Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-08-02
Takes In the Late G. A. R. En-
campnlent
AND HAS A GOOD TIME GENERALLY.
His Impression Of the Great Crowd, the
Big Parade, and of Some Of
the Speeches.
"And 80 well end the story
OF this treason, dark and CORY,
In a sunburst OF glory,
When fha hnvs Gonna honA ~


over at our step,sister city, Minneapolis
where the annual national encampment of
the G. A. r. was held last weekf We
say stepsister, not because we hate our
jealous neighbor, but in order to preserve
our dignity by making the near relation
ship, which we can't deny seem as far of
as possible. 1t is great consolation when
she abuses St. Paul land that's all the time)
to reflect that though she's only step re-
moved from us in one way, she's about
twenty-five thousand miles in another; the
latter being not so much measure of ma
terial distance as an expression indicating
the more than antipodal differences that
subsist between the average moral and
mental characteristics Of the inhabitants
of the two cities. That such extreme diff
ferences should be seems at first glance to be
strange, ifnot impossible; but history fur
nishes us with at least one parallel case.
Attica and Beotia,
you know, we're next door neighbors and
while the Athenians were famous for the
refinement Of their manners and for their
wit and wisdom, the rudeness and illiterate
dullness Of the BGotians were proverbial.
The parallel holds clear through. The two
peoples rsciprocally scorned and contemned
each other. The BGotians were not with
out a few able men to speak for them;
neither is our BGotia. st. Paul and Min |
neapo'is haven't settled vet to their mutual
satisfaction which shall be regarred as the |
modern Attica and which Bpotia, but the |
failure to do SO is not owing TO the lack Of
persistent effort on both sides, though in
contrary directions.
AS stated
sister Minnie
was entertaining company, military company, |
or rather large number Of companies. |
The Minneapolis City Council appropriated
$4,000 towards the expenses Of the reun'
ion, citizens subscribed $200 900 more, the
Fair grounds were fitted up as a camp; |
rooms for headquarters for the different
States were Obtained on the first floors of
the leading hotels, the streets adorned with
arches, buildings decorated with flags, mot.
toes and evergreeDs to most liberal ex-
tent; the whisky in the saloons wstered once
more (likewise to liberal exten) and the
affair has been success. Not less than
10000 out of the 2j3,000 members which
the G. A. r. includes were in Minneapolis |
on Wednesday
The Great Parade Day.
OF the number present less than one-halt
marched in the procession, the unusual and
extreme heat Of the day deterring some
and many having families or friends pres
ent in whose company they preferred re-
viewing the show from some shaded station
to being admired while sweating under the
broiling sun and struggling through the
dust with their marching comrades. THE
boys" OF the late war average now between
45 and so years Of age, and most Of them,
as is natural at such an age, take less stock
in the "pomp and circumstance of glorious
war" and in its attendant procesh business
than they once did.
Minnesota was OF course most largely |
represented in the column, her contingent
numbering over 1000. Newt came Iowa
and Kansas with about 1000 each. Next
Wisconsin with about 600 Your neighbor
Ohio showed up with over 200. Many other
states were represented, even little Delaware
having FIVE veterans present. Wes,
Virginia had no banner but
was ION deck and at the gum" in
the manly form of ID. K Irwin, formerly Of
Wheeling now OF Minneapolis, = member Of
the old First West Virginia Infantry. The
show was helped out considerably by the
presence Of several companies Of molasses
colored United States regulars from Fort
Smelling commanded by white-eolored Off
GERS. The Goldfish mouths which several of
the latter bore sufficiently proclaimed their
Yankee origin. which was doubtless consid-
cred in appointing them to such q com
mand. Battery F, Fourth United States
Artillery (white), also took part in the pro
cession This battery carries q small flag
bearing an inscription stating that tie bat
terry was organized in 1875. The men
looked very well preserved, considering the
length of time they had been in the service.
Two regiments OF Minnesota National
Guards, who marched better than The regu
lars did, also assisted in the pageant.
The Veterans.
The veterans, though, in whose honor the
Demonstration took place, received the
greatest share Of attention and applause
from the people Of the city and the 100000
strangers who were present to witness the
parade Rank on rank the brown
and bearded faces presented a marked
contrast 10 the smooth chins and white skins
Of the bOyish clerks who mainly compose
our militia companies Ii was easy TO see
in the strong countenances OF these old sol
diers the spirit Of AngloSaxon manhood
which animated those who died around the
standard at Hastings, which gave CrUm-
wells pikenen the name OF The Iron
sides" which held firm the bursting squares
at Waterloo, which dyed the snow with
bleeding feet At Valley Forge, which stood
Ike . rock at Gettysburg and Chicksmanga
and which at last crushed the no less gal
LIANT hosts OF Lee, Apglo-Saxons too. WhJ
is it that the old soldiers, north and south
average up so much better for strength Of
character than the other members of the
communities in which they liver Is it be
cause the tug Of war in the times which
tried mems souls gave qualities Of mind
which the piping times Of peace are less
apt TO develop in men? Il may be that
there was q great deal Of philosophy in the
the few words which old Winfield Scott ad-
dressed to the blood-siained, ragged rem
nant Of his army. which he reviewed on the
plaza mayor in the city Of Mexico-"Sol
diers, you have passed through Ere and
blood, and have come forth steel"
A Disgraceful Feature
of the Minneapolis procession, and some
thing like it is too common in the cases OF
many similar parsdes which have taken
place under G. A. Z. auspices, was a repre-
seniation Of "Shcrman's Bummers." These
scoundrels. who would have bczn shot by
any well disciplined army, and whose exist
ence was and whose memory ought 10 be,
disgrace TO "the army which marched 10 the
sea" these "Bummers" Who robbed and
outraged the defeneeless people Of the coun-
trv and often burped the roofs that we're the
only shelter of helpless women aud chil
dren whom they left TO hunger on their
wasted track, we're represented BY some
tvtniy-fve Ynhons dressed in Nv nssorTed