Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-07-14
PEACE ABOUNDS
At OLD FORT 1T
TAFT, JUsSERAND AND BRYCE
FELlclTATE AT cHAMPLAIN
TERcENTENARY.
GREAT CELEBRATION OF THE
DISCOVERY OF SPOT MADE
FAMOUS IN HISTORY.
PRESIDENT NARROWLY ESCAPES
ACClDENT-LONGW WALK
IN RAIN.

Bluff Point, n. Y, July WITT
the arrival OF President Taft and Am
bassadors Jasserand of France;
Bryce of Great Britain, Secretary o.
War Dickinson, and Vice Admira
Uriu of Japan, the celebration OF the
Booth anniversary of the discovery OF
Lake Champlain, which had been con
fined during the past two days to New
York and Vermont, yesterday took on
an international scope and worldwide
interest.
Jusserand, Bryce and Taft, al
committed their respective countries
to the policies of peace and, in the
shadow of an old fortress which had
witnessed some of the bloodiest bat
ties in all history, they expressed the
hope that never again would peace
among the great nations OF the world
be interrupted by war.
The president and the other dis
tinguished guests had an afternoon OF
continuing interest from the moment
of their arrival.
The president and ambassadors and
the members of their stats were
shown through the historic ruins OF
"Old IT, as the natives call the
stronghold which is now in course OF
restoration. There was an historic
interest in the old place, alike for the
representatives of Great Britain.
France and the United States, for the
rock promontory was held in turn by
the French, the English and the Amer
lean revolutiOnists. Some of the old
cannon were in place yesterday, and
hundreds of rusty relics were on view.
Some of these were reminders OF the
days of Indian conflicts, others were
links of history leading back to the
bloody fights of Montcalm, Aber-
crombie and Amherst, to the famous
taking of the place by a band OF 83
American colonists under General
Ethan Allan, and to the naval battles,
which helped to make famous the wa
tiers of the lake, discovered three
centuries ago by Samuel Champlain.
Below the fort on the placid waters
of the lake, and set among fiotilla
of modern naval vessels of smaller
classes, was a reproduction Of Cham
plains little caravel, the Don De
Dieu.
After the president had inspected
fh tho wi of
the lake from it's commanding posi-
ton, he proceeded to the grand stand
which was surrounded by several
thousand people. The cheering of the
people as the presidents automobile
was seen coming down the steep in
cline was suddenly changed to tense
silence when the big machine, it's
wheels locked by brakes but slipping
over the treacherous surface, began
to skid toward the edge of the road
way. The chauffeur quickly got the
car under control, however, and the
danger was over in an instant. The
president was the least concerned of
any person in the throng.
An afternoon shower came up, fol-
lowing the ceremonies at the stand,
and the president had to walk quar-
ter of mile or more in the rain to
the boat which, after 20 mile ride
up the lake, landed its distinguished
passengers at Port Henry, where a
the trip to Bluff Point and Hotel
Champlain, where the president and
other guests are CHARTERED.
The president was guest, last
night at a dinner by Walter Wither-
bee, on the latter's houseboat, which
was anchored in the lake off this
point. There, for the first time on
the trip, the president met his son,
Robert A. Taft, and his daughter
Miss Helen, who have been guests of
the Witherbees several days.
Today the scene of the celebration
shifts to Plattsburg, where the presi-
dent will make a brief address and
where Senator Root will deliver an
historical grafton.
Ambassador Jusserand, in his
speech yesterday afternoon, was most
felfcitious in his expression of peace
and good will toward America, toward
Great Britain and toward all the
world. He referred with much feeling
of the fact that France and Great
Britain are soon to celebrate the COM
pletion of 100 years of peace.
Ambassador Bryce took up this
theme and declared that, although he
was surrounded by martial scenes and
men of arms, he himself was a man
of peace.
President Taft's address, too,
abounded in sentiments of peace and
good will. and was well racaivad