
Hundreds of People were di;appoint-
ed Last Night by the Nom Ar
rival of the Great Social
lst Leader Who
Was Delayed.

Eugene V. Debs, the famous Soc
ialist orator and leader, did not speak
in Grand Junction last night.
For weeks II has been almost i'm
possible for anyone coming in either
over the old narrow guage line or
from the west to get into Grand
Junction at a decent hour in the even
ing and when a speaker or threatri-
cal attraction is expected to get in
on the narrow guage train or from
the west and entertain the same
evening, the statement, well, they
won't get here in time, is generally
theprd and the prediction usually
comes true. The way the trains from
all directions have been running in
to Grand Junction lately makes it al
most impossible to tell or predict just
when this city will be reached.
Mr.. Debs spoke at Montrose Sun
day night and was to come to this
city over the Montrose branch last
night. At $50 O'Clock it was an
nounced that the train was Indefinite
ly late as a result of a freight wreck
about three miles above Whitewater.
The speaking had been widely ad-
yertised and had attracted much in
terest. Debs, being man of nation
al reputation and an orator of known
ability, people of all parties expect
ed to hear him last night. There
was no question but what he would
have one of the largest crowds if not
the largest that had gathered to hear
political address in this city this
campaign.
The crowd began to gather at the
Auditorium before eight o'clock and
by $50 nearly every seat was occu-
pied and many people were standing
The crowd at that hour numbered
over 700 and many others would have
come in on the arrival of Debs. II
was then announced from the stage
that a telegram had been received
from Mr.. Debs dated at Delta, stat
ing that the train was indefinitely
late. on account of a wreck. The
chairman informed the audience that
the speaker might not get in until
midnight or later and it would prob
ably be wise to dismiss the audience
but If any desired to wait they might
do so as there was bare possibility
of Mr.. Debs getting in by ten O'Clock
Several hundred people waited an
other hour and then left the hall
greatly disappointed. No other speak
er addressed the crowd.
The narrow guage passenger train
was held at Delta until after midnight
and then it came down to the wreck
and transfer was made. Mr.. Debs
reached here about 2.30 O'Clock this
morning. He was met at the station
by n few of the local Socialists He
expressed his disappointment over
the unavoidablea delay. His time
In Colorado is limited and he is bill
ed for Sallda tonight. He left the
city at 400 this morning on No. 2
for Salida. consequently Grand juno
ton will not hear Debs this cam
paign.
More than twenty people from the
Plateau valley came down to hear
Mr.. Debs and to say that they were
disappointed is putting 1t mildly Peo-
pie from Fruita, Palisade and many
other outside points We're also here.
Fearing that Debs' train would
be delayed as the narrow guage usu-
ally is, in the outskirts of the city,
the committee in charge of the meet
ing had made arrangements yester-
day for carriage TO go out to the
bridge and meet the speaker but the
wreck was fifteen miles up the line.
and didn't allow the train to get any
where near the city.
1t would have been a big meeting,
hearty reception for the noted lead
er and the disappointment was very
general.
The local socialist leaders are ask
ing why the transfer of the passen-
gers could not have been made at an
early hour in the evening as well as
at midnight. If this had been done
Mr.. Debs would have been able to fill
his appointment here