The Raymer enterprise., 1916-06-15
dr. Fairbanks had. pe,.kaps. the

Mr. Fairbanks had. perhaps. the
handsomest OF these lady shouters In
the person OF Mrs. English of Indian.
apolis. daughter.in-law OF w. II. Eng
lish, who was Hancocks running mate
long years ago. Wrapped In one Amer
lean flag. and waving another. she
made a striking figure. and her early
stage training stood her in good stead
Among the Boosters.
To one who had frequented the
Michigan boulevard hotels during the
evenings Of the convention week 1t
was not surprising that there was not
an enthusiastic demonstration at the
Coliseum when Hughes was placed in
nomination. Never before was there
so little boosting Of leading candi-
date on the surface. There comes the
man with the Hughes badge" said one
onlooker. and there was little exag.
geration in the remark. Everyone else
had headquarters, bands, glee clubs.
badge distributors. and all the rest OF
the machinery OF boosting. but not so
Hughes. The work for him was being
done quietly behind closed doors.
All sorts Of devices were resorted
to by supporters OF favorite sons. In
the Fairbanks region at the Congress
hotel women sold carnations for that
tall sycamore. Cant | sell you a
flower for dinner" one OF them asked
a husky negro. What for?" Why,
for Fairbanks. 4 should say not; he
ain't worth a dime to me" was the
reply.
| Those negroes were among the
amusing features OF the hotel lobbies,
for they were forever getting into
acrimonious dispute with one another.
Don't you try to tell me nothin'." !"
said big colored IndlanIan to one
from Southern state. You darkies
from down there are on the market as
soon as you get here. every time"
is that so?" was the sharp re.
sponse. Well. you tell me when did
Indiana ever send a colored dele
gate?"
Lots OF times"
But when. | asts you7'
Lots OF times. tells you"
But. ] asts you. when,"
And so 1t would go on intermInably
| Wednesday night was the Iiveliest
in the hotels. for the boosters were out
in all their glory and as yet uncurbed.
In the Congress swarm OF cowboy.
hated Sherman shouters took DOS.
session OF the lobby and at intervals
the T. X. paraders would undertake to
march through them, carrying large
Teddy" signs. Every such attempt
was the signal for a near riot, and
those signs we're soon smashed by
umbrella-handle blows.
Then the Sherman boys produced a
baby elephant and goat labeled
"Teddy's.' The little pachyderm was
as once banished to the baggage room.
where its trunk was checked and its
manager ordered half a ton OF hay
from the Pompeiian room. As for the
goat. II was run out In a hurry. and
the hotel management issued an edict
that no more live stock should be
brought into the place. So thereafter
the crowds were content to go mill
Ing about the various rooms, here
watching movies of Roosevelt parades,
there listening to speakers tell OF
the virtues OF Burton or Fairbanks.
and elsewhere collecting badges and
buttons. For the Lords sake take
them" the boosters would urge.
They won't be worth a darn next
week" Which was necessarily true
Of all but one variety. then unknown.
| Black Mark for Chicago.
Mention has been made above of
Mayor Thompsons committee, and
credit must be given It for doing much
to entertain the delegates and other
convention visitors. In addition to big
flocks OF free automobiles, there were
many and varied forms OF entertain.
ment. parades OF fremen, fireworks,
and the like. so far as the wretched
weather permitted. and on Thursday
night there were dances In a dozen OF
the leading hotels to which all were
invited. So far. so good. But a big
black mark must be placed against the
mayor and his political friends for the
outrage of Friday afternoon. At that
time, just as things were getting In.
teresting. an immense swarm OF ward.
heelers and political henchmen swept
down on the Coliseum, armed with
green tickets or sergeant at arms
badges, and SO thronged the building
that the police and fremen finally
closed all the doors The doorkeepers
were given orders TO honor no tickets
whatever. and hundreds OF newspaper
correspondents and men and women
who had paid as high as $3.50 for ad-
mission tickets were rudely thrust
aside. The order came when a great