OFF FOR TAFT RIVER TRIP.
Deep Waterways Cheered as Party of
Kansas City Men Leave for Alton
and St. Louis.
More than a half hundred prominent Kansas City men, comprising the delegation that is to go down the river on the steamboat Gray Eagle in the presidential party, departed last night over the Chicago & Alton railroad on a special train consisting of five sleepers and a baggage car for Alton, Ill., where they will arrive this morning.
Decorators who were sent to Alton in advance, reported last evening to Secretary Cledening of the Commercial Club that the boat will be one of the handsomest in appearance in the big fleet.
It was a merry party which met at the Union depot last evening and as the train pulled out cheer after cheer was heard for the deep waterways convention which will be held in New Orleans Saturday of this week and Monday and Tuesday of next week.
The delegates expect that President Taft will breakfast with them on their boat Tuesday morning either at Cape Girardeau, which will be the first stop after the fleet leaves St. Louis, or between the Cape and Cairo.
The Kansas Cityans will arrive in Alton this morning in time to board the Grey Eagle and be landed at the levee in St. Louis at 9 a. m. They will go to the Coliseum, where President Taft will speak at 11 a. m. The trip down the river will begin at 5 p. m.
