Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-03-24
TAFT TAKES CHICAGO
WITH HIS FAMED SMILE
President Passes Strenuous Day
as Guest of the Country's
Second City.
MAKES EIGHT SPEECHES IN ALL
Talks to Sons of Erin, Newspaper
Men, Red Cross Society and
General Public.

Taft dubbed the st. Patrick's day in
Chicago an "episode.' There's a lot
going On in Washington, so that when
I'm called away by a pleasant episode
such as this I've not had the time to
prepare the address you deserve said
he when he began his speech on con-
servation in the Auditorium Theater.
This is the Presidents idea of an
"episode":
His breakfast was scarcely finished
when he was whisked away from his
private car and taken to a room in the
La Sale Hotel, where he made a
speech few minutes later he made
| another-then another-and another
and another-and another-and anoth-
Grand another Eight. Count EN-. An
episode! What if the President we're
willing to chalk off what he considers
a fair days work? Would it make
rhino hunt look like a crochet party
on a rainy Thursday afternoon? Yet
| when Capt Archibald Clavering Butt
assisted him to the platform Of his car
| at the end of a day of third rail siren
uosity the President turned around
and smiled
When the Presidents special stopped
at the temporary station on the Penn
sylvania railroad at 33d street it had
| pierced the heart of a solid phalanx of
| full blooded Gaels, but on the outskirts
was thick veneer Of cosmopolitan
| Chicago. There was delay of min
ute. No President appeared. Then an
other minute went by and still another
Photographers clinging to telegraph
poles by their left legs shifted to their
rights. Then the crowd surged to-
wards the rear platform as Mr. Taft
made his appearance. The President
paused on the step for half a minute
while a dozen cameras clicked stacat-
to salute.
| There was a beautiful tangle at the
| start of the parade. Police and recep-
ton committee found automobiles to
right of them, automobiles to left of
them, and most of them were volley-
ing and laundering sufficient to drown
out cheers of salutation. Along the
route to the loop district men and
women were lined and in some places
school children, but not in great num-
bers. Occasionally the crowds cheered
as the head of the parade drew near,
but the cold morning and the heavy
fog that hung over the streets seemed
to have an effect dampening to enthu-
siasm. In the downtown district
| showers of confetti began to fall from
the windows of the skyscrapers. Bits
of green paper sprinkled the tile hats.
A sackful of confetti fell at the feet
of Capt. Butt in the Presidents auto
mobile and spread chopped paper over
the party. Long paper ribbons fioated
from the windows of downtown build
ings and men in the parade caught the
ends and carried them along
President Taft reached his room ut
the La Sale Hotel. 1t was time to
meet the endowment committee of the
American Red Cross Society. But he
paused. Il must have a shave" he ex-
planned. Then there was hunt for a
barber
Ten minutes later the President had
begun a record breaking series of
speeches. He talked to the Red Cross
committee briefly and greeted with
much cordially the officers of the or
ganization. Then the Irish Fellowship
committee, that stuck to him all day
like poor relations to a wealthy cousin,
piloted him to the Newspaper Club re-
eeption in The Louis XVI. room.
The prpCi6oOt'c
bit as he listened to the song of well
come sung by members of the club.
Two hundred members of the Chicago
| Newspaper Club warbled a song to the
tune of 1T Was Christmas on the ISL
and" When the presidential party
drove from the La Sale Hotel to the
Auditorium Theater, where the conser-
walton address was delivered, the
chimes in church steeple south of the
loop district were ringing the tune
Wearing of the Green
The speech the President delivered
before the members of the engineer
Ing association in the Congress Hotel
was a sort of 100 word dash. He ex-
planned that press of engagements kept
MN AioIu Saying more, and hurried Oft
to the Hamilton Club reception. After
his address there an attempt was made
to give as many visitors as possible
an opportunity to shake hands with
the president like fans through a turn
stile after play ball" is sounded. After
the Hamilton Club reception the Presi.
dent was taken back to the La Sale
Hotel, where he remained until time &c
start for his train.