The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-01-15
ATLANTA READY
TO GREET TAFT
Will Eat POssum at Banquet Friday
Night-WhoIe City in
kubbub.

Atlanta Ca. JaA. 15.-Never in the
history OF Atlanta, not even in the
halcyon times before the war;" has
the city seen day Ike today. From
the aristocratic precincts of Peach
the negroes huddle together in their
little shanties, the city is astir with
excitement over the coming here to-
day of President-elect William X.
Taft, who will be the city's guest for
"a hours. The fact that he is a Re-
publican and as such at variance with
the majority OF Atlanta's citizens Is
lost sight OF in the universal feeling
that today Atlanta has an opportunity
of showing that the famous southern
hospitality has not been overrated.
Gathered at the railroad station to
meet Mr. TAFT on his arrival from
Augusta will be the retiring governor
of Georgia, Hoke Smith, anJ the gov
eTror-elect, Joseph M. Grown; the
mayor of the city, Robert F. Maddox,
President Gambler of the chamber on
commerce, which body win dine Mr..
Taft tonight, and host of other dis
tirgaished southerners. This after
loon will see a continuous series OF
receptions for the guest of honor.
Only one thing mars the occasion in
| the opinion of Atlantans. That is the
absence of Mrs. Taft, for whom the
ladies of Atlanta had planned warm
reception, until it was announced with
regret by the preSident-elect that a
previous engagement with their son
at Yale would prevent her coming
here.
"Pcssum and Eaters" on the Menu.
The climax of Atlanta's attentions
to Mr.. Taft will come tonight at the
chamber of commerce banquet Six
hundred and fifty others will sit down
to dine with the president-elect on a
menu composed mainly of famous
southern delicacies. The piece de re-
sistance will be baked opossum, with
baked sweet potatoes on the right OF
him, ON the left of him, under him
and heaped over him. The possum
was included in the bill OF fare at
| Mr.. Taft's request.
Mr. Taft is byrepute a good trench
erman and has dined on most of the
good things that the various sections
/ of the earth have to offer. But he has
never tasteo say the famous Atlanta
! gourmets, anything to equal the "a
pound possum-a record breaker for
weight, by the way-that will face
him tonight. Hundreds of other pos
sums will feed the other guests.
Leading up to the ''possum and Ia
tiers" there will be the renowned
Brunswick stew, and to wash the
dishes down there will be gallons and
gallons of 'simmon beer" a strictly
temperance drink brewed from the
famous but slightly acid persimmon.
If Mr.. Taft's portly form rises from
the table with ease tonight when he
begins his address Atlanta's chefs
will be in for bad time
Splendid Dining Hall.
The banquetwill be held in the new
Armory auditorium. The dining hall
has been turned into a grand sym
phony of color. Behind the speakers
table, which is to be about 20 feet
long and which will be placed against
the wall, there Will be festooned a
gigantic United States flag, made up
of ferns, flowers and electric lights.
The stars in the flag will be. made of
white electric lights and the other
colors furnished in the same way,
while the whole will be artistically
blended with the choicest OF hot
house flowers. The lights will so rise
and fall as to give the appearance
that the flag is waving
At a given signal what appears to
be part of this waving flag will drop
and there will be exposed to the din
ers facing the speakers table-a pic
ture of Mr. Taft alone in lights and
flowers. This will be the background.
The same idea of the flag will be car
ried out in the speakers table and
the guest table.
The guest table will be the base Of
the flag, on which the lights will be
so arranged as to form the stars and
background. Leading away from it at
right angles will be nine tables, with
their white napery making the white
stripes and row after row of Ameri-
can Beauty roses forming the red and
completing the floral picture of the
stars and stripes.
The auditorium is to be decorated
until it appears bower of fragrant
flowers. The committee in charge has
spared no expense in making the BAN
quet the most artistic affair ever held
in the south.