The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-10-18
Peerless Orator Of the Platte
Disappoints . Great Crowd
Gathered in Kenosha
CROWD WAITS LONG IN VAIN
Distinguished Speaker Failed to Meet
Escorting Committee. and Took
the Train for GAINESVILLE Wis.,,
Instead of for Kenosha

y
less Orator of the Platte, the man who
gave Free Silver its bornin', and who
was twice a candidate for president
of the United States has another
crime to answer for as he disappointed
a crowd of more than q thousand peo-
pie here this morning and while the
great crowd sat expectant in the
opera house awaiting his coming
Bryan was smoking a perfecto on a
private car which was carrying him
out into the wilds Of Wisconsin about
GAINESVILLE. It is possible that he
idgeted in his seat little when he
found that the conductor did not call
out Kenosha but If such was the fact
the county committee here have not
been advised Of it. Incidentally his
trip to GAINESVILLE made it impossible
for l1isn to keep his appointment to
speak in Milwaukee and the only two
towns ia Wisconsin to hear the peerless
leader will be WATERFOWL and Madison
Kenosha Democracy has received
the greatest blow in it's history. The
arrangements had been completed to
give Bryan the most rousing recep-
ton ever given a politician in the
city. The band had been playing
since O'clock this morning, and had
repeated their repertoire several
times while awaiting the coming of
the distinguished guests.
Mayor German and Attorney John
G. Slater were in Chicago watching
with eager eyes for the appearance of
the great leader Of Democracy. while
swelling with pride George B. McCar-
ron, Calvin Stewart and Matthias r.
ocholey, who had been named as the
reception committee, walked up and
down the platform at the Kenosha
station. They we're all dressed ia
their best bib and tucker, and GER
tainly Kenosha should have been
proud of the reception planned.
| Bryan was the word on every
| tongue, and the winds from the south
seemed to echo back Bryan. Even
Fred Gottfredsen had polished up his
| Democratic button and had gone to
| the train with his big touring car to
escort the speaker to the hall. In the
meantime the train was speeding on
| to Kenosha.
The crowd at the opera house grew
larger until every seat in the audi
forum was taken and the band con-
timed to play. Then the train on
which Mr.. Bryan was scheduled to
arrive, pulled in. The committee
crowded about the train each one pull
| ing down his vest eager to look his
best. But no Bryan appeared. There
wasn't word from him either and
the members of the committee, be-
| lieving that some great mistake had
been made, te1ephoned Secretary
Marlette at the opera house to hold
| the fort as Bryan would be IN on the
next train. Mar1ette kept as busy as
possible and the people waited pa
tiently. The band played some more
and few more Of the leading Demo
Gratis walked up and took their places
on the flag bedecked platform. The
man in charge of the stage shifted
the big bouquet Of white chrysanthe-
NUNS so that they would not be IN
the line of Mr.. Bryan's gestures and
the crowd took up the waiting game
again.
| In the meantime the committee at
the station was planning to have the
train dispatcher stop the train for
twenty minutes that the crowd should
not be disappointed. It was found,
however, that it was mail train and
could not be held. Then someone
wanted the faithful to march il A body
| to the station, while the halt and
lame we're brought down in Gottfred-
sens automobile, but this did not snit
the committee and they had decided
to demand that Bryan stop.
| Then the train rolled in again, and
again the assembled Democrats
gathered about the platform of the
parlor car, but the Great Con1moner
did not appear. In his place half a
dozen Milwaukee politicians including
+. G. Bohmrich, ]. L. O'Connor and
r. S. Witte came out on the platform,
and while the committee held its
breath, the men declared that Bryan
was lost. In fact it was admitted that
| the committee had waited IN vain for
| the speaker or for some word of him,
and to the best Of the knowledge of
1.-THE speaker Bryan was down in Egypt,
H., making a trip about the pyramids.
Then the conductor gave the signal
and the train pulled out carrying the
last hope for Democracy's big day.
The question of breaking the news
was next brought up, and County
Chairman Scholey and members of
the committee started for the opera
house. The crowd was still waiting,
but when the whistle of the departing
train sounded some of them had begun
to suspect that all was rot right
Some one way back in the upper gal
'lery started to whistle waiting at
the Church" and he was promptly
elected BY the posse Of police officers
who had been sent to the opera house
co protect Bryan from the cheering