The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-16
TAFT ON HIS WAY
 ID TIE FAR WEST First Important Stop Will Be
 Made At Chicago GREETED BY LARGE CROWDS Governor Hughes Rides on the Taft Special on Part of Trip Through
 the State and Leaves
 Him at Syracuse.
GREETED BY LARGE CROWDS

Syracuse, N. Y, September 15-After traversing today the two great states of Massachusetts and New York, President Taft tonight is skirting the southern. shores of Lake Erie on his way to Chi cago, where he will arrive at Il 80 a. m tomorrow to make his first important stop on a 13.000-mile tour of the west and south.
 The presidential train passed through here at 7:35 D. b.
 Wherever the train stopped today on it's run from Boston there were large crowds at the railway stations and the President was greeted with enthusiastic cheering. The day was typical of many that are to come, and the President was prevailed upon to. make a number of fve-minute speeches from the rear platform of his car at points not included in the itinerary.
 In Massachusetts MT. Taft spoke at Worcester, Springfield and Pittsfeld. En- tering New York state he was greeted at Albany by Gov. Charles D. Hughes and both made little talks to the depot throng, which cheered the state and federal ex- ecutive with equal enthusiasm.
 Governor Hughes became the President 8 guest on the run from Albany to Syra- car Mayfiower.
 President Taft was in rare good humor today. He seemed thoroughly happy that the journey toward which he has been looking for several months had at last begun. He thanked those who came to greet him in different cities and said he hA1tA would bring him into closer touch with the people than any other plan which could be devised. MT. Taft said that the more he could see of the country and the people during his term the better Pres ident he would make At Syracuse Cover nor Hughes bade the President God speed and safe return to Washington.
 President Taft and Governor Hughes are pronounced admirers of each other. and their meetings always are character ized by many exchanges of graceful and earnest compliments. Today President Taft spoke of the splendid work Governor Hughes had done for him, and the gov ernor replied that the President could never call upon him in vain.
 Starting from Boston a little after 10 o'clock this morning the President head ed straight for the west It was his 52d birthday, and he received many congratu-
  Pittsf1e1d some enthusiastic admirers fair ly filled the Presidents car with flowers. The throng which lined the way from the hotel to the station in Boston was but a forerunner of those encountered along the way Even at places where the Pres- idents train did not stop there were many to wave him a greeting.
 AS guests out of Boston the President had with him his elderly aunt, Miss Della Torrey; Senator w Murray Crane of Mas- sachusetts and William Nelson Cromwell of New York. Miss Torrey, of whom the President is very fond, wont as far as Worcester, leaving the train there to go to her home at Millbury where many of MT. Tafts ancestors lived Senator Crane went as far as Pfttsheld and MT. Crom- wall to Albany.
 The President set precedent today for the entire trip by electing to run on slow schedule. The New York Central lines surrounded the train with every pre- caution for It's safety. There always were three men on the engine and prominent representatives of the traffic department were aboard from the start.