Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-05
BLUE AND GRAY
Meet and Clasp Hands on Terms
OF Friendship and Unity,
And Talk Over Those TFOubIous Times
that Tried Mems Souls Quar-
ter of a Century Ago.
4 Pleasant Day Spent, With Music and Speak
ing and Plenty to Eat-News Notes, Per-
sonals and General Comment.

The grounds chosen for the reunion are
about as nearly perfect for purposes of
the kind as could well be. Lying about
the Union stock yards some two miles
north of the city ana occupying q high
and beautiful location, they have con-
veniences that could not be provided so
well for the purposes to which they are
put without the outlay of very consid-
cradle sum of money.
Scrub oak, standing thick on the
ground, makes a number of shady groves
through which the wind, unobstructed
by any neighboring height of greater al
titude, has blown all day with force
enough to keep the atmosphere cool and
refreshing.
A large number of tents showing their
white among the green give quite
camp-like appearance, and strains OF
music from the military bands give the
whole military air. But with all the
War-like sights and sounds the meeting
is one of
PEACE AND FRATERNITY.
Here those who wore the blue clasp
hands with those who wore the gray, and
those who followed Lee and Jackson and
Johnston to disaster and ruin meet on
terms of friendship and love those whom
Grant and Hancock and Sherman led to
victory.
What a glorious spectacle! Less than
twenty-five years ago many of these men
stood with Lee at AppomattOx, ragged,
barefooted, half starved, almost I'M
equipped, but still defiant, and wept
when they learned of the surrender;
others stood with Grant and rejoiced that
the Confederacy was dead and the war
ended On the one side defeat and
sorrow and desolation; on the other vic
tory and joy and exultation. On both
sides luminosity that it seemed nothing
could cure, wounds that felt as though
they would always bleed. But
TIME, THE GREAT HEALER,
has been busy, and has done his work
well. And to-day all meet in friendship
and love and shake hands and thank
God that their country Is still one, that
one flag floats over it all, and that they
are JOINT owners of common heritage OF
greatness, of which history has no pro-,
totype, and which the future will not :
surpass save by its own natural IN
crease.
With these veterans of the tented field
meet soldiers of a different warfare
the van guard of an advancing civillza-
tion-the Texas pioneers, who planted
the banner of enlightenment upon the
battlements of barbarism, who hewed
down the forests, pIOughed up the
plains, established farms, founded cities
and blaZed out the path of progress that
other generations might follow at their
ease and gather in luxury the fruits of
the seed sown in toll and hardship. Happy
survivors of an inevitable war, who can
in peace to-day enjoy the blessings of
government cemented with their blood.
Happy pioneers, who live to see realized
those visions of greatness which appeared
to them as they dreamed by their camp
fires, unfrightened by danger and I'M
daunted by hardship.
AT THE ARBORS.
In two groves northwest of the Stock
yards hotel and only few yards from the
end of the street car line two large brush
arbors had been built, each of which was
provided with a stand for speakers and
with comfortable seats for thousands of
listeners. The arbor faTthest to the
north is the largest, and was designed
for the most important meetings of the
reunion, while the smaller one had been
fixed up for smaller occasions, such as
brigade and division meetings. row
of tents in the last of these two groves
are devoted to headquarters for
the various state and other OrganIZa-
tions, while others lying west are intend
ed as homes for those who propose
to remain on the grounds during the con-
tinuance of the reunion.
Two large barns belonging to the stock
wards company, recently completed, as
Fny q
thew are intended, and, therefore, new
and clean, are used as dining hallsa and
upon five long tables are placed the
barbecued meats-dOne to q turn and
smoking hot-togetheT with the ,bPeads
and Dickles and other edIbles intended
to fiji the inner man and cheer the outer.
Just outside are two long barbecuing
trenches, IN which fiery Goals are shOveled
by stalwart attendants, to cook the meat
which lie on long bars Of railrad iron
over their baking heat. Thousands of
pounds of beef and pork and mutton
are lifted from the gigantic gridirons
with pitchforks and carried in wheel
barrows into the dining halls.
THE MORNING MEETING.
The people began to gather on the
grounds very early yesterday morning,
and by II o'clock the attendance had
grown to some two thousand. Ihey
came i'll wagons and carriages and on
foot and frequently arriving electric cars
each poured forth q big load to swell the
grand total.
AT IL O'Clock a preliminary meeting
was held at the smaller arboT for the pur-
pose of assigning headquarters for the
different organizations and making other
necessary announcements.
During this meeting a good deal Of
amusement was created by an Arkansas
man. When the tents were being as
signed a grizzled old fellow arose and
claimed one for Arkansas. Why it Is no.
body has ever attempted to explain, but
certain it is that the mention of Arkan-
sas in a crowd always produces laugh,
and this time it was roar
After he had been once located the
Arkansas man had to stand good deal
of badgering, which he returned with
interest, and great deal of fun was
afforded.
The Fort Worth silver eornet band
furnished the music for the day, and
after short time spent in listening TO