Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-21
ENTHUSIASTIC SOLDIERS.
STATE REUNION OF ILLINOIS VET
ERANS AT QUINCY.


Opening Speeches of the Dedication of
the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Home
Brief Description of the Grounds-A
Picturesque Spot-0uincy smothered
in Bunting.
QUICY, Ills Oct 81 Fully 500 people
were present Tuesday night at the formal ex-
ercises opening the state reunion of veteran
soldiers, 800 Of whom are registered at the
headquarters of the encampment, and not
less than 5000 people were on the grounds.
The occasion was the dedication of the IL
linois Soldiers and Sailors home None of the
buildings are finished, nor are any of them
yet near completion It will take probably
year Yet to complete them. The headqrar-
ters building fine stone structure-is well
forward and several of the cottages will
soon lie ready to roof but the great bulk Of
the work is yet 10 I've done Ghe site. it
should be said is excellent in every respect.
The ground is drained by picturesque nat
| ural ravineS, and a great deal of il is covered
with trees. The residences and hniling5
will be on top of "A hill over 100 feet above the
| Mississippi Altogether, probably 10 more
beautiful or Sritabie spot Tor an institution
| Of the kind could be found i'll the state
The excl ciJes were held in the open air ir a
| natural hollow or amphetheatle near thn
center of the grounds AMI about 900 yards
from the partially constructed buildings and
| the same distance from tie encampment,
| The grounds were gayly decorated with col
| ored lanterns strung along the trees, and
the central points and avenues were lighted
| with electric Iishts The exercises were prn-
| coded and follow el 10y an elaborate display
| OF fireworks Two OF three brass bands, sew
ersl drum corps, alid large glee club hclpe1
| to entertain the crowds. W. II. Collins
called the meeting to order at S o'clock and
introduced Mayer Farkhurst, of Quincy, who
made the i,iress of welcome
Alr. Richard Yates sou of tho Old var
| governor. responded He said that he fully
realized that he was there to rrpr,S mt a name
and wished he could so beyond th= stars and
have blessed hour of IntsrCgu,s,. with the
| first owner of the name h. lore and tell him
| he was still recognized by the name dearer TO
| him than all otherS-'tha suleier's friend >
As representative of the young soldierhOod
! Of Illinois he wanted to say that they didn't
| propose that the sacrifices Of the past should
he forgotten
Gen B. NJ llpntiSS. who was the next
| spea Rer, was Loudly cheered He said that
| for forty years this BEAUTIFUL city was
| his home, and it was great pleasure for him
to he there. He he'd locked forward to this
meeting with intense interest Twenty five
years ago last spring the nation called for de
Tenders and how nobly they responded The
older ones remembered the Younger did not
understand it. After speaking Of the pro
gress of the country since the surrender at
Appommatox, he said that they now re
| joiced in happy homes and that they lived TO
fulfil the promises made on the nations sa-
cred honor Ia men who left their wives. their
friends their parents, their homes to go forth
| to hattie that the mon who didn't think as
they did might live and enjoy liberty
| [AppIausc He dared not trust him
! self to speak his sentiments If he did
some might I've offended A voice, Let her
{, got" Laughter, and Let them have itr1
He bad been concealing the fact that for the
last twenty four hours he was not exactly in
his good humor He looked at it differently
a few years ago, but now he would saw
Cursed he the hand that pulled the flag to
half mast for the death of traitor [Cheers
and cries of HIT him again!'l No, said the
general, that was enough. [Laughterl He
| begun TO get in humor because that senti
ment was cheered
Scott Wike and William B. Cullom also de
livered brief addresses The formal proceed
ings We're followed by volunteer five-minute
| speeches, songs, and Instrumental music
Not until after midnight was there anything
approaching quiet in the vicinity of the en-
| campment
,it, SO f,,It ty,F,-.
| tors All the state officers are here together
with large number of department com
manlers of the G A. r., Gen Logan and
wife and many other distinguished people
| The town is almost smothered in bunting.
The formal dedication of the home took
place Wednesday. During the morning
there was a parade of the sollierv under
command of Ger. J. S Post, department
commander, the length of march being one
mile Gems, Logan and Fairchild and other
| distinguished guests reviewed the parade
At the conclusion of the parade thousands
of people wended their way to the grounds
Of the home where the COMMUNICATION ex-
ercises were to take place. Gen P. S. Post
called the meeting 10 order AMI prayer
wus offered by the Rev T. D.
wilkins department chaplain America was
then SUM by chorus of 100 voices and an
address upon the institution and Its advaut-
ages was delivered by Governor Oglesby
'Coldmbia' having been rendered by the
chorus, speeches were made i'll the following
order: Gems Fairchild, Logan, John c
Black, Senator Cullrn, Gems Martin Been
W. b. Anderson, and James S Martin, and
the rendering of the "sStar Spaugled Ban
her" by the united bands bringing the pro-
Ceedngs to cuncl,5i1r. Wednesday night
there was grand illuminated street parade,
with Illumination of the city and parks and
display of fireworks