Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-05
EX-C0NFEDERATES.
The Fourth Annual Reunion OF Ex.
Coniederates Grand Success
Gala Day at Waco.
Judge }. Is Gerald Delivers the Address OF
Welcome and Henry ExalI OF Lam
pasas Responds.
speeIal to the eazette.

Special to the Gazette.
WACO, Tx, Aug. 4.--The fourth an
nual reunion OF exc Confederate and ex-fed
ernl and survivors Of the Mexican wa,
opened to-day. The trains last night and
this morning added throngs Of visitors to
those already here, and long streams OF
wa CONS from the rural districts rumbled
in, loaded down with men, women and
children. The city wears gala look,
with the flags, streamers and bunting on
business houses, and on the streets was
steady throDg Of moving humanity.
The grounds where the exercises are
held are known as Proctor's Springs.
forty or fifty acres in extent, and covered
with beautiful shade trees. Here and
there numerous living springs furnish an
abundance of pure, cool water. On the
grounds are large stand for speakers
and reporters, with an amphitheater Of
seats leading away on all sides. Dozens
of booths, devoted to restaurant and re-
freshment purposes, dot the grounds.
The campers are outside the main en-
closure. They have all been supplied
with tents, and the spot calls to mind
the encampment of an army. Where
campers have not brought provisions with
them the reunion committee is
sues wholesome meals, consisting of
barbecued meats, bakers bread, coffee,
etc. The barbecue pits are under the
supervision Of competent man, and
there Is plenty for all TO eat. Order on
the grounds is maintained by special po-
lice and deputies under the immediate
direction of grand marshal
AT smithsonian headquarters, twenty
seven members registered; ex-Alabam-
ians, forty-one; Mexican war veterans,
twenty-three; Tom Green's brigade,
TWEEN y-threei Parsons brigade, forty;
Polignac's brigade, fOrty-tWo; ex-GeOr-
gians, forty; eX-Arkansians thirty-six:
army OF Northern Virginia, seyenty-nine:
Ross brigade, eighteen; ex-Union sol.
diers, nine; x.Louisianians, forty: ex-
Tennt sseeans, thir weight; ex-Kentuck-
ians, seven,
The assembled thousands of ex-soldiers
and visitors gathered around the grand
stand about IL O'Clock and, after an elo-
qnent prayer and invocation offered by
Rev b. IL, Carroll, ID. Of Waco, and
an inspiring strain by the band, Judge
G. q. Gerald of Waco delivered the open
ing
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
felloW -clllLens, Dut once fellow soldiers of
the Blue aud the Gray To me has been as
signed the pleasant tasS of extending to you
70 gay welcome within our city's gates an d
whlle cannot clothe our welcome in teTms
commensurate with our feelings, still to On
battle sea red veterans of thousand fights we
can say thrice welcome to our homes and
hears. Welcome to the city which o us Is the
dearest 81 ct o earth, ana In whose prosperity
ana 1air ma we feel that honest pride that
all should have I'm the spots whose roof trees
shelter the loved ones OF their hearts and
whose nGlTLh9InnpE Ia fFIa DO
of their lives
Our city, unlike some others in the state. can
not boast that II is only of dozen months or
years, yet IL Is not long since these live oaks
threw their cooling shade upon the wigwams
OF the savage tribe whose name 1t bears, nor
cropped the grass and the startled antelope ned
before the bowling vino.
But the eye Of the sturdy pioneer looked
upon the rich soil and sparkling sire ms and
commenced the struggle that was 10 turn the
hunting grounds OF the savage into the home
OF civilization. And to-day, along the citys
bu-y streets, and on the hard prairi, CLEAN
brighter Jewels than ever flashed from The
crown. thai Norman battle. axes the bloody
held OF Hastings won; the happy homes of free.
born thousands won here by the battle axe of
toll swung In the sturdy grasp of grander he
roes than Norman knights, who with strong
arms and willing hearts, have from the Indian
village built the city, and made the wild prairie
bloom aud bios ON rs the rose And to the
city and the county, In behalf of its l. ue and
gallant men, us iAir aud noble women, l wei |
come y u 10 dav with the hope that In coming
years, when fancy rolls the gates OF memory
OacF, and on her magic mirror poTtrays the
scenes of the vanished past, that Waco and tho
reunion days OF 'sb VIII rise among the brighter
memories pictured there.
How d herent, my friends, are the DAYS of $50
from those of '6l then the land was gtriipglinp
amid The ihroes OF civilwar, and from nil and
dale, from wood and PLAN was heard tho blasts
OF uumpets and the roll Of drums, the voice of
command ana the soldiers measured tread as
the country learned Its first lessons in tho Ter
rloie tiade OF war BuI now dove eyed peace
spreads her wings DER ali the land, as she
smiles upon band of brothers who tempo
rarlly parted In anger, have met again in a
more enduring friendship aNer their baptism
OF III Cd The years that have passed since
then are as but an houf in the life of the nation
put nearly eneraiion In The life of the in
dividuAll And when look into the upturned
faces OF me thousands that surround me TO.
uhy,l can hut re all now different they were I'm
1861 Thee many We're barely standing on the
tnre, nod OF manhood, and many in the golden
sun sun,lsnt 9I lts glorious morning, and others In
tne meridian of Its splendid bloom But to-day
those who were ON the threshold are passing
5he meridian line; those who stood in the sun,
gha Oh Inc morning on their heads is falling
thS gray starlight, that Is ever whisp ring of
the great beyond, and those who were In the
i ploom are rapidly passing over the river and
lying down under the 1. ees whose wierd shad
ows ever fall upon the silent majority
Yer, Throughout all those Years some OF
Whlch DrouSht ruin 10 so many homes and
SORROW 10 so many hearts, the nation has gone
forward with giant steps toward the goa of
greatness, and IL viii be found that in Nh maj
goes 70 make great country and great peo
PIE IN 1t we have advanced more IN The mast
twenty I'VE years than in any other like ueriod
| OF our history. Behold the states of ths ns,r
soutn, Tor ur years swept with the bosom of
war, ana Tor more than twice four wears with
the more terrible bosom OF recUnstruction we
see them to-day, after only about a dozen vears
OF ran peace, with their aTmor glrded on, and
NJ, nlghnng anew and more successfully than c or
the 0attle OF individual and sectional pros
ptIlty, and recognizing the fact that Will. The
community and the individual have suffryed
thai the nalion and race have advanced more
maps IT I'm It's four years blood washing than
rom all Other causes combined. cannot wo
hpiought on the losing side, console our,
serves that al our tolls aud tuHerings NJ, re moi
IN Valns While our brRvest and best went 10
MI me hungry mouth of war In unknown graves
On mlaiy battle fields, still the great Anglo.
saxon race has grown and prospyred
"a race that spring from Inc
womb OF war, and has Tor a thousand wears An
every land where Its feet have trod, borne nioft
me advancing banner of civilization: n race
Wheh IN TINS country has gone into the nTts
and echsnics, ana overcome every obatSrie
ionnu In their path that have delved into The
hi1aen cells OF science and broush forth many
o. us n ost priceless Jewels; who have seized
the req lghininga In their dark clonds ana
ooIhe them over the earth and under the ocean