The Washington herald., 1909-10-26

St. Louis, Oct. 25.-President
Taft started his I,2oo-mile trip
down the Mississippi River this aft
ernoon to the footing of the whistles
and the cheers of thousands.
Fifteen big Mississippi River
steamboats,, bearing a notable es-
cort, swung out behind the little
United States lighthouse tender
Oleander, on which the President
started. in the escort are the Vice
President Of the United States, two
Cabinet members, twenty United
States Senators, four representa-
tives of foreign nations, the Speaker
Of the House of Representatives,
with III Of his fellow-Represen-
tatives, and hundreds of prominent
business men OF the Middle West.
1t is the greatest show that was ever
pulled off in an effort to push legislation
through Congress. The excursion Is run
under the auspices OF the Lakes to the
Gulf Deep Waterway Association. and is
20 end at the annual convention at New
orleans. GOV Hadley, Of Missouri de-
scribed the trip as being for exploitation
and investigation"
No Pleasure Trip, Thinks Taft.
Mr. Taft himself hardly regards 1t as
a pleasure trip. The President is accom-
panied on the Oleander only by his secre-
taries and the Secret Service guard. He
is scheduled to make eight speeches on
the trip down the river. but he will have
20 spare his voice II he expects to speak
above a whisper on the last lap Of his
trip.
There was some doubt when he arrived
I'm St Louis this morning whether he
would be able to talk at all to the Mis-
souri, folks. BY having his threat stimu-
lated just before he entered the Coliseum
meeting, the President was able to make
himself heard by about half Of the big
audience.
Larders Laden with Good Things.
Some idea OF the size Of this excursion
may be CLEANED from the stuff that had
been packed I'm the fleets larders before
it left There were 5000 pounds OF fresh
meat, 80 dozen chickens, 1,SOO turkeys.
125 gallons Of oysters. 300 pounds OF fish.
$50 bushels of potatoes. 1870 dozens OF
eggs. LOO pounds OF butter. 5000 cigars,
and wines and liquors unestImated.
on the boats carrying the governors
from the Mississippi Valley States and
the Representatives were a few peculiar
looking tables, with green cloth covers.
one OF the st. Louis papers says they
were poker tables with inches FOR
chiDs stands for bottles. and a depres-
sion In the center for the kitty"
When one or two Of the Mississippi
VALLEY governors were asked about the
discovery, they said:
What is a kitty"
Uncle joe Cannon, who was assigned
TO one OF the boats that had a table or
two. was shocked when somebody sug-
gested that they might be poker tables,
and the committee on transportation also
was grieved at the aspersions.
Four Days Run.
It will be a four-day run down the
river
This is Uncle Joes first trip down the
river since he was a boy of thirteen
years. He made the trip then on a fat
boat, carrying a load Of pork to New
Orleans. When he got there, they sold
not only the pork. but the fat boat. and
Uncle Joe. putting up a strenuous thir-
teen-year-old kick at having had the boat
sold from under his feet, was put aboard
a side-wheeler and sent home.
Somebody wanted to know OF Uncle
Joe before he sailed what ne thought OF
the fight the insurgents were making
against him
Get out your pencil and write this
down. said he, which was done, as fol-
lows:
CannOn's Opinion of Insurgents.
cold Paul. you will recollect. il you
refer to his journey, finally struck an
attitude. and said I have been i'm
prisoned. punished with stripes. met
with robbers on land and have been
shipwrecked, and have met the beasts OF
Ephesus, but none of all these could
discourage me- That is all"
The meeting az the Coliseum was tho
biggest one Of the day. Mr.. Taft ad-
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