The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-30
Salt Lake City Opens Wide Her Gates in
Honor of the Aged People of
the State.
VISITORS ARE ROYALTY ENTERTAINED
IN SPACIOUS TABERNACLE GROUNDS
Ride Over the City in Automobiles, Followed by
Banquet and Fine Music, Are Features
of Summer Day.

With the sweetness and light of
srander day glorifving their furrowed
brows, 1000 old folks tottering down
the long hill to the setting sun.
paused momeDtarily in Salt Lake City,
Tuesday, to see and talk to each other
before starting on the dark trail over
God s desert.
They fed their eyes once moro on the
old, familiar faces, renewed ancient
friendships with those from whom they
had been parted by the currents OF
svirling western life.
Here and there would be bent cou.
pie. the man s eyes shining with youth
full love, the gray-haired woman at his
side murmuring John Anderson, my
Jo-Johu.
They were men Of another age, and
the new Salt Lake struck them with j
sense of the unfitness of things. But
thev were men. The scene in The Tenn
pie grounds was redolent with beautiful
memories. It was hard for the throng-
ing Younger generations to realize that
these wavering figures had once breast
I'd the tide Of fierce frontier adversely;
:hese shaky legs had tramped endless
rails through blazing deserts; these
guivcring arms and palsied fingers had
swung the AK and bIazcd the wilderness
trail for civilization.
Yes. there were gi1pts IN those days.
but they are mere fraIl shadows Of the
old power. now. Conquerors OF the ele-
meqts, bnildcTs Of empires, who found
desert and made il blossom as the
rose. For all their aged weakness, the
80. .l. LII No
checks glowed with JOY, withercd voices
Joined in unison 10 the old-timc. half
forgotten tunes echoed by screaming
fife and rolling snare, played BY the
first band in Utah.
Men Who Made History
There were many men there who had
made history, men who forced their
deeds into the archives for all time;
men whose vigorous work forms great
epoch of this nation.
But YESTERDAY they were as simple
children. and Salt Lake City's populacc
was proud TO do them honor in simple
ways Nothing IN town was TOO good
for them. One incident III the after.
noon showed that everything went.
a. far as the old folks were concerned.
One SCARED and swarthy, veteran, ~
wears old, insisted on smoking his pipe
IN the Temple grounds. This Is Il viola
ton Of the rules, but after short par
lev the guards allowed the old man 10
smoke to his heart 5 content within the
sacred precincts.
Although the dav dawned with threat
ening clouds. the sun had come INTO ms
own by the time that the old folks be
gan TO arrive. and the weather, though
rather sultry, was ideal in every other
way.
The trains came in from north and
south, over the Oregon short llne ana
D. q Z. g., at 1913 o clock IN the
morning, The northern train. carrying
passengers from Brigham city. down.
contained fourteen cars, loaded to the
guards The southern train, which had
picked up all The old folks in its path
from Pavson uU. had fifteen crowded
ears.
Enthusiastic Welcome,
The welcome was enough 10 rouse
the blood in the oldest and most
sluggish veins. At both depots the
old folks ran into the arms Of COM
miftees from the local stakes, repre-.
sentative citizens. and city, county and
state officials Several bands kept up
a storm nf music along the line Of
march. More than 300 loaded automo-
biles and several hundred carriages.
hacks and all manner of vehicles con-
yerped from the depots at W.St Tenn
ple and First South streets, joined IN
single column, and proceeded up town,
Tie parade followed First South to
Stale street, thence to Fifth South,
on TO Main, thence to South Temple
and along that street 70 Thirteenth
East, where the column turned and
went back 10 the temple grounds. y
touring car led the parade, in which
were seated Governor William Spry,
President Joseph i. Smith. Colonel ".
:. Scott. Fifteenth United States in
fsutry: Mayor j. 5. Bransford, Colonel
f. NJ Sterrett Of the G. ~ r., and
Bishop c. w. Nibley. In a second auto
mobile rode the representatives OF tbe
railroads, who had given tie trains ana
service free 50 the old folks. lncIld,
ing w. II, Bancroft, yico president and
general manager Of nc Oregon ShoI
Line; Joseph Wells, general manager Of
The Utah Light and Rnilway company;
Thomas Schumacher, d. s. Spencer, as
sistant general passenger agent of the
Oregon Short Line; Kenneth .. Kerr
district passenger agent Of The salt
Lake Route, and DIR, s, fl. Pinkerron
surgeon OF the L. D. s. hospital.
Escorted by Bands
The Fifteenth United States infan
trv and Ladies OF the G. A, L. bands
escorted the old folks from the depots
while Held's band took its position
at the corner of Main and First Souti
streets. After the parade ali tnrcs
bands entered the tcmple grounds ENC
altcrnated in dispensing musical
sweets.
A varied and sumptuous banquet wa;