Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-11

THE GREAT G. A. r. ENCAMPMENT.
Chief Palmer and His Ad.
viscrs Here.
THEIR ARRIVAL roDAY-THE DATE OF THE TN
cAMfMESr TO BE FIxED-aES PALMER rAyoRs
THE FIRST WEEK IN ocroBER-wuAr HE
THINKS ABOUT THE PARADE.
The Grand Army national council Of admin
istration is here. Some of it came yesterday
and its arrival was announced in Tur SrAR
Other portions came at an carly hour this
morning and the balance, which included
Commander-in-Chief Palmer. put in an
appearance at the Ebbitt House shortly be-
fore - O'Clock. The latest arrivals
were Gen. Palmer. Quartermaster Gen. John
Taylor of Philadelphia and Col. Charles H.
Freeman, department commander for the state
Of New York. Accompanying these from Phila-
delphia. where all had attended banquet last
night, were Chairman John Joy Edson of the
local executive committee and Capt. Harrison
Dingman, secretary of that same useful organi-
cation.
While Gen. Palmer and his immediate asso-
| ciates were adding TO the Durch 4 Gibbs collec-
ton of autographs Chairman Edison and
Secretary Dingman told q STAR reporter how
enthusiastic in their expressions were the
| quaker city folk.
philadelphia veterans" said Chairman Ed
son, Twill be here to a man. Their expressions
OF interest were really extraordinary, and Of
| course most gratifying. 1t is safe to say that
| the attendance of the 1892 encampment will be
greater than on any previous similar occasion"
THE coNMASDER-IS-cHEF.
Apleasantlooking man, compact and business
like. is Gen. John Palmer, commands -in-chief
ofthe Grand Army of the Republic. A trife
below medium height, perhaps. but energetic
enough for six-foot physique. His hair
! is gray, almost 10 whiteness, and his
mustache is of the same hue. Steel
gray eyes look through rimless glasses
| and seem to see beneath the surface of the per-
con who Is being looked at Nervous force,
though. seems to be the generals principal
| stock in trade, and when he says anything he
impresses his hearer with the idea that he
means every word and all that every word i'm
| plies.
"Fine weather here" was his first remark
| to q STAR reporter. Heard YOU had snow last
week? Was it much? Only little furry. Why
1 read in some of the papers that you were
| treated to three inches of it, Don't know how the
three-inch story originated. but read il some
where. Glad to know there was no truth in II.
GREAT ENcAMPMESr.
"Oh, we are going to have a great encamp-
ment," continued the general, as his mind nat.
urally turned to the object which brings him
and the other members of the council here
| II imagined We reached flood tide in Boston,
| in fact l said at Boston that we should never
again see so many Grand Army men in line,
| but want TO take that back. The Washington
| encampment is going to eclipse all others
| Thousands Of our members have not seen WASH
| ington since the war, and they will come in great
\ force to take advantage of what would, for
many of them, be the last opportunity Of their
lives to see the capital OF the nation they
saved No other city could awake the
i enthusiasm. COuld oher so
| many patriotic inducements. Washington
is the Mecca Of the Union veteran, and when
We meet here there will be greater assembly
OF Union veterans than has been known since
| the close of the war.
when shall we meet? Well. the council of
administration will fix that matter. Ny i'm
preston is that the first week in October would
be just right.
| THE GREAT PARADE.
"One Of the matters to which we shall give
more than little consideration will be the
| parade. The line of march must be shortened
as much as possible. Ofcourse the good people
who do good deal of decorating on their
| residences want the line of march to be Of
| lengthy variety, but our first thought must be
| OF the old soldiers Two or three men died OF
exhaustion after the Detroit parade, WORKOUT
heroes whose frames could not stand the
strain; There was too much parade
be repeated. Now, my idea about = the parade
is a new one, but it doesn't seem to have
any weak places in it. In the ordinary pro-
cession OF any magnitude the left of the line
never sees the right and that makes the
| thing somewhat tiresome for those
who are in the parade. My proposition would
| be to have the parade start from AZ street and
after passing in front Of the White House move
around Lafayette Square to Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and proceed eastward to the point
from whence it started. That would give
| the boys a chance to see each other and would
!, relieve the monotony Of such parade as ours
must necessarily be. Then 1 would mass
the entire procession on Pennsylvania
avenue aud instead of having kept
| place for three or four hours l would, with the
| President and my staff, ride down Pennsylva-
mia avenue in front OF the lines. That would
give people a chance to see the reviewing
everybody, but it will be satisfactory to the
great majority of veterans. OF course there
will be some kickers; the program would not
be complete without them. Objection may be
march, but it should be borne in
mind that the march is the least fatiguing
part OF the parade; it is the long wait before
the procession forms that wearies the old men.
Thirty years ago they tramped through mud
and snow for months. and the fact that they
did SO is good and sufficient reason why they
| cannot stand much exertion now.
| The rumor got abroad, said the general,
switching OF on another mental track, that
there was disposition on the part Of Washing
ton hotel men to take advantage Of the en-
| campments necessities, but don't believe o
| word of it. don't know where the rumor had
| its origin, but it was well calculated. My in
| quiries into the matter have satisfied me that
there is no foundation for any such state
| ment.''
TIE CONFEDERATE FLAG ORDER
Shave you heard anything from your letter
advising Grand Army men not to march in pro-
| cessions which had in them the confederate
| hag?'
'Yes, but the comment has been generally
favorable. wrote that letter because I thought
| 1t my duty to do SO.
ITO me it is inexplicable that the rebel flag
| should have been displayed at the unwilling Of
| the Grady monument. Grady was a
| broad-minded man; one who would
| never have countenanced such foolish
ness. OF course We understand that
| southern conditions differ very materially
| from those in the north and we make all allow
| ances for those differences Union veterans In
the south very properly fraternize and affiliate
| with those who were once their deadly enemies.
We realize that the war came to a conclusion