|
MACON
county always welcomes its distinguished
visitors. Bryon day, Oct. 23, 1896, became
a sort of gauge by which to measure crowds in
Decatur. It probably drew more people from
out of the city than any occasion before or
since that time.
It was estimated that 30,000 people came from
outside Decatur. Special trains were run
into the city from various points and all
regular trains carried special coaches.
One special train from Vandalia, carrying 1,500
people, was delayed arrived too late to
participate in the parade. To save further
delay, passengers left the train at the Wood
street crossing.
About a dozen bands were here from other
cities and took part in the parade. The
procession, which took place in the morning, was
the first event of the day. Floats, bands,
wagons, carriages, people carrying flags and
wild with enthusiasm over the visit of William
J. Bryan, candidate for president of the
United States, made the parade a gay and
colorful event.
INSERT
PICTURE HERE
WILLIAM J.
BRYAN IN DECATUR
Left to right -- Mrs.
Bryan, Mr. Bryan's
secretary, M. C. Irish,
Oscar Mueller
(below), H. Mueller, Mr. Bryan.
The special train which brought Mr. Bryan
came over the P. D. and E. It made a stop
at Eldorado street, where a committee of 150 met
the distinguished guest. Hieronymus
Mueller's motor wagon was there to transport
Mr. Bryan to Central park. In the
motor wagon with him rode Mr. Mueller
and his son, Oscar, M. C. Irish, Mrs.
Bryan, and Mr. Bryan's secretary.
When the car reached Central park, the crowd
was so dense that it was impossible for Mr.
Bryan to get from the car to the stand which
had been built for the occasion. Hence, he
stood up and gave his speech from the motor
wagon. The car went on to Lincoln square,
where Mr. Bryan spoke again.
Another surging mass of humanity filled the
streets there.
That motor wagon, by the way, attracted no
small amount of attention in itself.
Remember, it was Decatur's first and Decatur
thought it was showing no small honor to the
presidential candidate to provide the new type
of vehicle to convey him from the station.
Mr. Bryan also was duly impressed.
It was his first ride in an automobile.
From Lincoln square Mr. Bryan was
taken north to the Wabash crossing where his
train was waiting. He made a few remarks
as he boarded the train, saying he was sorry it
was impossible to shake hands with every one.
Mr. Bryan spoke in Decatur a number of
times, but never did he have the reception which
was given him during the campaign of 1896.
Twice he appeared at chautauquas, on Aug. 25,
1909, at Wilson park (now Faires park) and in
1921 at Woodbine park (now Camp Seymour).
He was here on other occasions, also.
GRANT REUNION
One of Decatur's big days was the occasion of
the visit of General U. S. Grant, when he
was the guest of honor at the reunion of the
Macon County Veterans association and the
Twenty-first Illinois Regiment, commonly known
as Grant's Regiment. It was held on
Oct. 6 - 7, 1880.
A salute of forty-six guns awakened the
people the first day of the reunion.
Grant and his party were met at the station
by a big crowd, including military
organizations, bands, committees and citizens.
During his stay here General Grant was
entertained at the home of Richard J. Oglesby.
That night a big meeting was held at the
tabernacle, at which the speakers were General
Grant, General John A. Logan, General
R. J. Oglesby and General J. H. Moore.
Business of the organizations in charge of the
reunion was transacted at this session.
The next day the reunion proper was held at
the fair grounds (now Fairview park) and
thousands of people gathered there. It was
called Camp Sheridan for the day. Various
bands were present and furnished concerts.
Drills were given by veterans and by National
Guards, and there were speeches and various
other entertainment features. Among the
speakers that day was General Gus A. Smith.
At night a public reception was held in the
tabernacle and again crowds swarmed to the place
to get the opportunity to see and to hear and to
meet General Grant.
Among the things said by General Grant
on the occasion of this reunion was that he
hoped all sectional strife would soon be wiped
out in the country and that the people would vie
with each other in upholding the flag. He
was confident that it would be done and the day
would come when one would hear nothing about
sections.
Grant was accompanied to Decatur by
General and Mrs. Logan, and by his son,
Jesse Grant.
WILLIAM H. TAFT
Crowds jammed Lincoln square and the James
Millikin university in 1911, when President
William Howard
Taft honored the city with his presence
and gave two eloquent addresses.
He was here on Feb. 11, and the theme of his
address was "Reciprocity", the prevailing topic
of discussion at the time. At the transfer
house a speaker's stand had been erected, and
from it President Taft
addressed the enthusiastic thousands who packed
the square. Hon. W. B. McKinley was
with the president, who in his speech commended
the work of Congressman McKinley.
INSERT
PICTURE HERE
WILLIAM H.
TAFT SPEAKING IN
LINCOLN SQUARE
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
INSERT
PICTURE HERE
ROOSEVELT AT J. M. U. DEDICATION
At the right can be seen Robert I. Hunt.
Next is Wilson M. Bering. Beyond
him in rear is George W. Mueller.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt was a Decatur
visitor several times, one time while president
of the United States. At that time he gave
the dedicatory address at the dedication of the
James Millikin university June 4, 1903.
On that day he spoke also at the Wabash station
before his train left.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY
President William McKinley stopped in Decatur
in the fall of 1898 while touring the country
following the close of the Spanish-American war.
He was greeted at the railroad station by a
crowd of people, and spoke to them for about
five minutes from a flat car. Among those
in his party on that occasion were Secretary of
the Treasury Lyman J. Gage, Senator Shelby M.
Cullom and Governor John R. Tanner.
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
Decatur entertained a distinguished visitor
on Oct. 31, 1880, when President Rutherford B.
Hayes and party passed through the city.
A sop was made at the station for a few moments,
and many folks had the opportunity to see the
president.
POLITICAL GATHERINGS
Political campaigns have brought together
many big crowds in this city. One of the
largest gatherings in the '80s was in 1884 when
Carter Harrison was here in the interests
of his candidacy for governor.
DEBATE
In 1866, 20,000 people was a big crowd for
Decatur, but that many enthusiastic folks got
together in the fall of that year in the grove
south of town to hear General John A. Logan
and Colonel T. Lyle Dickey, candidates
for congressman-at-large, debate. Wagons,
loaded with men, women and children, and with
the national colors flying, poured into Decatur
that October day to hear the two men argue
politics. Women adorned themselves with
sashes of red, white and blue. Horses and
vehicles carried the national colors. It
was a gala day.
General Logan denied emphatically the
rumor that he had raised a regiment in southern
Illinois for rebel service in the war, which he
had been accused to doing. Dickey
didn't le the opportunity pass to accuse his
opponent of disloyalty. So the battle of
words went on. Each candidate had his
friends and his foes on that occasion.
One visitor, to whom Decatur accorded honors,
was sailing under false pretenses, it was
afterwards learned. For other fraudulent
acts he spent many years in prison.
That man was Dr. Frederick A. Cook,
who clamed the honor of discovering the North
Pole. He passed through Decatur on Oct. 8,
1909, enroute from St. Louis to Chicago.
The train stopped at the West Main crossing to
take President A. R. Taylor of the
university on board. Dr. Cook stood
on the rear platform and smiled and bowed to the
crowd gathered there. When he reached the
Wabash station thousands were there to greet him
and he made a brief talk, saying that "it was
well worth while going to the pole and suffering
hardships to do so, to get such a greeting".
It was only a few days after this, that
Robert E. Perry submitted his proofs that
Dr. Cook had never reached the North
Pole.
<PREVIOUS> <NEXT>
<CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS>
|
