Dodge City times., 1890-05-09
THE G. A. R. CAMP FIRE.
THE CAMP FIRE A GRAND
SUCCESS EVERY WAY.
Lewis Post Of This City Receives
the HiRhest Praise From Wis.
iting Comrades on the
Entertainment.

thing they did it, and if they wanted an,
thing they went after it and got it.
They were disappointed that GovernC
Humphrey was not present He ha
promised certain to be here, but at th
last moment wired that affairs of sta,
made it impossible. Tim Mccarthy ais
failed to get here; but the boys think hi
loss almost equal to their own, we
knowing how he enjoys a meeting G
this kind.
At 6 o'clock sharp the ladies of the h
c. had tie supper of pork and beans
coffee and hard-tack, with a few trim
mings, such as cream and sugar an
pickles, which they usually lacked in tn
SIXTIES" on the tables, and for tw
hours they were busy waiting on tn
crowds that came flowing In.
At s o'clock the boys formed in from
of the Post room, and with floating ban
ners and field music. marched to the no
tel and escorted the guests to the rink.
The program at the rink was excellent
and lasted until late in the night. Tn,
interest never tagged, and all who coult
get seats remained to the end, but unfOr
tunately there were scores of people un
able to get seats, and after standing unit
tired out, turned away. There were be
tween five and six hundred who were
able to find seats. The rink is capable
of seating double that number, and ar
rangementt should be made to accomo
date such crowds as that of Wednesday
night.
The exercises opened with a song
America the audience.
Invocation, by Rev. Rose.
Song-"The Glorious Banner" by
Mrs. Miller, Miss Markley, G. c. Pratt,
and E. T. Thome.
Address of Welcome. by Comrade E..
D. Swan.
Post Commander Markley then intro
duced Department Commander Ira F.
Collins. Comrade Collins is a pleasant
speaker, and spoke earnestly of the needs
of the old soldiers. who are unable, by
reason of wounds or disease, to sustain
themselves, and of the obligation of the
government and the state to supply their
wants. He related some touching Incl
dents that had come under his personal
observation, one of which was a woman
with two children. Her husband had
been sent to the National Soldiers Home,
where there was no provisions made for
his wife or children. She had followed
and rented a small house as near the
home as possible, and was doing wash
ing and such other work as she could get
to feed herself and children. He then
spoke of the State Soldiers Home at this
place, where the soldier could have his
cottage and his wife and children with
him. He also pledged himself to use ev-
cry honorable means to have the next
legislature make such appropriations as
will make the State Soldiers Home at
Dodge City worthy of the great State of
Kansas. He gave some of his experience
in travelling in Western Kansas during
the seventies "A dug-out, man
and wife and seven children; put two
children to bed when they were asleep,
stood them up against the wall, and put
two more IN the bed, then stood them
up against the wall and so on until all
were disposed of; then served his wife
the same way. After the family were
disposed of, the head of the house and
the guest went to bed and occupied it
the remainder of the night. But to-day
some of those same people have in their
houses Brussels carpets, pianos. etc., and
their boys are being educated in colleges.
Such is the growth of Western Kansas.
He gave the boys some plain talk about
their duties; among the first of which is
to join the ranks of the G. A. r., and
help the good work along He paid
tribute to the W. r. c., which they have
well earned, and gave the Sons of Vet
Grams some good advice. He spoke of
the late pension bill passed by the House,
and said that in the Post to which he
belonged there are 1888 members, and of
that number just one will be entitled to a
pension, this year If he lives until the
bill becomes law.
Following the address was a song
''The Glory of the Coming of the Lord"
by the Public Schools,
Past Department Commander Henry
Booth, of Larned was then introduced,
and spoke most eloquently. But our
space will not allow u.s. to report at
length. Most of us know what Henry
Booth can do in this line, and on this oc-
casion he was IN his usual happy humor
He said it was his dug-out that Collins
referred TO in his experience of standing
the children against the wall to sleep.
He referred to the early privatiOns of the
settlers of the state, and said that some
of them had come very near having to
live on the rustic of the leaves of the
next years corn CROP" but the energy
of the people had made the supposed
desert blossom as the rose.
Song by the school children.
Judge A. J. Abbott, was next intro
duced and made short and appropriate
address, paying a neat tribute to the boys
who wore the blue
Song-''Star Spangled Banner" by
Mrs. Miller, of the W. r. c., chorus by
audience.
Rev. J. NJ. Wright presented the flags
to the public schools. There were two
of them. ten by nineteen feet in size. and
very handsome. His speech was elo-
quent and fitting for the occasion. His
advice to teachers and pupils was very
He wanted to see our coun-
try nation. patriotic because they were
and intelligent because they