The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-20
TAFT IN TEXAS
President Enjoying Life in the Lone
Star State

i dent Taft arrived last night to spenC
four days on the ranch of Charles p
Taft, his brother He will play gol
every morning over the links laid GU
On the ranch viii ride in the after
noon, and may go duck shooting, al
though Ne does not pretend to be
much of a shot.
The stay at the ranch will be the
first real rest the President will havs
had on the trip, for even the Yose
mite Valley, far from the beaten
paths, had its ironclad schedule OF
stage rides and early hours of ris
ing.
Mr.. Taft was met at the Gregory
Station last night by his brother and
number of men from the ranch,
which lies three miles east Of the
! town. The ranch faces three bays
on the Gulf of Mexico. Tarpon fish
ing is a favorite sport of this region,
but it is doubtful whether Mr.. Taft
will try his hand at it.
President Taft spent a busy seven
hours in San Antonio before start
in for Gregory. He was up early in
tha morning to carry out the pro-
q ANNE arranged for him.
Mr. Taft had been to San Antonio
before as Secretary of War. and his
act in that capacity in building Fort
Sam Houston up to the present SPLEEN
did military station has won him
great favor from the city of the Ala
mo. Wherever he went today the
President was greeted by cheering
throngs. His declaration of the fact
that he was not on a political mis-
sion and his visit was that solely of
the President of the United States
helped to add to the enthusiasm of
his reception.
Before 6 O'Clock in the morning au-
tomohiles were waiting for the Presi-
dent at the steps of the st. Anthony
Hotel, where he stopped over night.
to convey him TO Fort Sam Houston,
where, with a simple ceremony, he
laid the cornerstone of the nearly
completed post chapel building. This
chapel, one of the handsomest build
ings to be found in the jurisdiction
of the War Department, was present
ed to the post by the citizens of San
Antonio, and was formally accepted
and dedicated by President Taft
shortly after his arrival from Ell Paso
last night
On his way to Fort Sam Houston
the President was driven through
lanes of school children, $4,000 in
number who sang America as he
passed The President halted his
march to listen to the song and to
the cheers of the children.
Arriving at the fore, he greeted all
the troops stationed there before
proceeding to the chapel, where the
simple service OF placing the corner
stone in the niche reserved for it
was performed The troops were
those that acted as escort to Presi-
dent Taft and President Diaz at FL
Paso on Saturday.
Following the chapel ceremony the
President held a reception at the Of
hcer's Club At 1880 he was back in
the city and made a brief address
from a grand stand on Alama Plaza.
The president was introduced by
Mayor Callahan. who has been eight
times the Chief Executive of San
Antonio. He was greeted with
cheer
THE remarks of your Chief Magis-
trate accord with my own feeling in
emphasizing the historical feature
of the spot upon which we stand
said the Presindent. This is indeed
one Of the cradles of American liber-
ty Here the people of Texas
wrought out their own individual lib
erty and then linked it with that OF
other peoples of the United States.
Within a stones row of that build
ing in which were offered up those
sacred lives at the Alamo one cannot
but lay tribute at the feet of the
State of Texas as entitled to some
thing a little more than one of the
thirteen States; that she worked out
her destiny without the aid of the
rest.
1.-TWO days ago it was my good for
tune to take part as the representa-
i've of the people of the United States
in a ceremony tending to show the
peace and good will and the bond of
friendship that now exists between
the United States and the great Re
public OF Mexico Happy those who
after quarrels and battles and bloody
wars can live to see the participants
taking part in ceremony of union
and peace and sincere good will; and
that the sentiment is developed as
look behind me and find on one side
the soldiers of the Grand Army of the
Republic and on the other the Confed-
crate veterans gathered here to pay
their respects to the chief magistrate
of the nation under the starry flag
that they all now love so we'll
Il appreciate this cordial welcome
as your tribute of loyalty to the Elk
ecutive of the Nation, TO the man who
for the time being represents your
sovereignty. and as such | am prepar-
ed to receive It."
In his speech at the fort last night
the president said:
Il don't think we can afford to re-
duce the. army at all. Some states
men see a threat when the talk is
made to increase the army. | will
leave it to the people of San Antonio
to say if they fear that the free in
situations of our country are endan-