The Mankato free press., 1910-11-25
Spectacular Parade One of Attractive
Features; Brilliant Display of
Fireworks and Bombs
Monster Audience al Theatre Listens to
Addresses; Band Selections and
the Sweet Singing

Mankato Iavishly and with pleasing
ceremonies entertained its most distin
guished citizen Governor A. O. Eber
hart, last night.
The Governor Eberhart ratification
meeting has gone down into local his
tory as one of the most successful
events ever pulled OFF in MankatO. The
program could not be adhered tc
strictly, because of several reasons
beyond the control of the committee
men, but it was carried out with rea.
sonable precision. I'm the first place
nature did not smile on the affair
While the day was the warmest fol
two or three weeks, it was also tho
iirst rainy one of the fall. Lowering
skies and intermittant sprinkles un-
doubtedly kept many away, especially
those who had planned on coming from
nearby towns in automobiles and by
team, and it also made the going under
foot bad. Secondly, wreck delayed
the governors train for an hour, and
it was getting dark when he arrived
Governor Was Delayed.
Governor Eberhart was to arrive in
st. Paul yesterday afternoon from Chi
caGo in time to catch the 80 p. m
train for AIankato, arriving here nj
4:l0 p. m, but his trairr--w-rs late and
he feared that he could not catch the
train to Mankato and would have to
come on II later one. lie and his
friends took the matter mp with the
Omaha officials and it was agreed to
hold the l:30 O'Clock train twenty-five
minutes. The engineer of the train
that Governor Eberhart was coming
from Chicago on was a friend OF the
governor and did his best and made
up fortyive minutes. so that the
train, while late, arrived in the depot
just two minutes ahead Of the regular
leaving time of the 30 p. m Omaha
train. Governor Eberhart had lust
time to catch the latter without de-
laying it.
Held Up By a Wreck.
Arrived at Shakopee on time, the
train was held there for an hour by
a wreck. A thrown switch had deraIed
three Milwaukee freight cars in such
a way that they blocked the tracks,
and the train had to wait until the
track could be cleared.
The arrangements for receiving the
governor at the union depot were car
ried out fully, in spite of the long
delay. The school children stood for
over an hour in solid formation on the
wet Main street pavement, many with
out overcoats or wraps of any kind,
under the care of their superintendent
and teachers. About two thousand
were ON hand to greet the chief eXecu-
tive OF the state with shouts and wav-
ing of flags. The public schools
turned out all of the grades except the
two lowest grades in the West Man
kato and Franklin buildings. Those
grades were thought to have too small
children for so long a march. Nearly
300 public school children were in
line, $50 from the Catholic parochial
school, and 160 from the German Lu-
theran parochial school.
Police and Militiamen Kept Busy.
The police and several militiamen
and committeeman We're kept busy
keeping an opening for the guberna-
torial party to pass through, and keep
ing the crowds from encroaching upon
the space allotted the children. and
turning teams from the block. When
ever the approach of train or engine
was heard, the children began to shout
and wave. Two or three bands played
occasionally, and in this way the time
passed slowly until the train finally
pulled in, with its eight coaches.
Mayor Meyer, Chief Pond and Others
found the governor in forward coach
and escorted him at a rapid pace
through the open space on the Main
street pavement, past the children.
They were preceded by the governors
staff, in full uniform
As the governor passed, the school
children closed in behind him, followed
by the rest OF the spectators who
thronged the walks and pavement and
numbered several thousand. The bands
played and the children waved their
600 flags and shouted themselves
hoarse, and the scene was the prettiest
and most significant of the entire rat
ification.
Arrived at the side entrance of the
Saulpaugh, Governor Eberhart address
nl fn1a. 1uorlc to ILo caLool ..o,,