The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-19

in the land parade, had the committee
signifed its willingness, there Nouio
have been as great diversity. AS many
applications for positions in the line were
refused, l am told, as were accepted. All
avenues of travel which led toward tne
line of march were woefully longest
ed early in the morning.
When the Androscoggin dropped It's
precious passenger down at the battery
that great space was filled with strus-
Cling thousands and along the line OF
march the crowds formed a mass which
the police could hardly handle.
As the colonel climbed up to his place
i'll the great stand from which he made
his speech of thanks to his fellow cltl-
zens, he waved his hand at his walt
ing family, and then be turned and faced
the thronging crowd He did not wave
1t at that crowd-he shook 1t, almost as
4 fighter might defy threatening mob.
But the defiance did not go beyond the
gesture of the fist. The face which
beamed above it was dee-lighted. The
crowd reared to 1t gleefully and again he
Lovingly shook his fist at them before
he started on his speech.
Many Incidents
The course of parade uptown was full
of interesting incidents. On the ship the
man whom he had kept with most per-
sistence close to him was Captain Cosby;
early in the line of march his carriage,
evidently to his great surprise, came upon
the party of Rough Riders who have been
coming to New York in twos and threes,
during the past week. There were sew
eral hundred of them. At first he did not
see them. Then rang above the crowds
conventional hurrahs the wild yell of the
regiment 1t was plainly wholly unexpect-
ed and for a second he did not respond,
but sat astounded. Then with flushing
face and even broader smile than he had
worn before upon this day of smiles, he
sprang up to his feet. waved his hat
frantically and peeriSs at the veterans
with that peculiarly intent look with which
they were SO familiar, began to call his
old comrades in arms by name Did the
Rough Riders answer? They sure did
Battery Place had never heard such
sounds before, will never hear such
sounds again.
The men were riding eastern horses.
Several of them had complained to me
tile night before that they did not think
of them. These horses are too darn
gentle" one of the Rough Riders re-
marked. I'm plumb scarf"
But they forgot their worry over mounts
when they came alongside their colonel
from far Africa. They forced them into
places before him In the line as guard of
honor.
Long Drawn BedIam
Broadway. as they progressed through
it, was bedlam long drawn out. When
other great men have proceeded through
it in parades the crowds have cheered.
As he progressed the crowds went mad.
No room was left on the sidewalks and
often the police had their own troubles
in trying to prevent enthusiasts from
breaking through their lines and falling
upon the Colonel's neck against official
rules. Through the financial district
clerks mot principals to any known ex-
tent tore ticker tape into confetti and
showered it on his head. This worried
the Rough Riders horses very sadly, but
ii did not worry the days hero; he liked
it; he liked all of 1t. Not once did the
wide smile fade from his bronzed face.
Most of the time he stood up in his car
riage, waving hat or hands, although he
had announced on the Androscoggin that
he was really very tired-too tired for
much physical exertion." But no human
body could have sat inert with those
great waves of wild enthusiasm beating
on IL from both sides
There is no doubt that the thing which
pleased the Colonel most, next to his
meeting with his family, was the greeting
by his wartime comrades of his famous
regiment. This seemed to he an absolute
surprise to him. 1t put the last sweet
drop into a cup of joy which certainly
could not have failed to be as full as
most cups ever are without 1t.
To Oyster Bay
Nor did the celebration of his home COM
ing end with New York City. Long
Island City. where he took the train for
Oyster Bay, paid its own tribute, and
Oyster Bay, his home, was gayly decor
ated and thronged to welcome him. The
famous Oyster Bay brass band was at its
best-and that is very, very startling
and. besides the simple townsfolk. there
was a throng of auto parties from the
near towns of Long Island to escort him
on the curling. hlly drive up to his home
Even the Italian colony In the famous
village turned out in its mad enthusiasm
and hired New York musicians to do the
great American due honor.
The weather. which my English friend
on the boat had said would have been
called Kings weather in London, paid
a really dramatic tribute to the home
coming of the ex-President At just about
the time when he was scheduled to be
we'll under cover, 1t changed suddenly
and gave New york an hour of storm.
The rain came down in torrents. hail
stones pelted, lightning flashed and thun-
der ratified. but the Colonel's welcome
had been handed to him by million peo-
pie and then some, beneath smiling sky.