Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-08-06
THE GRAND ARMY.
The M0nster and Successful Meet
ing at Minneapolis.
The Largest Meeting Of the Noble Or.
gaafzati0n Ever Held.
Extracts from Commander Beath's Ad-
drOss-Tho New Omcors,

The great meeting of soldiers at Mime
apolis last week cannot be fully described.
The full reports of the Minneapolis and
st. Paul papers tell not the halt. A thou
sand shorthand reporters could not give
a complete report of such gathering. It
is a low estimate to say that there were
100000 visitors to the beautiful and more
than hospitable city on Wednesday. In
the following we quote from St. Paul and
Minneapolis papers:
Measured by comparison with the peo-
pie who were in the city at the time of
the Willard Northern Pacific demonstra-
ton, the crowd was considerably larger
Then the full display made in parade was
and on these the people were packed in q
solid mass. The opportunities for wit
Messing yesterdays demonstration were
equally good for the entire three miles of
the line of march, and for that distance
there was mass of humanity aud a sea
of faces. A modest estimate fixes the
number of people, therefore, from out of
town, 100000. The outgoing trains last
evening bore many of them to their
homes, and although there is TO be no
end of the reunion before Friday night,
the crowd has begun to diminish. Very
many of the visitors propose to extend
their visit into next week, but the crush
that has been gathering reached its eli
max yesterday. It exceeded, as was
predicted, everything that has been
known during the history of the Grand
Army; and it is very much questioned
whether the like will again be witnessed.
The crowd now includes great many
weary people, but they are none the less
an exceptionally good-natured crowd,
who find something to serve up In the
prevailing excitement.
j.. ALONG THE LINE OF MARCH
On the line of march as advertised, the
crowds began to gather as early as 8
O'Clock, long before even the advance
guard of the procession had begun to
form. Many house top was crowded
with people anxious to witness the grand
spectacle, and the brilliancy of the deco
rations of the buildings was enhanced by
their windows which were crowded with
visions of beautiful faces, in settings of
nebulous lace and creamy muslin. The
crowd on the streets can't be described.
It is to be remembered that not only was
there the ten thousand which are to be
seen on Minneapolis streets every day, but
it was augmented by the outpouring of
all the employees of the stores, most of
which suspended business during the
possession. Not only these, but also the
thousands of women and children who
had come with their fathers, husbands
and brothers, who came to attend the re-
union from posts in all parts of the coun-
try. Not only these-all the morning
trains from St. Paul, Saltwater, ,Anoka and
every point within fifty miles all had ex-
ira cars, and all were loaded to overflow
ing with more people than ever came be-
fore to Minneapolis in one day.
- GETTING TO THE CITY.
The regular morning trains from St.
Paul were heightened from three to ff-
teen cars each, and even then extra trains
were run to accommodate the people
who wanted to see the veterans march.
The number of the crowd that resulted
from this vast increasement to the popula-
ton of Minneapolis cannot be computed,
and is best expressed in the comprehen-
sive phase of a scriptural statistician,
''Ten thousand times ten thousand, and
thousands of thousands" Many of those
that walked have wooden legs, many OF
them are walking lead mines, and not q
few of them were shot literally full of
nOleS. Sucn cOnQluOn6 are not ealubri-
GUS, and, in Difference to the decrepitude
of large number of the veterans, the
line of march was confined to three miles,
this even being too long forsome of them.
On the sidewalks, then, of this contracted
line were compressed the hordes already
spoken OF, the result being squeeze, a
jam, and a pressure, which only steam
guage of the highest test could measure.
The human river could not be confined
to the sidewalks, but surged over into the
roadways, while its waves dashed against
all projecting obstacles, and receding left
drops of humanity clinging to railings,
widow sills and on tho arms Of telegraph
poles. ..
THE 4NTHUSIA6N.
The size of the crowd was only equal
led by its enthusiasm. The atmosphere
was charged with it as with electricity,
and o;ks 1ono o,,1 v,ov.1 o1;l~o