Telegram-herald., 1889-10-09
A JOLLY GOOD TIME.
That Is What the Twenty FIRST In
fantry Enjoyed.
BANQUET At The BRIDCE-SI. HOUSE
An Excellent speech by mr. Ly0n-ihe
Banquet a Great Success Rendered
UnusUAily Happy BY the Presence
OF the Aiyin Josiin Company.

the >teutOran. tones or Ehef h-te rama .
out the long spaces between the re-
spOnses showed bat too plainly the
thinning ranks Of the Twenty-trst.
one hundred and fifty members cat OF
the SIX or eight hundred on the list,
answered 10 their names. Col. Wm.
B. McCreary, IN short speech, nitro
duced the orator OF the day, ;. W.
Lyon, who addressed the comrades in
speech brimming over with wit. The
audience was again and again con-
yulsed as the wolfe Us of fun were fired
al them. A synopsis OF such an eX-
cellent speech would only spoil it and
lack of space forbids lis complete re-
production.
After the close of this Grafton a col
lection was taken TO pay the incidental
expenses of the reunion, and the secrc-
tary read hS report. He reported
/ among other matters OF interest to the
comrades, the death of SIX OF their
number during the year. They are:
samuel Mapes, Soldiers Home; Fred
Spencer, Saranac; IL. c. Stealing,
| Iona; Lieut.. Ferris, Spring Lake;
/ Austin Sprague, Iona, and p. {. Good
/ thride, Carson City. +. y. Bates, OF
| Moline, was chosen as orator for the
next annual reunion, and the assembly
| broke up 10 meet again at $50 at the
| Bridge Street House.
The dining hall of the Bridge Street
House was As completely filled with
| people as it ever was IN the history OF
that pioneer hotel, and many of the
Grand Rapids people were obliged 10
] take places At the second tables. As
| soon As the guests were seated Colonel
| McCreary arose and after repeating a
/ short poem which embodied the feel
| ings which bind together the veterans
/ OF the war, called upon Chaplain l.. w.
| Earle 10 invoke the Divine blessing.
/ After the tables had been cleared a
/ stage was quickly erected and the
! chairs ranged IN front of It, filled with
/ at least 300 veterans and their friends.
/ Colonel McCreary acted as toast
master.
The toast "Our Army Ratlons" was
responded TO 10y c. f. Sears, but he ex-
cuscd himself on the ground that ne
was not used TO public speaking.
"Our First Baptism" was responded
to by VIM. Whlpple. Mr.. Whipple
/ spoke of the battle of Perryville, the
| first battle OF the regiment, rs their
/ first baptism. That battle changed
/ them from raw recruits to veterans.
/ Yesterday was the twenty-seventh an
nivcrSary of that battle.
"Our Army suffers" was responded
/ TO by q. W. Woodland. He said many
/ thugs can be of interest TO veterans
/ that would not interest others. He
/ He wished TO change the toast to "Our
Suffer-" for, as he said, our sutler is
1 the only one of which he had a vivid
recollection. ''He was big one, and
/ easily remembered-big at the waist
and small at both ends. He had a bic
| heart, too, and 1t was in the right
! place-that Is, | think 1t was.
| There was so much stomach
and things | could not exactly locate
/ It." He told many funny incidents of
/ the evils that the Sutler perpctrated on
| the innocent l0regiment, but he closed
/ with painting the good which the army
/ sutier dld. lie termed hIm the neces-
/ Sary evil OF the army. with all his
/ mcrcenarv v,mOney-making schemes, we
/ now realize that ne was a great factor
IN the army and the victories which II
/ wOu."
"Thc Rock Of Chicl,amauga" was re-
| sp0ndcd to 10y 6. Van Loo. He spoke
of the rocky place whore the battle
/ took place, but ta3t was not the rock
referred To. He recalled an incident
IN the battle when Capt WoOdard
/ Jumped up on arock and gave an order
/ whCh caused the annlhildlion of the
rebels who were opposing them. Til,
rock upon which the captain stood
/ might be the same one referred to, but
no; IL referred to Gen. Geo. III. Thomas
whose war history ne briefly reviewed
The Soldiers Home" was responded
| to by G. X. Gibson. He was pleased
/ that the committee remembered the
/ beautiful home erected by the State fol
/ the home of the brothers who hclpc,
put down the rebellion. Those who
/ have wives and children and pleasant
1 homes sometimes forget the less fOrtu
/ nate comrades who find q resting plac,
+ u the home. lie drew sOrroWfu
/ picture of the lonesome life il is whici
the inmates lead. "The mcanes
/ thing the State of Michigan ever did
was to put uniforms ON the inmate
/ which marks them asGOvernmcnt pau
/ pcrs.'
"Thc 'purp' Tent was responded O.
/ bv A. IS Ulenback. The purp ten
+ he explained Was shelter tent. llgn
+ tent which each soldier could carry
I and was am important factor lu the m-
piements of war. IL took thc place oi
I tnc lalg round tcnt- winch could only
I De- carried tV fHt rnrfmruflI trafu