The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-08
Committeeman Are Fixing Up Nightly for the Advent
 of ML Taft
CREOLE BANQUET WILL
 BEAT ALI PAST RECORDS
Special Dishes Will Be Served to the Presdent-Elect, the Like of Which He Has Never Tasted
 Before.

New Orleans February 7-Quotations on high silk hats and frock coats have taken a sudden jump in the local mar ket and it is all on account of William Howard Taft.
 When it became definitely known that the President elect would return from Panama via New Orleans next Thurs day, and that he had accepted the in- vitation of this city to be it's guest for two days, the citizens who assumed the task of making plans for the enter tainment of the distinguished visitor immediately got busy. The first step was the appointment of several dozen committees and their membership runs into the thousands. There is a com mittee on the land reception and a com nittee on the river reception, com mittee on invitations and a committee on parade, committee on automobiles and a committee on carriages, a com mittee on the banquet, and committee on hotel accommodations. These are but few of the numerous committees appointed, and then there are sub com mittees on menu cards and music and
  other things.
 Worried Over Costume.
 Now large number of these com mittees are assigned to day work and it has been officially announced that everybody who appears in connection with the reception before 6 o'clock in the evening must wear the conventional 1rock and high silk hat. On account of climatic conditions and for various other reasons, this combination has never been popular one in New Or leans and in consequence there are several hundred committeeman who find the day set for Judge Tafts arrival fast approaching with their wardrobes still minus the precious articles and little hope of securing them.
 Not all of the committeeman are dis appointed. Some of them say they never wore high silk hats and Prince Alberts" in their lives and that they don't intend to commence now. Others have not quite made up their minds what to do. and are anxiously whisper ing inquiries down the line asking if it will be all right to wear a slouch hat with the Prince Alberts," and if it will be exactly proper to include tan shoes in the combination. Steel gray gloves and buttoned patent feathers" the chairman has shouted back and the committeeman have quaked.
 Plans to Meet Taft.
 But the committees have not been too busy thinking of dress to do tn cir work. It has been decided that the President-elect is to arrive at the mouth of the river late next Wednes- day night or Thursday morning. There he is to leave the battleship North Carolina and go aboard the light house tender Oleander. The Oleander will take him and later put him aboard the scout cruiser Birmingham and the Bir- mingham will bring him within sight of New Orleans. Here the river re- ception committee will get in It's work and the President-elect of the United States will be taken off the Birming- ham and put aboard the steamer Gen eral Newton.
 According to the programme as it now stands, the river reception com mittee will surrender the President elect when he leaves the General New ton and the land reception committee will come to the boat. They will be fol- lowed by the parade committed, auto mobile committee, carriage committed, police committee, hotel reception com mittee etc., In regular order.
 Parade In Streets.
 The parade will traverse the principal streets of the city and will be brought to halt at the city hall, where Presi- dent-elect Taft will be formally and of ficially welcomed to New Orleans by Mayor Martin Rahrnlan. The President elect will also make a speech, and then the parade will start again and pass in review.
 At o'clock the same evening the Pres ident-elect and Mrs. Taft will attend the ball of the Elves of Oberon, one of the carnival organizations, at the old French opera house.
 Friday morning at 10 o'clock a recep- ton will be rendered the President-elect under the auspices of the Colored Y. M. c. A. of New Orleans and Mrs. Taft will be entertained the same afternoon at the Country club.
 The festivities will be brought to close with big banquet Friday evening at the Hotel Grunewald. Cardinal Gib- bons has wired from Baltimore that he will reach New Orleans Tuesday night and will deliver the invocation at the banquet the following Friday
 Saturday morning the transportation committee will take the President-elect in charge and he will leave at 9SO a. m, for Cincinnati over the Queen and Crescent route.
 The Creole Dinner.
 In response to the expressed wish of the New Orleans Progressive union that the Creole dinner to be given in honor of President-elect Taft during his visit here shall live in history. Theodore Grune- wald, who is at the head of the court
 
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