icon for Home page
icon for Kid's Home page
icon for Digital Collection
icon for Activities
icon for Turns Exhibit
icon for In the Classroom
icon for Chronologies
icon for My Collection

Online Collection

PRESIDENT WELCOMED

Colonel Roosevelt Given Enthusiastic Greeting in Our Towns.

Mount Hermon's Cheers Pleased Him- Northfield Given One of the Longest Speeches of the Tour.

Rare days have the past three been in Western Massachusetts towns, made so by the imposing presence of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Coming from Vermont, Monday afternoon, he tarried at the state line in West Northfield to say he was glad to be again in Massachusetts.

At Mount Hermon he was welcomed by the vociferous students. Driving to Northfield in the late afternoon he found the streets crowded. At night he spoke to 3000 people. Yesterday, Millers Falls paid him honor, and Orange and Athol echoed the greeting. Last night he reached Governor Crane's home at Dalton, and leaving there to-day he has completed his memorable tour.

ARRIVAL AT MT. HERMON

Crowds Waited- Students Gave the President a Rouser.

Every road in Franklin county led to Mount Hermon station Monday afternoon, and all of them presented the appearance of a funeral procession from the number of the teams which were constantly traveling over them, some coming from the south to drive to Northfield and Mount Hermon schools, others to wait at the station for the coming of the chief executive for whom every one's expectations were strained to the highest pitch.

The crowd there was not so large as it would have been had the Mount Hermon students been allowed to come over, but on the good judgment of the faculty they stayed at the school and assembled in the chapel to await the president's coming there.

All day Monday and during the week previous the grounds and drives had been trimmed and put in the best of appearances in honor of the visit of the president. All the buildings were decorated in the national colors and with the handsome appearance of the grounds, made one of the best sights seen during the visit of the president. Crossley hall was well adorned by long strips of bunting effectively draped and a picture of the president over the east entrance. The large American flag was floating from the flagstaff on the top of the hall.

The railroad station was not behind in this and its decorations in connection with those of the "Oaken Bucket" farm across the road were in good taste. The station entrance was decorated with bunting with colors arranged in fan shape with the the words "Welcome to the President," in the center. On a large maple tree across the way were the same words.

From Mount Hermon to Brattleboro along the railroad men were placed within sight of each other, waving white flags, as an extra precaution that the presidential special had a clear track. A committee of special police under Marshal Fred Doane roped off a space around where the special was to stop, to keep the crowd well away from the presidential carriage. This was Lucius Nims' landau from Greenfield with four handsome gray horses in charge of Driver Jacob Bechtold.

The procession of carriages was formed on the west side of the station about 20 minutes previous to the arrival of the special. Following the president's carriage came Dr. G. F. Pentecost's trap and behind that were the carriages for the press representatives.

The northbound train brought a distinguished visitor in the person of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, who was received by Dr. Pentecost and W. R. Moody.

The special arrived at 5:40, which was 30 minutes late. This resulted from a delay of similar length at Bellows Falls. As the train pulled in, all hats came off and a salvo of cheers was given for the president. The first man to grasp his hand as he stepped from the car was Senator Lodge. After him W. R. Moody, Dr. Pentecost and the Northfield board of selectmen were received.

The president then stepped into his carriage and was followed by Secretary Cortelyou, W. R. Moody and H. C. Holton, chairman of the Northfield selectmen. One of the secret service men mounted the box with the driver and the party started for Mount Hermon. Senator Lodge entered Dr. Pentecost's trap, and the carriages containing the newspaper men followed them.

Marshal Fred Doane led the procession, together with Deputy Sheriffs James B. Bridges of South Deerfield, Edson J. Pratt, Millers Falls, and C. A.? Davis of Turners Falls. The president was driven to Mount Hermon at a fast clip, followed by 50 or more vehicles, which raised a cloud of dust so thick that it was hard to see from one team to another.

The School's Cheers Pleased the President.

The entrance to the school grounds through the pine woods was particularly beautiful late in the afternoon as the party drove through there. They went immediately to the Mount Hermon chapel where the 460 students of the school were assembled in expectation of his coming.

The president entered with Williams R. Moody and went to the platform. The audience, which completely filled the large building immediately rose to its feet and cheered him to the echo. At the cessation of the cheering, the students gave their school yell with a force which did credit to their lungs. At the end of each section of the yell, Roosevelt was shouted twice. This style of reception seemed to please the president greatly.

Prof. A. Judson Philips, the musical director of the school, led the singing of America in which the audience joined. At its conclusion, W. R. Moody stepped to the front of the platform and said "I have the honor of presenting to you this nation's chief, President Roosevelt, who will now speak."

This was the signal for another burst of cheering, and waving of handkerchiefs.

Roosevelt's Brief Words to School.

When the tumult subsided the president said "Gentlemen and ladies, I am happy to greet you as you have greeted me. I am glad to be here at this noble school situated amid this beautiful scenery, because I think they teach here the ideal good American citizenship. Here they cultivate the hands as well as the head, and teach the youth to be a straight man also. I am sure you young men have sound hearts in sound bodies, and I think you have clearly demonstrated the soundness of your lungs. As I am going to speak in Northfield tonight, I shall simply conclude by saying that which I began- I greet you all. Thank you."

The hymn, "The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee," was sung in closing.

The chapel was handsomely decorated with flags. Long strips of bunting were draped from the roof to the corners of the building. The stage was similarly decorated and had a picture of Dwight L. Moody at the rear end. The 30 newspaper men had seats directly in front of the platform.

The Lovely Drive to Northfield.

The president's speech lasted only two minutes, and he left the chapel immediately after the conclusion of the last hymn. Everyone made a rush from the building to see him enter his carriage. He gave the driver instructions to hurry his horses for all they were worth and they went down the steep hill and across the Northfield bridge at a furious clip, the sheriffs having all they could do to keep ahead of him.

Along the way every house was decorated with the national colors, some having a picture of the president in their front windows. The house of James Wall near the bridge, attracted notice as being the most tastily decorated of any along the route. All the carriages which had followed the procession from Mount Hermon depot continued on the journey across the river being supplemented by teams arriving from all directions.

NORTHFIELD WAS THRONGED

The President Made a Flying Ride under Its Elms.

Northfield and its surrounding towns laid everything aside Monday and assembled in the old town's Main street, in noisy expectancy of the coming of the greatest of the town's visitors, the president of the American nation.

While Northfield has had numerous notables in past years, both from this country and the English nobility, it is only natural and fitting that every loyal American citizen should accept the nation's chief executive as its most honored guest, with no exception. This was evidently the case, as the reception planned for the president was the greatest that Northfield has even seen. For days previous along the street and everywhere the president was expected to travel, the houses were decorated in all degrees of elaboration, with flags and the national colors.

On Main street nearly opposite the Loveland House a triumphal arch was erected. This had bases of golden rod and other wild flowers and the rest was made of red, white and blue bunting, with two large pictures of Roosevelt on either side. Among the notable decorations were the Loveland House, Webster's block, Frank V. Wood's residence, Proctor's store, and the residence of Frank H. Wright, the new store of C. A. Williams and the town hall and other houses along the way.

During the afternoon team loads of people kept arriving, most of them taking positions along the street and awaiting the arrival of President Roosevelt. He was expected to arrive about 6 o'clock, but? the same delay although made ? a certain extent at Mount Hermon, prevent his appearing until 6:20. A corps of 15 mounted men all members of the Sons of Veterans, went down to the lower end of the street to meet the party on its arrival from Mount Hermon. They joined Marshal Doane and the three deputy sheriffs, and came up the street at a lively pace.

As soon as the crowd saw the four gray horses it seemed to know instinctively that it was the one which they expected and a mighty cheer went up as the president's carriage went by. Handkerchiefs and hats waved in the air and all shouted themselves hoarse. The president removed his hat and bowed to the crowds on both sides of his carriage in acknowledgement of the kind reception.

Immediately after the principal carriages had passed all the vehicles on both sides of the road swung into line and horses were whipped up to get to East Northfield as soon as possible to get another glimpse of the president. In this most were disappointed as he went immediately to his room in western part of the "Northfield."

He dined at 7:30 privately with Senator Lodge and W. R. Moody. At 8 o'clock the party reassembled and started for the auditorium where the crowd had been assembled since 7 o'clock.

AT THE AUDITORIUM

A Crowd of Over 3000 Made the President Happy.

The auditorium of Northfield seminary- one of the finest and most commodious halls in the state- was clearly to President Roosevelt's liking.

Here he met an audience of over 3000 peoples- nearly twice the total population of the town- 400 hearty boy students filled in the choir space at the back of the platform and gave him resounding cheers, the people were responsive, the music spirited, the decorations pleasing and it was easy to believe that after a siege of outdoor audiences it gave the president pleasure to have a throng seated, hemmed in by four walls, and closely attentive to his is words, while his own voice was put to no strain to reach the most remote of the listeners.

It was quite half past eight when he president arrived at the auditorium. A cheer outside announced his arrival to the crowd within but there was a full ten minutes to wait before he came within their sight. He was first ushered into an ante-room where he was personally presented to the trustees of the school, the reception committee, some citizens of the town and a few fortunate visitors. Passing down the line of this company he gave each a Rooseveltian greeting, a firm hand grasp, a glistening smile and a pleasant word, a thoroughly unaffected cordiality marking the proceeding.

As the procession to the stage made its appearance from the gangway W. R. Moody, Congressman Gillett and the president leading it, the audience rose and gave the head of the nation a rousing greeting- newspaper men who have followed the tour pronounced it unequalled in the ten days of successive crowds. Resounding cheers were accompanied by vigorous hand clapping, handkerchiefs and flags waved in the air and hats were thrown far about the heads of the enthusiastic men.

The return was the president's expansive smile,which took on the dimension s which the caricaturist's delight to picture when the 400 Mount Hermon voices joined in "Here's to Teddy Roosevelt. Here's to Teddy Roosevelt, He's with us to-night." The president was evidently delighted.

Then Prof. Philips advanced to the platform's front and directed the audience through four verses of America. At its close seats were resumed and the people had a moment's chance to study the platform group. Here was the president of the nation, surrounded by the watchful guard of secret service men. At his left, behind the desk was Congressman F. H. Gillett. Just beyond was the state's junior senator. Next him appeared Dr. G. F. Pentecost's more familiar face, while in the rows of chairs were some 30 representative men, the trustees of the schools, the town officials, and present and past members of the legislature.

In the front rows of the audience were the members of the local Grand Army post, who came in for a large share of the president's attention, sharing about equally with the school boys and the larger, unclassified audience.

Congressman Gillett performed gracefully the task of introduction, "I have he said, "for some years had the distinction of being your congressman, but at this time nothing that I have done can have the appreciative recognition which you accord me when I present to you, as I now do, the president of the United States."

There was a fresh outburst of cheering as President Roosevelt rose to respond. The rafters echoed with the greeting and the Mount Hermon students put in another evidence of their welcome. The president turned from side to side, bowed and smiled and waited for applause to wane. Then he spoke and every sentence of his happy opening, acknowledging his delight in the greeting, was rewarded with cheers.

Settling to the serous business of his speech, the president fulfilled all that had been anticipated of the peculiar Roosevelt oratory. His sentences were incisive. They were vigorously delivered. Into the formal passages of his speech as it appeared on the type-written pages in his hand, he injected sharp little phrases, often witty, always meaningful, which came in the high key which he employs for emphasis.

For a half-hour he kept his audience attentive and responsive. Telling gestures helped out the forceful words, and as the audience applauded his smile made due acknowledgement. Often turning his back to the main audience, he sent sharp, quick observations home to the boys he faced, with not a word failing to be heard by all the crowd.

The speech over, the cheers broke out again, the Mount Hermon yell added to the emphasis of the applause and the president kept up this happy smile. Then the audience sang a powerful chorus "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing." In a moment more the president was disappearing and a satisfied audience drifted away.

? the heavens reflect the light of the two huge bonfires on the open land toward the hills. Another Mount Hermon device. Quickly going to his carriage, the president was driven to the Northfield where a huge suite of rooms awaited him, and where as it was noted later, the height lights still shone at past the midnight hour.

President's Address.

Here, near the seat of the summer school for young men founded by Dwight L. Moody, I naturally speak on a subject suggested to me by the life of Mr. Moody and by the aims sought for through the establishment of the summer schools. In such a school, a school which is to equip young men to do good in the world, to show both the desire for the rule of righteousness and the practical power to give actual effect to that desire, it seems to me there are two texts specially worthy of emphasis. One is "Be ye doers of the world and not bearers only," and the other is, "Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord."

A republic of free men is pre-eminently a community in which there is need for the actual exercise and practical application of both the milder and the stronger virtues. Every good quality, every virtue and every grace has its place and is of use in the great scheme of creation. But it is of course a mere truism to say that at certain times in certain places there is pre-eminent need for a given set of virtues. In our own country, with its many-sided, hurrying, practical life, the place for cloistered virtue, is far smaller than the place that essential manliness, which, without losing its fine and lofty side, can yet hold its own in the rough struggle with the forces of the world around us.

It would be a very bad thing for this country if it happened that the name of righteous living tended to lose the robust, virile qualities of heart, mind and body, and if on the other hand the men best fitted practically to achieve results lost the guidance of the moral law. No one-sided development can produce really good citizenship,- as good citizenship as is needed in the America of to-day.

If a man has not in him the root of righteousness, if he does not believe in and practice honesty, if he is not truthful and upright, clean and high minded, fair in his dealings, both at home and abroad, then the stronger he is, the abler and more energetic he is, the more dangerous he is to the body politic. Wisdom untempered by devotion to an ideal usually means only that dangerous cunning which is far more fatal to its ultimate effects to the community than open violence itself.

It is inexcusable in honest people to defy mere success without regard to the qualities by which that success is achieved. Indeed, there is a revolting injustice, intolerable to just minds, in punishing the weak scoundrel who fails, and bowing down to and making life easy for the far more dangerous scoundrel who succeeds. A wicked man who is wicked on a large scale, whether in business or in politics, of course, does many times more evil to the community than the man who only ventures to be wicked, furtively and in lesser ways. If possible, the success of such a man should be prevented by law and in any event, he ought to be made to feel that there is no condoning of his offense by the republic.

But virtue by itself is not strong enough, or anything like enough. Strength must be added to it, and the determination to use that strength. The good man who is ineffective is not able to make his goodness of much account to the people as a whole. No matter how much a man hears the word, small is the credit attached to him if he falls to be a doer also. In serving the Lord he must remember that he needs to avoid sloth in his business, as well as to cultivate fervency of spirit.

At the close of the president's speech, John A. Fisher, one of the Grand Army men, presented Mr. Roosevelt with a beautiful floral piece which was made by Comrade Charles W. Mattoon from flowers grown in his own garden. The president bowed with thanks.

The reception committee which had successfully carried through the plans for the day consisted of E. S. Bardwell, J. T. Cummings, Fred Doane, Ed. Eames, Representative C. H. Green, J. L. Hammond, H. C. Holton, E. F. Howard, County Commissioner O. L. Leach, A. G. Moody, William R. Moody, Paul Dwight Moody, Dr. A. L. Newton, L. R. Smith, C. H Webster, Dr. N. P. Wood.

The mounted guard which had lively experience of keeping pace with the president's carriage consisted of F. A. Doane, Deputy Sheriffs Bridges, Pratt and Davis, F. V. Wood, Fred, Albert and W. M. Irish, Fred, Arthur and Dwight Proctor, Fred Doolittle, Jason Bump, Fred Jackson, Fostene Bigelow.

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.



label levels:

President Theodore Roosevelt made a tour of the New England states during the last week of August and first few days of September, 1902. This was truly a "whistle stop" tour as he often made eight speeches a day. On September 1, 1902, President Roosevelt arrived at the Mount Hermon train station in West Northfield, Massachusetts, and was transported to the chapel at the Mount Hermon School for Boys, where he gave a short address which lasted two minutes. Upon leaving the chapel, President Roosevelt was taken by carriage down the hill, across the Connecticut River and into the center of Northfield where the road was lined with a crowd of people. At 8:00 PM, the president was taken to the auditorium of the Northfield Seminary for Girls, where he was met by an audience of 3000, and a choir of 400 boys. Here, he gave a rousing, thirty minute speech, the text of which is printed at the end of this article.

 

top of page

"President Welcomed- Colonel Roosevelt given enthusiastic greeting in our towns" article in The Greenfield Recorder

publisher   Greenfield Recorder
date   Sep 3, 1902
location   Greenfield, Massachusetts
width   7.0"
height   17.0"
process/materials   printed paper, ink
item type   Periodicals/Newspaper
accession #   #L08.052


Look Closer icon My Collection icon Document Image icon Detailed info icon


ecard icon Send an e-Postcard of this object



See Also...

"America's Triumph at Panama"

"The Boy Scouts Year Book"

Admiral Francis John Higginson (1843-1931) Epaulettes with case


button for Side by Side Viewingbutton for Glossarybutton for Printing Helpbutton for How to Read Old Documents

 

Home | Online Collection | Things To Do | Turns Exhibit | Classroom | Chronologies | My Collection
About This Site | Site Index | Site Search | Feedback