Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-20
HERO OF INAUGURAL STORM
BLIZZARD COULDN'T STOP MAN
FROM ILLINOIS.
Maj. Tripp "Hoofed" It Most OF
Way From Baltimore, Carrying
His New Plug Hat.

Until you can produce better example
of loyalty, patriotism. heroism. self-sacri-
flee and real pluck, exhibited during the
trying days of the recent inauguration,
than that displayed by Maj. s. Q. Trip
of my congressional district and splen-
did citizen of Peoria, H.. who was one of
Maj. Bells mounted aids. l am going to
award him the crown and laureis. said
Representative Joseph v. Graft Of Illinois
to Star reporter yesterday.
Maj. Trip practically walked from
Baltimore to Washington the morning OF
March 4 to make good his appointment
with Chairman Morgan of the civic divi-
sion.'' said Mr.. Graft. Il designated Maj
Trip, and his conduct certainly makes a
hit with me. He Is a fine fellow, and
his effort to get here on time. claim his
mount, keep faith with me and make good
with Mr.. Morgan entities him to niche
in the hall of fame"
Mai. Trip, who is deputy United
States marshal. left Peoria March ]. &C.
companied by his wife. He had in charge
two deserters of the navy. en- route fol
Philadelphia. He reached Philadelphia
Tuesday evening, and Wednesday the
jor attended to the business of de-
livering to the authorities his charges
Quoting the mai or: Il then purchased a
silk hat, necessary for my use in the pa
rade, and, hat in hat. started for Wash.
ington."
Held Up in Baltimore.
He got as far as Baltimore, where the
train was held up on account of the wires
being down. After several hours wait
the passengers were told they had better
remain in Baltimore for the night. 1t was
then storming hard and continued TO
storm all night.
The morning of the fourth Maj. Trip
and his wife arose early and prepared
for the trip, but found the storm in
|creasing in severity, forcing Mrs. Tefpr
to remain at Baltimore. The ma ioi
started out to make the trip to Washing.
ton alone.
Arriving at the Pennsylvania depot at
5 o'clock in the morning, silk hat in hand
he found no train was to run, and was
told several hundred coaches were held
up between the two cities. Maj. Tripp
located a work train about to start to
Washington, and made an effort to get
on, but was told that he could not ride,
as 1T was a work train only.
Il am a government official and have
an important message to take to Wash
ington,' he said.
Il am obliged to go and will go if /
have to walk every step of the way
This was effective, and he was allowed
to board the train.
Got Here Just in Time.
Maj Trip got fifteen miles out of Bal
timore, to where the trains of the day be-
fore had congested. and started to. walk
through all of them. After an hour or
so he reached the head train stalled in a
snowdrift. Some fifteen or twenty miles
yet lay between the major and the city
of Washington and he worked his way
through" covering the distance by foot
and an occasional hand-car ride, reaching
the capital at 1880 pm.
Il was glad to hire a carriage at the
outskirts Of the city and order the driver
to where l had been written my mount
would await me-" says the major. He
found the mount, dressed in a nearby
store, dOnned the silk hat and reported
to Mr.. Morgan at 100 pm, in ample
time to take part in the parade.
Mr. Morgan detailed Maj. Trip to organ
ize the aids in platoons, and he took his
position on the left of the first platoon
and acted as the general guide and kept
the aids well lined up throughout the
parade His position put him OH the
side next to the President, and when
the aids passed in review Maj. Trip
gave the command to the aids TO .'un-
cover" in honor of the President. In
referring to this Maj. Trip says: You
see. I was of some service to my chief
Mai. Trip hurried to Baltimore after
the parade. reaching his wife at = O'clock
the morning of the 9Th.