Early on the morning of the 6th the presidential train crossed the State line and entered the new State of Washington, stopping a moment at Chehalis, and reaching Centralia at 7 o'clock. Here the President was received with a national salute, and notwithstanding the rain several thousand people were present. Mayor D. B. Rees and the following prominent residents welcomed the Chief Magistrate: J. H. Corwin, H. J. Miller, W. H. Bachtall, H. L. Meade, Geo. Miller, E. R. Butherworth, Charles Johnson, Henry Shield, N. B. Kelsey, A. J. Wright, and Geo. H. Ellsbury.
The President said:
My Fellow-citizens—It is very kind of you to turn out so early in the morning. I can count among my pleasantest experiences in the Northwest this very early rising. I am a good deal of a Daniel Webster as to early risings. [Laughter.] It gives me great pleasure to notice the evidence of increased population as contrasted with what I saw six years ago as I passed through this country. I was so unfortunate then as to find it enveloped in smoke, so that the mountain tops were invisible. I am afraid we are to have this experience repeated on this visit on account of the fog. I suppose this is because the beauties of your country are so great that they have to be shaded to the eyes of a stranger. Seriously, however, you have a great commonwealth. I do not doubt that your future is to be one of great development and great increase in population, and that you are to found here a very contented, prosperous, and happy people. Fortunately you have a capacity for great agricultural development after you have cleared away the forests; and that, after all, is the permanent foundation of every American city. It is well enough to have trees on the land and mines in the earth; but trees will be cut down and mines be dug out, and the only thing that lasts is good soil in the hands of good husbandmen. I thank you most sincerely. [Cheers.]
[TACOMA, WASHINGTON, MAY 6.]
Ten thousand cheers greeted the arrival of the President at Tacoma Wednesday morning. Gov. Elisha P. Ferry, Mayor Geo. B. Kandle, and Judge Wm. H. Calkins, at the head of the following Committee of Reception, met the party: Gen. John W. Sprague, Samuel Collyer, Colonel Garretson, Judge Allyn, Hon. M. Hill, Mrs. Frank Allyn, W. D. Tyler, Mrs. Derrickson, Thomas Carroll, Dr. Munson, Judge John Beverly, Judge Applegate, H. C. Wallace, Senator John B. Allen and wife, Mrs. Galusha Parsons, Charles Hale, George Reed, Charles Catlin, S. C. Slaughter, Thomas Sloane, L. E. Post, Nelson Bennett, F. F. Jacobs, I. W. Anderson, A. C. Mason, C. W. Griggs, G. W. Holmes, E. M. Hunt, John D. Hills, L. R. Manning, Hon. Thomas Carroll, Col. Charles Reichenbach, Atty.-Gen. Jones, State Treasurer Lindsley, J. D. Hogue, C. B. Zabriskie, and Fred T. Taylor.
The decorations were upon an elaborate scale. Chief among the attractions of this order were five mammoth arches spanning Pacific Avenue, constructed from products typifying the principal industries of the State, to wit: the timber arch, coal arch, iron arch, grain arch, and shingle arch. Notwithstanding the rain the parade, under Chief Marshal C. W. Griggs, was a brilliant success.
A noteworthy incident was the special reception tendered to Mrs. Harrison and the other ladies of the presidential party by the ladies of Tacoma at the Opera House. Fully 5,000 paid their respects. Mrs. S. C. Slaughter, on behalf of the ladies of Tacoma, presented to Mrs. Harrison a beautiful painting of Mt. Tacoma by the artist Rollins. Accompanying the picture was an illustrated copy of Mrs. Bernice E. Wewell's poem on "Mt. Tacoma," also a gold engraved spoon, the latter for the President's grandson. In acknowledging the receipt of these souvenirs Mrs. Harrison made perhaps her first public speech on the trip. She said:
Ladies—I cannot thank you enough for all your kindness. I shall take your gifts home and treasure them all my life as mementos of a most enjoyable visit to your beautiful city. [Applause.]