Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-16


Mr.. Bryan addressed a meeting in
Centralia, and it was late when the
party started back to Salem, Illinois.
We arrived in Odin. six miles from
Salem, at midnight. and there was no
train from Odin TO Salem until four
O'Clock the next morning. Two far
mers loaded hay-racks on wagons and
lem. Now, Salem was dry" town,
and Odin at that time was extremely
wet" Some of the correspondents
bought a couple of cases of Mil
waukee's chief product, and placed
one in each wagon. a bottle of the
beverage was opened and offered to
Mr. Bryan, and we then found that he
had never touched intoxicants in any
way and had never used tobacco
During the campaigns of 1896 and
1900 there were from 10 to 80 speeches
of from 10 minutes to two hours in
duration, made each day; in one week
We travelled from Bath, Maine, to ST.
Louis. Missouri, punctuating each stop
with an address; frequently | have
filed to the Associated Press as many
as 10000 words in single day. Mr..
Bryan has begun to speak as early as
3 o'clock in the morning and conclud-
ed his days work at half-past two
the following morning. In the first
campaign the correspondents, in COM
mon with others, were watching for
signs of a breakdown, but all the time
he was proceeding with no visible eff.
fleets of his strenuous work.
II the first campaign it was i'm
possible for him--to procure much rest,
for a large portion of the trips were
made in ordinary day coaches-and
Frequently the railroad companies saw
binary. In that campaign he was
young, however-So young, as he now
says. that "about all / had to prove
that | was old enough to be candi-
date was the constitution of the Unit
| ed States and the bald spot on my
head Even then he had the ability
| TO rest before becoming weary" Many
times have | seen him, after making
| a 10-minutes address in the morning,
following full nights sleep, rest his
| head against the back of a seat in an
ordinary day coach and in less than
two minutes be sleeping soundly. In
the latter part of the campaign of
1896 and 1900 he had a private car,
ana listened 20 the advice of friends
about obtaining rest. After each
speech, no matter of how short dura.
| ton. he would seek the seclusion OF
| his stateroom, and lie down and sleep
until the next stop If the speech was
of such length as to cause perspiration
Immediately on coming into his state
room he was IMPRESSED and rubbed
down with alcohol as carefully as an
athlete in training. and fresh clothes
were given him. But with all these
precautions. no man with less splen
did physique and rugged constitution
could have stood the vigorous work
which he performed. | have never
helped in taking care of Mr.. Bryan on
an occasion of this kind without won
dering if he would not have made a
great wrestler hadfhe been so inclin
ed. He is a physical giant, and has q
constitution never ravaged by alec
holic stimulants.
| But no matter how many speeches
lwere made, or how many crowds il
was necessary TO fight in order tt
Igair the speakers stand land we ha6
Us of them fall with us during the
first campaign), Mr.. Bryan's good hu
NOR never left him. And the speak
ling was but small portion of the
work, for in nearly every city, in max
ling arrangements. the great crowd:
were underestimate, and the police
were powerless in the way of keeping
friends from jostling against their can
ldidate. squeezing his hand until it wa!
swollen to nearly twice its norma
Isize, and. by a concentrated rush, car
Trying him away from his point of des
ltination. 1t was found necessary 70
the correspondents to form sort o
flying wedge to fight the crowds ant
1protect- Mr.. Bryan.
In one day. in the state of Michigan
Mr.. Bryan addressed % assemblage'
before Lansing was reached, wher'
lcther speeches were to be made. Their
the crowds were of such magnitude
THAT, after the first two speeches, thu
correspondents found it impossible t.
keep up with the candidate, and be
looming separated. repaired to thu
train. 1t was after midnight when Mr.
bryan came into the car, his clothes
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