The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-08-20
4 mARcH 70 rhg CRAVE.


4
as IS trse of everything else IN The world,
was bs6,se il began. Tiers is passage in
sas Roman history Of that unconscious old
nsasis,, Gib5ou, Nhere he gives a picture Of
,be lyshic tribes Il makes oae SOS them
sws.s,.nr ds9u to-eiher Under Northern
MISS sk:ss- through dim Nortbern woods
sna is aa-ih great dsal raofe than The
ahole account Of lie WAr which follows
A.,er Getting ihs; picture one doesn't care
rsp how the war came out. There was
ssrae,hing in the hour aner-houT inward
rush of hundreds Of thousands OF people
Yesterday forenoon that vas ike that Old
so,h;e gathering. We had the same gray
SKY and sizing mist, at any rate The hiii
on tie common was the place from whfh
to sae H. and the best hour was about II
O'Clock. There was oue mighty roll and
ihrob OF drums. Two bands playing near
each other make horrible cacophoDy fifty
bonds ali playing al once, al a little distance
and you in the midst. lose all their individ-
nal sound in sort ofsfrange. wild harmony.
There we're the gay uniforms Of the nusi-
clans. bright patches Of color here and there;
the nsdding standards the moving blue
lines Of the Grand Army posts, some march
;n- this way. some that, but az tending IN
General southwessward direction around
eli the great moving OCEAN Of spectators,
sg-,-inr CA in the same direction. the white
s-,zses of women IKE iecks Of foam on the
dark waves above, and framing the scene,
The raw green masses OF elm-iTee foliage.
seeming 10 be borne onward by the northeast
wiud toward the same goal and noble tow
ers Of buildings rising above the foliage
altogether grand and imposing sight fall
of high inspiration ard yoa. you dilletante
Boston artists. YOU sooraed il, and puttered
away al your commonplace cAnyanses some
where a long way OF. missing the picture
that might haye immoraiized you.
The first thing that thoughtful person
thinks o. in observing great Grand Army
/ procession. is uccessarily a solemn thing. In
/ sn.te of al tie ulcrriment OF great reunion
and the horse-play Of the veterans on the
street. the color Of the whole thing IS
senbge. Tie march is simply march 70
the grave. Al, humanity, to be sure, are
cnqared in march 10 the grave; but hu-
manitv viii De replaced, and the Grand
ARMY Of tie Republic viii not be replaced.
sbou'aer 70 shoulder in broad, solid phai-
aux. with the swinging lope Of a giSat VIC
torious army. the Grand Army marched
/ uu.ler veste-day's leaden sky. in its own iu-
neral procession. It would be folly to say
that the veterans were not conscious Of this,
and did not often show il, in spite OF their
proper tendency TO get the most fun oat OF
the oncampiaent they could. The presence
of the Sons Of Veterans seemed 70 be sol
emn thing 10 most Of them. Il like to see
rou fellows the Listener heard one erizz!ed
ia soldier say TO the commander OF camp
Of ft.e yennesters.-"and don't Ike to see
Won. ! commanded company once tha'
looked just like your company. By heaven
It was lust such company to that LED
ont IN 6l-smooih-faoed chaps, all the
vsv from eighteen 10 twenty-five, wish bln'
ooa;s and jaunty caps and all that. We
a1n't look 50 jsuuty to-day, Ell? Well, We
see ourselves in You, as we were-and as W.
aint: and that's one reason why l don
much ike 10 see you aHspnd-
The tvpical Grand Army post was not BY
any means one Of the handsome city post
tbs; were so well represented in the line
These well-drcssed city men correspond viii
the more theatrical regiments and general
thst went ont early in the war. Soon To
service took the wind out Of those theatriea
reriments and generals; they -iatted out,
as Tie bows said, and the business OF savin'
the Union settled down upon the shoulder
of the plain fellows with staying qualities
> who bad the metal in them 70 bear The hor
rih.e. dull. grinding nonotony of war tn
+ dingv. sunbnrned. grizzled. uukempt cOantr.
Grand Army posts represent the vicioriou
monotone ofthe war. Their STOPPING shoul
ders look as IL they were not unacquain,e'
with sach things as knapsaci1s. Their tiii
aaI hollow cheeks tell Of ID nourishmen
: apsa bareback and bad bacon. and thei
" srrseglv chin-bsar3s OF the scarcity OF razoi
2 ana shaving soap. gaeir sloUch hats an
,heir half Uniform. vita blue coat perhap
sni no matter what sort OF trousers, tel
= the disarray thar long. dirty marches b7ougt
" the volunteers 70. Your helmeted white
eioged p9si. ike the Lafayette, Of Ne
2 York. Is handsome, beyond doubt B'
d il is made up Of picked mer, with money
y back lhem. Wait till the Maine or Ne
= Hampshire post comes up. some OF who's
e members have 10 travel twelve miles TO
'e tend q post meeting. They are poor mel
s ard they arein war yet-the haTd war men
iy fora chance 10 1--we in the world Life
solemn struggle with them. Their TN
faces. their bent shoulders. show it. The
are your true veterans and u Is the slgi
oftheni with the lepe Of the foot cavalry
siill in iheir stiff legs, that makes the hea
beat fast.