The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-04
They Will March Through the
Wolverine Metropolis Forty
Thousand Strong.
Contests for Position Of Com
mander-in- Chief and Place
of Meeting.
Prospect Of Lively sguabble Over tho
"Color" lime Veterans Who
Arc Under Thirty.

DETROIT, Aug. 3.-The twenty fifth an
nual encampment Grand Army OF the Re-
public will formally open tomorrow fore
noon. At t0at hour Commander in Chief
Veazie will head the line of march and re-
view 10000 or $4,000 veterans ~ they pass
before the magnificent reviewing stand on
Woodward avenue To-day has been re-
ception day of the encampment. 1t is es-
timated that there are $4,000 visitors in the
city tonight, but the great crowd Is not
expected until tomorrow morning. There
is strong rivalry in the race for
the position of national commander-in in
chief, but thus far it has
been in the nature of friendly competition,
and is unmarked by strife. The leading
candidate of all those mentioned in last
nights dispatches il acknowledged to be
Col. Weissert, of Milwaukee,. The main
fight for the location Of the next enoamp-
mont is between Washington, D. c., and
Lincoln, Neb., with chances favoring the
former. Fl. M. Bishnell, of the Lincoln
delegation. says Lincoln is the center of q
vast territory in which reside 10000 veter-
ans. all of whom would prefer Lincoln to
Washington or any other city. 1--WE have
the support of South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa.
Colorado and other states" said he, ''and
we shall see the delegates as fast as possible
from other states"
No arrivals at the central depot crsatad
more excitement to-day than the Georgia
and Flsrida departments. There we're 15O
in the latter delegation and nearly all were
bedecksd in hats of not only curious con-
struction but made of natural sea weed.
nh az nf ri
mander Weloh, of Wechtown. Fla. One
car OF their train was filed with products
Of Florida, from live crocodile ten feet
one inoh long, to a bunch of sea weed. They
had watsrmel Ions in great rrofusion. banana
trees in blossom. olive and orange trees
and any quantity of phosphate, which
promises to eclipse the orange as a money
maker for the citizens of Florida. Colorado
and Wyoming are here in force, and what
they lack in numbers they make up in noise
and show, having two boy zouave drum
corps with them.
Ex-President Rutherford b. Hayes, COM
mander-in-ohief of the order of the Loval
Legion, arrived from Ohio to-day. He was
met by local delegation of the Loyal
Legion and escorted to the home of Col.
reception at Col Decker's residence this
evening, and all members of the Loyal
Legion paid him their respects.
The Rhode Island contingent of 200 men,
mostly members of the well-known Slocum
post, of Providence, marched to hotel,
eGcorting the twenty-five women of the
party. Their department commander is
Adjutant General Prentiss. Slocum post
proudly carries the old battle flag which, at
Fort Pulaski and in other engagements, was
riddled with bullets. Behind the Rhode
Island contingent marched $50 Iowans, with
9. l.. Davidson, of Hull commander.
They have forty fair comrades. They are
the advance guard only, and assert conf
IDENTIFY that their state will have 1000 men
in line. small number of South Dakota
veterans marched behind the Iowans.
'.Ladies of the G. A. R.'' are arriving in
ers, daughters and daughters of veterans.
Among the officers and national delegates
present are National President Mrs. G. F.
Huesit, Mrs. Mary A. ELLINGTON, secretary,
and nearly all state department. presidents,
and $50 delegates. Gov. Page. of Vermont
and Gov. Thayer, of Nebraska. Congress
man Henderson, of Iowa, ex. CONGRESSMAN
Smalls, of South Carolina, and A. p. Davis
of Pittsburg, founder of the order of the
Sons of Veterans, is also among the recent
arrivals.
The New York delegation. 1000 strong.
arrived late this evening. 500 diamond
badge was presented to Gen. Alper tonight
by his admirers of the G. A. r..
The department of Louisiana and Misss-
slppl Will revive the color" tight in the
encampment. Charles f. Fink, assistant
quartermaster-genera of this department.
said to-day: "We have. come up to this
encampment to make fight on the color
line. We object to coloied members of
the G. A. r.. md want them formed
into a separate colonization. IL is
all right here in the north, where you have
only few colored veterans, but do you
know in the south there is any number of
colored members of the q. A. II. who are
not Thirty years old? They swarm in our
posts and the white man has no show. We
will not associate with them, and if the
present convention does not do something
to relieve southern posts of this growing
trouble, white G. A. II. veterans will with
draw"
Commander-in-C Chief Veazie tonight de-
clined to discuss the "color'' dispute, and
was disposed to minimize the Importance
of the question in controversy.
Caught In Their Own Tran