The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-08-06

going to Portland on account of the time it was
held. The comrades and wish it to be in
August.-GEo w. BULKLEY, Co. B, 18th N. Y,
Port Chester. N. Y.
HOLD IT BEFORE JULY Is.
To THE EDITOR: By all means give us the
| National Encampment not earlier than July Is,
for the reason that very large per cent. of the
| old soldiers, in this Western country at least,
| are farmers, and the corn crop and harvest
will compel many, who would otherwise at
tend, to stay at home until that time. The
latter part Of July and August is the least
driving time with their work of all the Sum-
mer months.-BYRoN A. PATTEN, Silver Lake
Post, No. POI, GAR Co. G, 1o5th Ill; Silver
Lake, Kan.
BETWEEN JULY IS AND AUG. IS.
To THE EDITOR: In reading your good paper
notice some articles on the time to hold the
next National Encampment at San Francisco.
If you will allow private to say a word
would say that the best time is between July
25 and Aug 10; earlier than that would pre-
vent any farmer or business man, or any COM
rade that is engaged in the mercantile or agri-
cultural business from going on the trip, aud
we don't want to miss it. We want to go, and
as San Francisco is going to some expense and
trouble we should give them good attend
ance. To have it earlier than the above dates
would prevent two-thirds of the comrades in
the West from attending. Over half of all the
comrades in the West are engaged in mercan-
tile and agricultural pursuits. / hope the time
will be put not earlier than the dates above
PRIVATE Charlottesville, Ind.
NO TIME WILL SUIT EVERYBODY.
To THE EDITOR: I see in your issue of July
% an item headed, "When shall the Encamp-
ment be heidi" And you invite the comrades
all over the country to give their views on the
subject. / think when you get them it will be
like the preacher who was hired to preach to q
certain congregation, and would pray for and
bring rain whenever they all should want
it for $500 extra per year So, when it became
dry, he asked them if they wanted rain to stand
up. Part arose; the rest were not quite ready,
and when they were ready the first were not.
All were not ready at the same time, SO he
would not pray until all were ready; conse-
quently, he did not pray for rain. think it
would be the same with the Encampment if we
waited for all to get ready. In May we here
in Missouriwould be cultivating our corn, while
in the Northern States the farmers would be
putting in their crops. In June they would be
cultivating corn and We would be harvesting. In
July and August they would be in the midst of
harvest. In September all would be putting in
Fall wheat. In October our corn is ready to
gather; the fruit crop has to be attended to; or
the last part of the season would be too wet,
too dry, too warm, or too cold. June would be
my choice; anotlfer's May. another's July,
another's August, and SO on to the end. Now, /
think the best way is to decide at once on the
time, and then every man and woman knows
what their work would be, and will have ample
time to make arrangements to go at that par
ticular time. If they only have two or three
months to prepare, it will be impossible for
many to have all their arrangements made to
go. Everyone should try to attend. l think
1t will be one of the largest and grandest En-
campments ever held. / would like the ad-
dress of all comrades of the 5th Minn.-A.
HOBBS Co. c, 5th Mimi, Mounds, Mo.
GEN. GRosvENoR PROTESTS AGAINST MAY.
To THE EDITOR: very much regret that
my good friend and comrade, Past Commander
in-Chief KountZ, should have placed the wei ght
of his great influence with the members of the
Order in the United States in the scale in favor
of fixing the date of the next National En-
campment in the month of May.
Before the decision is rendered want to say
few words upon this important question.
From the standpoint of gentlemen of lei
sure, who can fix their own time to suit them
selves, / don't doubt that the month of May in
San Francisco and California is very attract
i've season of the year; but it must be borne
in mind that the National Encampment of the
GAR. is an event in the economy of that mag
nifcent Order which rises in significance and
Importance above the mere matter of personal
convenience, or personal pleasure.
The date, therefore, ought to be fixed so as to
make it possible for as large number of repre-
sentative men of the Order to be present as
possible.
Tourists and gentlemen of leisure, who de-
sire to "see California in all its grandeur" can
go to California sua sponte but protest against
their destroying the value of the Encampmcnt
as such. Business men-men compelled to pur-
sue the ordinary vOcatiOns of life-cannot go to
California in May. The lawyer has his Spring
terms of court crowding upon him the farmer
hoe hi fint, fnr I, tc
planting; the mechanic finds himself in his
busiest season of the year; but all these classes
of individuals are wont to have some Summer
vacation, and that is always taken in July or
August, or both.
TO fix the Encampment in May would be to
drive from it the greater number of the active
business men of the Order
1t may be convenient enough for Eastern
"picnickers and purely pleasure seekers, but
my observation of the men who attend the
GAR. has been, and u.s. that they belong to
class Of workers; of stirring, active men with
business engagements and business obligations
running away ahead and far into each Sum-
mer, and efectually preventing them from de-
voting the Spring months of the year to pleas
ure of any kind.
When the Knights Templar located their
triennial conclave in San Francisco they |
placed it. after due consideration. on the 18th
day of August. / appeal to any Sir Knight or
VlSltOr Oh Inlt OcCaSlOn, III the weather ana
general surroundings of California were not
salubrious and magnificent.
One of the great features of California is its
magnificent fruit; it is in the hight of per-
lection in August. The weather was simply
delightful. 1t is true there was dust, and
suppose in the latter part of May, or in June,
there would be less dust; but the objection
which have urged, it seems to me, is un-
answerable.
1t is great tax upon the members of the
Order to go to San Francisco, but they will be
grandly repaid for the effort, if they car only
have it at time when they can possibly leave
the North and East and go there; but if there
must be superadded to the great expense of
the journey the loss of thirty days time in the
busy season of the year to the Industrial and
productive members of the Order, then the
burden of the California Encampment will be
too grievous to be borne.
sincerely hope that nothing more will be
urged in favor of the Springtime and that the
Encampment may be fixed in the latter days
of July or the first half of August, SO that mem
beers of the Order, or visitors availing them
selves of the promised $3.50" rate from the
Missouri River to San Francisco and return,
can devote their vacation to the trip, to view
the matchless beauties of the Golden State
c. II. GRosvENoR, Athens, o.