The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-11-11
new ORLEANS MAYOR
IS HELD BLAMELESSI
SOUTHERN EDITOR TAKES RE-
SPONSIBILITY FOR DISCOUNT
Esq TO SAUK CENTRE
WAS TOO BUSY GRATING
ROUTE CHANGED TO SAVE
TIME; SORRY FOR "MAIN
STREET" INCIDENT

STREET" INCIDENT
The Herald editor Monday morn
ing received letter from James M.
Thomson, publisher of the New Or
leans Morning Tribune, The New Or
leans Item and the Item-Tribune in
which he explains how it happened
that the m-to-Pine tourists failed
to visit Sank Centre and keep the
luncheon date scheduled for this city
Oct. 5 after they had asked for 1t
and indorsed it by letter OF accept
ance by Mayor O'Keefe for New Or
leans.
The letter received by the Herald
editor Monday morning was brought
about by the article in the Herald OF
Oct. 7th in which Mayor Okeefe as
the official head of the party was crit
icised for the rank discourtesy shown
the citizens of this city.
Mr.. Thomson albsolves Mayor
O'Keefe from any blame IN the
matter, stating that the newspapers
above mentioned sponsored the trip
and had entire charge of the itinery;
The letter states the Mayor received
the numerous kilograms from Mayor
Whitson of Sank Centre, but that ne
was so busy making speeches he
could not be bothered with answering
them and turned them over to some
of the newspaper men of the party
and supposed they had been taken
care of.
Mr.. Thomson states his tour man
ayers informed him they promptly
notified all towns where stops were
scheduled either by telephone or tele,
graph. The Herald doesn't pretend
to know what course they followed
regarding other points, but they are
"stringing" their boss when they al
leg they notified Sank Centre eve
after frantic efforts had been made
to get in communication with the
Mayor of New Orleans at Winnipeg.
A message was received last Wednes-
day afternoon Oct. g., announcing
the route had been changed.
The Herald story was gwen Wlde
publicity as it was taken up by the
limited Press gathering service
which serves several hundred of the
prominent daily newspapers of the
limited States. The affair was
closed incident as far as Sank Gen.
tire was concerned.
Mr.. Thomson's letter of explana-
ton is published herewith:
THE MORNING TRIBUNE
THE NEW ORLEANS ITEM
THE ITEM-TRIBUNE
New Orleans
October 29, 1926
Sank Centre Herald,
Sank Centre, Stearns County
Minnesota.
Dear Sir:
There has come to my atten-
ton an article in your excellent
PAPER o. desc afulsaa a situation Of
misunderstanding and Whlch
places on Mayor O'Keefe of New
Orleans the blame for an ap-
parent discourtesy for winch ne
is in no way responsible.
The Palm-to-Pine tour from -
New Orleans was conducted by
our newspaper which sent out
pathfnding expedition. These
gentlemen established a routing
for our party on the return trip
from Winnipeg to New Orleans.
What happened was that these
pathfnders. seeking an ideal
routing of us, provided for
longer stay in Minnesota than
it was possible for us to make;
and without consulting Mayor
O'Keefe-because during his stay
in Winnipeg his time was so
filled with speaking engagements |
ana functions nc
could not give the time to the
matter-Tour Manager Barnes
and Mr.. Hawkins of my papers.
and 1, re-routed the trip in order
to enable our party to reach
Chicago two days sooner than
was originally scheduled.
Mayor O'Keefe did receive
your message at Winnipeg and
turned it over to our tour man
ager and to our Mr.. Hawkins.
They were to telephone or--tale-
graph at once everyone who had
prepared any particular recep-
ton for us, and it is my infor-
nation from them that they did
do this
Mayor oKeefe and to me and to
others in charge of our party
that there was some failure to
get information to you at the
that Mrs. Stewart and the good
people of your city who were
helping in preparations to en-
terrain us, should have. been
put to serious Inconvenience.
Perhaps you have already not
ed the fact that our party re-
ceived the news of the death of
the governor of our state on the
evening Of our arrival in Chi
cago. There the party had to
be disbanded and all engage
ments Cancelled.
want to assure you that we
particularly regret this incident
at Sank Centre because so far as
/ know it is the only case in
journey which took over a month
and involved five thousand miles
of travelling where there was any
failure in prompt notification
from our party. This despite
the fact that our schedule was
seriously upset and delayed q
half day in Missouri.
Ny papers had the RESPONSE
biIity for this matter Of main-
tanning communications. and
Mayor O'Keefe necessarily turn
ed over all kilograms to us.
Mr.. Barnes and Mr. Hawkins
who had direct responsibility
for this, were several times kept
UP practically all night using
the long distance telephone and