The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-25

dustrial school boys and on through the
train gates, from where they formed lines
also, reaching from the train gates on
out almost TO the Southern track where
the train was to pull in,
When Mr.. Underwood Appeared
With these two lines holding the crowds
back on either side, leaving an open
path through the mass of humanity, the
crowd waited. President Culpepper Exum
of the city commission, President j. IL.
Shelby of the Birmingham Board of Trade
and President w. p. G. Harding of the
Chamber of Commerce composed the re-
ception committee which met Mr.. Under
wood as he stepped from the train. Mr..
Exum and Mr.. Underwood took the lead,
with Mr.. Shelby and Mr.. Harding follow
ing and with Mrs. Sterling Wood ana
Mrs. Underwood bringing up the rear.
A Frisco train was standing on the
track between the company and the
waiting crowd but as the forms of Mr..
Underwood and Mr.. Exum appeared COM
| ing around the big Frisco engine, a
| cheer rose from the first ranks of the
waiting lines 1t gathered force as it
spread, the remainder of the crowd rec
ognized Mr.. Underwood and the very
dome of the Terminal station trembled
with the volume of cheers wslich was
Birminghamss greeting to her distin-
guished citizen.
They passed between the two lines as
the crowd kept cheering, waving flags
! and bands playing. to the waiting car
/ riage in front of the Terminal station.
AS they stepped into the carriage the
camera and moving picture men cut loose
right and left and it was a scramble
from the crowd behind as everybody
wanted to get his physiognomy into the
pictures.
Formation of Parade
Immediately the parade began form
ing under the direction of Grand Mar
shall e. j. McCrossin. Mrs. Underwood
and her party were seated in the second
carriage and with the organizations and
citizens falling in behind the mammoth
pageant got under way
| The marching column was IL blocks
| long and was one of the most represen-
tative parades ever seen In the state.
| With the carriages a squad of mounted
police and Nappis band in the lead. it.
proceeded up Fifth avenue and when
| 1T turned into Nineteenth street the end
of 1t had not yet left the Terminal sta
ton. When the head of the parade came
around First avenue and down Twen-
tieth street to again cross Fifth ave-
nue. on its way north to Capitol park,
it had to walt until the rear of the
| parade finished coming up Fifth avenue.
This made 10 blocks covered and the best
| estimates of the parade's length were
placed at IL blocks on Just about mile.
| The streets downtown and all along
| Fifth avenue from the Terminal station
downtown, were crowded with mass
| of people. Downtown the sidewalks and
curbing were lined on both sides of the
streets with people. as when a circus
| parade comes to town. AS the sidewalk
throngs rescognized Mr.. Underwood he
| was greeted by cheers and shouts and
bursts of applause. The weather was
| very cold and raw and occasional
| sprinkles of rain fell but the crowd
along the streets never thinned nor did
any fall out of the ranks of the parade.
! At Capitol park Mr.. Underwood's car
riage dropped out of line and he re-
viewed the parade as 1t passed on into
the park and disbanded behind him. Fl g
was visibly touched by the demonstra-
ton. The Underwood smile beamed forth
on every boy and man that passed him
and serious blockade were threatened at
times by those of the parade who broke
ranks and ran up to the carriage to shake
his hand The handshaking continued
| by spurts until finally a crowd was
backed up behind and Mr. Underwood's
arm began to feel like a damaged pump
handle. policeman. however, solved
| the situation In a twinkling by jumping.
into the crowd and guiding the march
| ing column past the carriage far enough
| away so that 1t was impossible to shake
hands. AS 1t was Mr. Underwood prob
| ably shook the hand of over 1000 people
within a few moments.
| As the last of the parade filed past,
the ranks broke and the crowd surged in
about the carriage Calls of Speech!
Speech! Underwood. Underwood.' were.
| heard and in response MT. Underwood
stepped to the seat of the carriage where
he stood we'll above the crowd
Makes Short Speech
As he stood up cheer greeted him.
Culpepper Exum grasped his arm. "Gen-
tlemen," he shouted, 'our next Presi-
dent" A thunder of cheers greeted the
remark. Mr. Underwood then began in
his characteristic, slow, distinct, delib-
crate form of speaking.
MY friends he said, and paused, 'be-
| cause you are my friends-and l am glad
OF this opportunity to call you my friends
20 years ago L left Birmingham carry
ing your credentials as your representa-
tive in the Congress of the nation.
To-day l return to you with the an
nouncement that I will lay down those
credentials at the end of my term. You
don't know how much appreciated this
welcome upon my homecoming. con-
sider it a greater honor to have had this