Dodge City times., 1889-01-10
OUR G. A. R.
TAKE CHARGE OF THE CITY
AND RECEIVE THEIR
COMMAMDER-IN.
CHIEF.

AND hECE1V II THEIR
COMMAMDER-IN-
CHIEF.
a Soldiers Home Bound to bo lo-
Gated at Old Fort Dodge.
Thursday, January 3rd, was old Sol
diers' day IN Dodge, and our city was
clothed in holiday attire.
The programme of the day was car
ried out as follows:
Lewis Post, No. 294, G. A. R.,
headed by the Cowboy Band. and about
sixty carriages formed at the depot At
2:45, P. M, to meet their Commander-
in-Chief, Major Warner, and visiting
soldiers. On the arrival Of the train,
Major Warner, with visitors were all
conducted to carriages and driven to
the Fort, to inspect the buildings and
grounds. After their return the pro-
cession moved en- masse to McCarty's 8
Opera House. where they disbanded,
when the afternoon exercises we're
opened by Hon. NJ. W. Sutton, who
stated the object Of the meeting, and
then introduced Major VIM. Warner,
who was received with cheers:
The commander-in-chief, Major VIM.
Warner then said:
"Mr Chairman, Comrades Ladies and
Gentlemen:
This is to be somewhat of q hasty
visit among you, but 1 was more than
gratified when [ entered the hall to find
that had been done in oil, as 1 discov.
cred when looking back Of me. Chat,
l believe, is the way they do up sar-
dines) l was informed when I re.
turned from the fort, that you have for
this evening hog roasted whole, and
that it is called Warner" but whether
it was so called out OF compliment to
myself or the hog. my informant did
not state, but as was the guest of the
occasion, and Of course the hog was a
resident here, it was compliment to
me-
l am glad to be here with you to-day.
The best evidences that l can give you
of that fact is that by the time 1 have
returned to my home, shall have rid
den over 500 miles in order to be here.
The great vast rolling sea Of prairies of
this western country must be seen to
be appreciated. The man who lived in
the east and said that he never felt that
he was out Of doors until he came west
of the Mississippi river, was just about
right. 1t is but few years ago, COM
paratively, since all that country west
Of the Mississippi river was all Indian
country, excepting the then state of
Missouri. That portion of the state of
Louisiana that lies west Of the Missis-
sippi river and the then territory of
Arkansas, was described and termed
Indian country, where Indians and buff
falo roamed over the broad plains where
we now are. You comrades who went
out to services represented, l presume,
as many regiments as there are old
soldiers here to-day, went to return to
your homes IN the eastern states to find
that your places had been filed while
you we're away; those places that were
yours when you left, during your alb
sence-fghting for your country-hsd
been filed and-were occupied by those
who had remained home. You then
sought new homes for yourselves, and
it seems to me that your achievements
since the war were only equalled ty
your achievements on the field of bat
tie. This western country that at that
time was all Indian country, and l re-
member on the map in the geography
and atlas when / attended school there
was great blur-a blot across the
face of the map, indicated the Great
American desert, running from Dako-
ia down through the state of Nebraska,
down through the state of Kansas,
where We are here to-day, down here in
the Indian country. I am informed
that l have fifteen minutes yet to speak
and vii! therefore begin at the other
end Of my speech.
You comrades, as l have said, left
your homes in the eastern country, to
come to this western country. It took
men Of courage, men Of will and de-
termination; men that shuddered not at
hardships: men willing to undergo
trials; men not frightened at perils and
danger, until now instead of desert as
you remember it, you have advanced
and reclaimed it and the Indian has re-
ccded while your s'Great American
desert, no longer desert, but bios
SONS like the rose, l venture the as
sertlon that there is no state in this
union, or is there a community that
represents a higher grade of intelli-
gence or industries or morals o. social
and cultured people than does this
state of Kansas produce in its people
as during the days when your duties
called you to the field of battle. You
went; represented your country with
your intelligence and Your bravery and
as such, you come to this country, and
have been now rewarded with such re-
wards as you have now before you. In
the battle for your country you had the |
consciousness that you were right and |
that your opponents we're wrong. In
this nndnarnr uos, n.oaead H.