A Welcome To Alger

The Detroit Reception to Her Distinguished Citizen.

MICHIGAN'S WELCOME

On the Return of Her Son to Private Life.

Gov. Pingree's Canned Speech Pitched into the Newspapers--The Parade the Cheers and the Welcome to Gen. Alger.

Detroit, Aug. 3. - (From a staff correspondent Daily Argus.) - Gen. Alger reached Michigan last evening. His homecoming was the occasion of a big reception in Detroit, one which indicates clearly that Gen. Alger holds a warm place in the affections of the people of Detroit and the state.

While the welcome was hearty and spontaneous, it was not the magnitude of it which would impress the onlookers. One who read only the Detroit papers would imagine that Detroit was a mass of decorations and that an immense concourse of people assembled to witness n mammoth parade. The truth must be told and while it is told it should be understood that it in no way detracts from the welcome to Gen. Alger. The line of march was decorated, but the principal decorations were lithograph portraits of Gen. Alger, which were placed, one in each store window. A few of them were framed. Then American flags were hung from each building - not a mass of them, not to cover the buildings, but enough only to show that the occasion was remembered. The streets of Detroit, in spite of its large population, were not more crowded than at the Cleveland reception in Ann Arbor. The city hall which was the chief building decorated had a large portrait of General Alger - nine large red white and blue rosettes and a little bunting, besides the electric light words "Welcome Home." Since Detroit has got to be a convention city the word welcome is kept standing on the 'building, the word below being changed to fit the occasion, this time being "home."

The parade of the G. A. R., Spanish-American Veterans, 60 firemen and 150 letter carriers with a few secret societies was a good one and was well received by the people. Gen. Alger was everywhere received with respect. When the reviewing party took their positions on the stand in front of the city hall, the people crowded in on the street car tracks, the cars were stopped and soon in both directions were seen the headlights of long lines of street cars.

Mayor Maybury's address of welcome was well delivered. Gov. Pingree's address was read from manuscript and was an ill-timed attack on newspapers. It was very noticeable that Maybury aroused much the louder and most frequent cheers, while the cheers during the governor's speech were rather thin. Gen. Alger received an ovation and at the reception held in the city hall quite a number of people paid their respects. It was not the size of the demonstration which impressed an onlooker. It was the good natured, calmly expressed kindly feeling everywhere felt towards one of Detroit's most distinguished citizens.

Detroit, Aug. 3.- Whatever may have been the personal feelings of the late secretary of war, General Russell A. Alger, concerning recent incidents of his official career, all sentiments save those of genuine happiness were very evidently banished yesterday afternoon and evening by the magnificent welcome tendered him by the people of his own city and state. From 4 p. m., when the welcoming committee crowded into his private car upon its arrival at Toledo, O, until 9 p. m., when the general ceased grasping outstretched hands, the scene was a constant and spontaneous ovation. Smiles and tears repeatedly struggled for the mastery over the secretary's bronzed countenance, as he gazed into the eager faces of the multitudes who loudly and convincingly insisted that "Alger's all right," and no dissonant voice was heard.

Met in General at Toledo.

Darkness fell during the speeches from the reviewing stand in front of the city hall, giving opportunity for throwing a searchlight upon the features of General Alger, drawn in crayon on a canvas sixteen feet square hung from the city hall front and surrounded by patriotic decorations. A great crush at the indoor reception was the final feature. The special train which met General Alger and party at the Toledo consisted of six coaches. It carried 400 members of the reception committee. Banners stretched along the side of the cars, said that Michigan welcomed home her honored son. When the Pennsylvania train arrived the general's car was besieged by his old friends. General Alger was escorted through the reception train and greeted by all.

Parade of Veterans of the War.

Upon arrival in this city headed by about 300 bicyclists, over 1,000 marchers escorted General Alger from the Michigan Central station by a circuitous course, leading past the general's home to the reviewing stand. Militia and veterans of the civil war, including Fairbanks post, G. A. R., of which the general is a member, a company of Spanish war veterans, and scores of marchers in secret society uniforms filed past. Fairbanks post carried two great banners stretching half across the street. which declared: "There is only one Alger." When General Alger appeared upon the reviewing stand there was a roar of applause from the dense crowd which blocked all traffic across the campus martius. The ex-secretary reviewed the parade and returned the salutations of many marchers, especially those of veteran G. A.R. comrades.