May 31, 1907 (Friday)

SO THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT WERE STUCK FOR FOUR HOURS IN AKRON...: A funny thing happened to President Roosevelt and Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks on the evening of May 29 while they were on their way to Indianapolis where the president was to give a Memorial Day speech. They -- and their party -- were stuck in Akron, Ohio, for about four hours before they could make a connection to Indianapolis over the Big Four railroad. So, Roosevelt and Fairbanks took a walk -- with a lone Secret Service agent following them. They got a nice glass of milk at the farmhouse of Frank Thomas, whom they found working atop a stack of hay. Regarding the milk, the typically outgoing president said, "Best thing I've tasted for years." Then Roosevelt spotted some of the Thomas children playing baseball. He hit them some flies and grounders.
Today's times said Roosevelt, who's about 5 feet 8 inches tall, "gave Fairbanks a merry clip, the Vice President being scarcely able to keep up." This, even thought the VP is considerably taller than 6 feet.

THREE WOMEN ADDED TO THE HALL OF FAME of GREAT AMERICANS: Thousands of people gathered yesterday at New York University (pictured) to observe the unveiling of 12 new tablets at the Hall of Fame of Great Americans. This ceremony was somewhat of a "ladies day," according to the Times because three of the 12 inductees are women. In the initial 1901 class, all 29 inductees were men. The women honored were Emma Willard, Mary Lyon and Maria Mitchell, whose medal is pictured here. The others added were John Paul Jones, Alexander Hamilton, Louis Agassiz, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Gen. W.T. Sherman, Horace Mann, John G. Whitter and James R. Lowell.

SHE HAD TO SAY "GIDDYAP" BEFORE SAYING "I DO": It's being called "one of the most unique runaway matches in marital annals." It turns out that Fannie Morris, 18, wanted to marry a ranchhand in Wyoming. However, her father -- a prominent stockman of Big Hole Basin, Wyoming -- wanted her to have no part in such a marriage. He told the young suitor to go West, so -- from Wyoming -- he ended up in Lewistown, Idaho. Fannie still wanted to marry her beau, Robert McFarland. So, about three weeks ago, she saddled a horse and told her father she was going to visit a relative. But she soon "turned the horse's nose toward the mountains of Montana," according to today's New York Times, and headed toward McFarland. After riding through parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, she reached Lewistown. The two were married two days ago. Her horseback trip was 300 MILES.

May 30, 1907 (Thursday)

SOME INVESTORS MAKE MONEY OFF INSIDER TRADING -- THANKS TO ADVANCED COPIES OF THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH: President Roosevelt is continuing his "western" excursion that includes a stop in Canton, Ohio, for the funeral of the former first lady Mrs. McKinley. After lingering a bit in the Canton area, he is on his way to Indianapolis, where he is schedule to give a speech today. The funny thing is that a COPY OF HIS SPEECH has been circulating on WALL STREET since Monday, and it has had a BULLISH IMPACT on stocks, according to today's New York Times. The paper presents some of the material that's expected to be part of the speech and explains:
All of this, many in Wall Street said, was really more bullish than other recent utterances by the President.
Evidently, the market went up "1 to 3 points," according to the Times.
A story datelined from Washington yesterday said the speech had been written and printed but not released. In addition, "no information is obtainable here about the manner of its leaking."

THE CORONER DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE GONE TO MEDICAL SCHOOL TO MAKE THIS FINDING: The longtime companion of Russian consul Nicolai De Raylan has given up her quest to be considered a "widow" so she could inherit De Raylan's estate, which is valued at $600. The problem isn't whether or not De Raylan is dead. That is, indeed, the case. At issue, according to authorities in Chicago and Phoenix, is the GENDER of the corpse. De Raylan was a WOMAN. The body has been identified as De Raylan by Baron Schlippenbach current Russian consul in Chicago. With that established, the "widow" signed an agreement yesterday to abandon her quest for the estate. The public administrator in Chicago has refused to settle the estate.