Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-08-08
THE GRAND ARMY ENoAMPMENT.

| DotrohI tno Largest Evor notu.
DETROIT, Mich, Aug. 4.-The ma
.tional encampmeut Of the grand army
Of the republic, which began its ses-
sions here YESTERDAY is known as the
silver encampment" because 1t Is the
twenty-ifth since the organization Of
the order. The attendance is estima-
ted to be the largest Of any previous
encampment.
There Is strong rivalry between
Washington, d. c., and Lincoln, Neb ,
for the next encampment. The friends
OF the former argue that the encamp-
ment should go east in 1892, so that
il Gun be held at Chicago in 1893, dur
ing the worlds fair. while the friends
Of Lincoln claim that large number oil
the members in the west are too poor to
go as lar as Washington while they
could manage TO get to Lincoln.
There Is also lively strife for the
position OF commander-in The
most prominent candidates are Colonel
William r. Swedburg. OF San Francisco,
Cal: A. q. Weissert OF Milwaukee, Wis.
Brevet Brigadier-General Samuel H.
Hurst OF Chillicothe, o., and G. P. Lin
coin of Washington. Besides these
New York has three candidates for
commander-in-chief, General Fl. A.
Barnum of New York, General John
Palmer OF Albany, and General Ira h.
Hedges Of Harvestraw. 1t is thought
that the vote OF the empire state will
be ultimately cast for Hedges, but there
is Il strong belief that the next COM
mander.in-chief will be a western man.
The leading candidate OF all those in
the field is acknowledged to be Colonel
Weissert OF Milwaukee. He was a
formidable candidate two years ago but
withdrew in favor of General Veazey.
In return Veazeys eastern friends are
now for Weissert.
DETROIT, August 4.-This day will
be long remembered by the grizzled
veterans OF the Grand Army OF the Re-
public.
AS the opening day OF the twenty
fifth annual encampment 1t marks q
quarter OF q century in the growth OF
the organization and every soldier real
ICES that it must also mark the apex in
the prosperity of that great order
which year by year has enveloped in its
fraternal fold every state OF the great
Union.
The memorable logic OF life sounds q
warming TO every veteran that in time
the surviving comrade OF The surviving
post must be mustered out" by death
and the G. A. r. be known no more,
save to the memory Of the grateful ma
ton it defended and preserved. 1t
has therefore been the desire OF all the
leaders of the organization that the
twenty-ffth encampment should be the
most successful in the history OF the G.
A. II. and the parade the most magnifi-
cent the order has ever known.
The multitudes assembled in De-
troit to-day are larger than the City OF
the Straits has ever greeted before, and
in the magnifcence OF pageantry and
the beauty OF decoration to-day's parade
is without precedent in the years that
have gone.
In measured tread. to martial music.
the procession started from Woodward
and Adams avenues with Commander
in-chief Veazey and his staff in the lead,
Until the reviewing stand was reached.
The stand from which the commander.
in-chief and his glittering staff reviewed
the parade was situated on Campus
Martinus," on the east side OF Wood.
ward avenue.
On Illinois, the home OF Lincoln,
Grant and Logan, was conferred the
honor OF the right OF march. But it
was not because OF these illustrious
names that the prairie state was so hon
ored, but because OF one whose services to
the veterans of the state and nation
dates since the war-Dr. B. F. Steph-
enson, the old founder OF the G. A. r.
DR.. Stephenson was born in Wayne
county, ILL.,, 1922 and died in Menard
county August 30, 1871, aged 40 years.
His remains lie In the soldiers lot In
Rose Hill cemetery at Petersburg, Ill.
He organized the G. A. r. in 1866, and
few months later ]. N. Coltrin and
Joseph Pryor joined with ten others in
forming the first post, which was in
stituted at Deca' ur April 6, 1868, under
a charter granted by DIR. Stephenson.
The survivors OF Post No. were in q
conspicuous little group in the Illinois
delegation, and their appearance was
the signal for a tribute Of cheers.
Department Commander Horace S.
Clark led the command and 5000 rep
resentatives OF the Sucker state were in
the line.
As each division passed beneath the
triumphal arches, little girls. decked in
the national colors. showered the vet
Grams with bouquets.
The enthusiasm which greeted the
Second W isconsin division, 700 strong,
was unbouuded. In the front rank
and borne high in the air and on top Of
a flagstaff was perched "Old Abe" the
stuffed eagle which became a part OF
Wisconsin's history quarter OF q CEN
tury ago. Cheer after cheer arose
from the multitude, but the tribute was
10 the war bird and alone to the brave
bows of the Badger state.
The Pennsylvania division came next,
!. 800 strong, marching in good order to
snrirhtly music furnished BY the post
na0artuant Commander Bower