American land is a nation
And her people most loyal and true,
And all others take care how they meddle
Or insult her colors of blue.
San Berdoo and the counties around
Come in for their share of the fun
And have rolled up the numbers most nobly
And helped spike the enemy's gun.

CHORUS

Hurrah for the people so true,
Three cheers for Ben Harrison, too;
Secession can float their bandanas,
But the loyal, the Red, White and Blue.

[Illustration: Mrs. Blake-Alverson in costume

MECHANICS' INSTITUTE FAIR

Mission Street, San Francisco, Sept. 4, 1879]

After the excitement had somewhat subsided, Senator Streeter called
upon the platform seven veterans who had voted for the first Harrison
and in a befitting speech decorated these men with a fine red silk
badge and I had the honor to pin these badges upon their coat lapels.
As I did so tears fell upon my hands from the eyes of these patriotic
old men. I also decorated General Vandevere and in return he decorated
me as the historical and patriotic singer of California.

The twenty-fourth president was Grover Cleveland who was elected in
1884, but was defeated in 1888 by Benjamin Harrison, and in 1892 was
re-elected and inaugurated March 4, 1893. I did not take an active
part in this campaign as I had never sung for a Democratic president
and I would not begin with Cleveland. The next president was our
beloved McKinley and in the last campaign for him I sang in the
Mechanics pavilion in San Francisco to 15,000 people. I was then
sixty-four years of age. I was worried a little that age would tell in
such a great place, but if I failed it was for a good cause and my
country. I consented to sing after much persuasion from Sam Booth and
W.H.L. Barnes. I had in all my singing life never failed. I
reluctantly consented, trusting to my knowledge of how to use the
voice. At the appointed hour I was at the pavilion with Mrs. J.M.
Case, my accompanist. When I came upon the platform I was cordially
greeted by the old guard, W.H.L. Barnes, Sam Booth and thirty-five
other men of the committee whom I had met in former years. After
taking in the situation I was a little disturbed when I found the
floor had been left for dancing and I was obliged to sing to the tiers
of seats that arose as high as I could see and all that empty space to
cross and one single voice to reach this great mass of people. For
once I f