The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-02
PRESIDENT. IS
 B|C ATTRACTION
In Competition With Circus,
 Balloon and State Fair


 Jackson, Miss, November 1.-President Taft, three-rng circus a gala day at
 the state fair, a balloon ascension and thrilling parachute leap gave Jackson to- day share of honors unique and unpar- alleled in the history of the city. The Pres | ident visited the state fair and the fair gave return che ks to all who wanted 1 to see the circus across the street and in this way a combination of three great l attractions was formed. The balloon as | tension was free for all.
 1 Uncle Joe Cannon was to have been an added feature in the city today, but fife had been sommoned to the east on bus 1 mess and passed through Jackson this 1 afternoon without speaking. Secretary of 1 War Dickinson rejoined the presidential party this afternoon.
 President Taft left at midnight for Co., 1 lumbus. Miss, the birthplace of Secre- 1 tary Dickinson. He will spend three hours there and will reach Birmingham at l 710 tomorrow afternoon.
 The railroads handled S0,0o0 excur- sonsts into Jackson today and they were 1 fairly saturated with pleasure. It was an event of most of their lives 1 to see q President of the United States, l for MT. Taft Is the first one e1er to visit 1 Jackson Mr. Mckinley passed through | the city on one occasion hut made oniy | a few remarks from the end of his car. | In addition to President Taft, however, the excursionists had the fair and the | circus to choose from and both attractions l had banner days A fat clown in the cir | GUS labelled Our Bilr made great hit | with the audience.
 Pleasant Day.
 The President had a long. but pleasant l day He seemed to enjoy the big crowds that choked the streets and gave him demonstrative welcome wherever he wen>. At the fair grounds MT. Taft witnessed one of the greatest and most exuberant throngs of his entire trip.
 He lunched with Governor and Mrs. Noel and met a number of the state cit izens He spent an hour going through the various exhibits at the fair and was particularly interested in the agricultural displays. These displays so impressed the President that he devoted most of his address to the importance of farming and denounced the tendency of young men to drift toward the cities, where they think the wheels go round" In the late afternoon the President had an automobile ride around the city and then enjoyed brief period of rest before l attending a banquet in his honor, the i viands, the cooks and the walters for which were brought on a special car l from Chicago.
 l President Speaks.
 At the fair grounds the President said: 1 q am glad to be in state in which l agriculture is your chief trade and occu- patton We must admit that the occupa- l tion of the farmer Is among the one or | mt to make this country great-and state | which is great because of 1t is entitled I to recognition as typifying Amere anism | in the highest degree.
 We have arrived at time in the development of this country and the woi,d when old methods of agriculture must | be discarded if we would keep up with the procession. Land is becoming too valuable to treat 1t in the old wasteful way The profession of the farmer is become a real scientific profession and I am glad to note that Mississippi has 1 one of the best agricultural institutions in the country.
 i "I am glad fo- see you have been able to restrain that tendency of your young men to come into the great cities. tendency of all men, laborers and oth- I CTS. to come in urban neighbornoods and | live in tenements in order that they may be where they think the wheels go round. | You have an agricultural population and they are remaining so, and l congratulate l you on that fact. The truth is If l were advising young man in this coun- | try as to his future profession l should say to him that there was probably greater opportunity for real reward in assiduity, industry, attention to business | and scientific Investigation in the profes- sion of agriculture than in any other pro- fession that this country affords.
 Your state has the tradition by which most of your great men were both law 1 yers and farmers. l am not altogether l certain that that combination makes for good agriculture. I am afraid that some | of the distinguished members of your bar 1 find, or did find you give up everything | of that sort-that a glass of milk was 1 about as expensive as glass or cham pagne. But the tendency toward the country is tendency that we ought to encourage. It takes out that nervous exhaustion of energy, 1t takes out the 1 gambling spirit 1t takes out of the life | of the citizen that hurry and rapidity that carries men quickly to their graves; and 1t makes for the happiness of indi- | viduals and families far greater than the pursuit of any trade or profession that brings you into the maelstrom of 1 great city life
 l There is much to be done in the way 1 or the educaIlOn or your ldDOrerS am l glad to think your large negro popula- | ton is well adapted to the cultivation | of the soil and that through that culti- vation of provident methods they may grow to be good citizens and useful to the community by acquiring it in the east and beconing strong farmers and useful to the entire state.
 Water Transportation.
 "The question of river transporta- | ton and water transportation Is now | being agitated in way that never be- fore commanded the attention of fhe | whole population of the United States. I am sure l speak for the wh ole peo- pie when I say they do not propose tt be niggardly in either the issuing of bonds or the appropriating of money out of the treasury to make improve ments that will be really improvements in the matter of transportation and in the matter of affecting rates. But we 1 have to be certain what 1t is we are 1 doing, and that we are not going to | pour money down rat hole when we put millions into the improvements that are contemplated. We must be sure We are right before we go ahead.
 But what l congratulate the people of Mississippi on is that to begin with
 they have river half of which is mag