Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-09
TAFT IS GIVEN
UNIQUE BANQUET
In Many Respects It Was Most
Sumptuous Chief Executive
Has Had on His Long
Journey.

night at the De Soto hotel, slept late to-
Gay and delayed the start OF the pro-
gram of sightseeing arranged for his last
day IN Savannah by nearly an hour.
The president left at 2 o'clock this af-
ternoon for Charleston. The Gordon res
idence where the president stopped dur
ing his stay here, was guarded through
out the night by detachment Of police
and this morning while Mr.. Taft slept
the tide of traffic was turned down other
thoroughfares than those leading by the
temporary White House.
A crowd of several thousand persons
gathered as near the residence as the
| glimpse of the chief executive by day
Hight E~ss
1t was we'll after dark when Mr.. Taft
reached the city last night to participate
in a parade illuminated by torches and
the powerful rays OF a searchlight
placed on one of the tall buildings.
After breakfast at the Gordon home
this morning. the president was escorted
by automobiles to the Barnard street
dock. where he boarded the revenue cut
ter Yamacraw for an hours sail on the
river. During this trip he was saluted
with the Washington guns of Savannah's
famous military organization, the Chat
ham Artillery.
t. HISTORICAL GUNS.
& The guns are Revolutionary relics and
were presented to the artillery at the
time of General washington's visit to the
city.
The river trip ended, the president was
taken for a fast ride over the beautiful
automobile course over which the grand
prize races were run last fall and a new
American road record of 65.5 miles an
hour for more than 400 miles was estab-
HSha bryT The ride ended
at the Thunderbolt Casino, where lunch
con was served. On the way back to
the station to take the train for Charles
ton, the president passed before all the
school children Of the city, both white
and colored.
President Taft is the fifth president OF
the United States to visit Savannah dur
ing his term of office. Washington, Mon
roe, Cleveland and Mckinley preceded
him, and General Grant came to the city
shortly after he had laid down the reins
of Office.
Mr. Taft made a very happy speech at
the banquet early this morning. He was
the last speaker on the long program. At
one time during his speech there were
cries of Second term" and the old
Cleveland yell of -Four Years More"
The president said he had heard the
same friendly expressions from one 9TH
er audience-in the District Of Columbia
Therefore" he added, amid shouts of
laughter, 81 accept such a demonstra-
ton as an evidence Of profound good-fel-
lowship and welcome and appreciate 1t.
and pass over the matter of judgment
and power
PRESIDENT LAUDs TY COBB.
The president made a great hit with
his audience by referring to "Ty'' Cobb.
the famous batsman of the Detroit Ameri-
can League Baseball team, as one OF the
distinguished citizens of Georgia.
The president paid a tribute to the
United States army and navy, and agreed
with Rear Admiral Sperry.i who had re-
isponded to a toast to the navy, that
there was no act ''in the wonderfully
useful and inspiring administration of
Theodore Roosevelt to which we are more
indebted than the sending of the 16 bat
ltleships around the world
! Referring to the Panama canal, the
president repeated the promise he has
made before that it will be completed by
January /, 1915. The president said It took
strong man to supervise the work as
secretary of war, so he chose a southern
er, Judge Dickinson, a man Of wonderful
ingenuity, and a steam engine in
breeches." 1t was when the president said
he hoped the Panama canal could be
hurried to completion during his term of
ONCE that the cry OF -four years more"
came from the banqueters.
Your city of Savannah" said the pres
ident. has history and traditions OF
which you may we'll be proud. / don't
wonder that every smile see in Georgia
is broader than when was here in Jan
uary. With 15-cent cotton you can be en-
thusiastic to the point of exuberance
and have people understand why.
EXPRESS APPRECIATION.
II want to express to the people of Sa-
vannah and to the people of Georgia my
heartfelt appreciation OF the cordial well
come that have had since 1 entered the
state and all through 1t down to this
beautiful, city. cannot help feeling
(perfaps my head is a little bit sswelled
and am too prone to that sort of thing
that there is something personal in the
reception and that 1t grows out of my ex-
pressed wish to do what little I can as
the chief magistrate of this nation to
show to Georgia and her sister southern
states that in the administration Of the
government at Washington she is as
much a part as the state of Ohio and we
recognize no sectional lines, that the diff
ference is only in temperature and tenn
permanent and not in the essentials that
20 to make up American manhood.
''I4 could talk about this subject at
Length. hut l. have delivered myself so
often on 1t that I merely want to reiter-
ate my earnest desire and my pride TO
be remembered as president who tried
TO wipe out, altogether, sectionalism.
SAVANNAH, Ga, Nov. 5.-The PAN
ouet in honor Of the president was In
MANY respects, the most unique and
sumptuous that the, president has On
|countered in all his travels. Nearly
every course was served on a dish
which was taken home by the DIN
e1rs as souvenirs AS the president en-
tered. the $50 guests were standing
waving little silken presidential flags
At each place was a gold scarfpin' on
which was enscrolled the seal OF the
city of Savannah. The canaDe was serV-
ed on hand-painted china trays, bear
ing the presidents initials. Sailed al
monds were served in individual sill
ver-mouthed cut glass dishes. Dia-
mond-back terrapin appeared in indi-
viduaI FURNISHED copper chatting dish es'
which were souvenirs. Punch was
served in silver-mouthed glasses; bran
dy in silver filigree cups, and CT
CARS in red leather cases-all souver-
IRIS
AS the president arose to speak.
90 white doves were liberated over the
heads of the diners. Mayor George
Tiedcman. of Savannah, presided at the
banquet as POSTMASTER, and the speak
ers were as follows;
Address Of welcome, Samuel Z. Ad-