The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-04-29
OHIO GRAND ARMY.
Ten Thousand People at the
SteubenviIIe Encampment.
TWO THOUSAND DELEGATES
Present at the opening.-.The Formal
Session Begun".state of the Or
der In ohio.-.women's Relief
Corps in Session.

| STEGbkh6flILBt Os1 ApEA Sos-4uS
twenty.fifth annual encampment Of the
Grand Army Of Ohio and the eighth
annual encampment OF the Womans
Relief Corps opened in this city at
o'clock this morning.
The weather is all that could be ex
pected, and the city, decked In sea o.
bunting, is as beautiful as bride. Dele
gates began arriving as early as yester
day noon, and by midnight there were
fully two thousand delegates and theil
families in the city. To-day's trainl
have been coming in with the coaches
crowded to the doors, and 1t is expected
that by tomorrow there will be fully
ten thousand strangers here.
The decorations throughout the city
are Of the most elaborate order. On ev.
cry hand are displayed large portraits OF
the prominent Generals in tho late war.
Most prominent among these is the IA
miliar face OF Uncle Billy" Sherman,
who 60 lately answered to the last roll
call.
A SENSATIONAL INCIDENT.
The sensational incident Of the en-.
campment so far, is a collision between
an old veteran and an italian, Franchise
Daily, the proprietor OF a wholesale
fruit house at the corner OF Adams snd
Fifth street. Daily, in honor Of the oc-
CAsion, had decorated his building with
numerous American flags, but floating
above them all was the dag OF Italy.
Several G. A. K. men happened TO
pass soon after the flag had been put up.
No sooner did they catch sight OF the
black cross than ono of them, a silver
haired old veteran rushed across the
street and into the store. Pulling out
bis watch be said: an give you just
FIVE minutes to get that flag down. You
can't float that thing above the stars and
stripes" The Italian seeing that trouble
would ensue II the flag was not removed
got out his ladder and down came the
Objectionable rag,
Departmental Commander P. II. Dowl-
ing and his staff arrived yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon the Council OF
Administration, elected at the last
encampment, and consisting Of W. s.
Jones, Thomas Mcconnell, N. S. Smith,
]. w. R. Kline and B. NJ. Moulton, met
to audit the accounts OF Assistant
Qaarterlnaster General Q, NJ. Alcorn.
They report that too much praise cannot
be bestowed upon MIR. Alcorn for the
manner in which he has conducted his
oIEfna 1nrin1 the mat war
Yesterday evening, and again this
morning, the Executive Board OF the
W. K. Corps ana Council Of Adminis!ra-
ton, met to audit the accounts Of that
body for the past year. These, too, were
found to be highly satisfactory.
THE ENcAMPNENT.
The Encampment proper was opened
this morning IN the Opera House, with
q prayer by Past Department Chaplain
A. B. Mitchell, Of Springfield. Depart-
ment Commander ?. Il. Bowling fol-
lowed with his annual address in which
he made several recommendations for
the following years work. These recon-
mendations were referred 10 commit
tee for action. When Major Bowling
took charge OF the Ohio Department one
year ago there was a membership OF
$3.50, now there are 49,0ll members in
Ohio. There has been an increased Of
q in the number Of posts and there has
been mailed from the headquarters in
Toledo 10000 copies OF general orders,
and 5000 circular orders. In addition
to these there have been mailed &c, 600
general and circular orders from the
National headquarters.
When General Bowling had finished
his address .Commander.ln.C Chief W. G..
Vea1ey was introduced. Alter the
usual congratulatory remarks, he pro.
ceeded to make review Of the work
done at the national headquarters dur
ing the past year. Having frequently
heard OF the annoying delays in regard
to the payment Of bounties and back
pay to old soldiers, he resolved to in
vestigate, and after visiting number OF
G. A. r. posts throughout the country
he became convinced that the fault was
with the pay division OF the department.
Going to the Secretary Of War he laid
the matter before him, showing him that
these delays were frequently OF months
duration. The Secretary OF War at first
refused to believe that this could be true,
but after investigation he had found 1t
to be as represented, and had made i'm.
portant changes whereby ali checks and
drafts for back pay or bounties would
be payable on the day OF issue. Gen.
eral Veszey then went on to state
that matters had been greatly i'm
proved in the pension department
through the efforts Of tho G..
A. K. in the past year. Heretofore
appiicants for pensions have been COM
PEELED to wait considerable length OF
time before their application could be
acted upon. This was caused by the
fact that the war department kept no
ledger accounts Of the records OF SOL
dier, and when applied to for such
records by the pension department, were
compelled 10 go back to war times and
hunt up the record from that time on.
This had been remedied and matters go
arranged that now any soldiers record
could be furnished in from one 10 three
days.
RF PRESIDENT HAYES.
At the conclusion Of Gen. Veazey's
remarks president Hayes was intro
duCed and addressed the delegates, his
remarks being chiefly congratulatory on
the work done by COMMANDMENTS. Chief
Vegzey during the past year.
The various annual reports were re-
ierred to committees without reading.
The most important Of these was that Of
Assistant 9uartermRster General AtCarn,
which states: sour cash BALANCE is
nearly exhausted, and the result is due
to several causes. The action Of the
National EnCampmenta at Boston, August
last, amending the rules and reGula-
tions 80 as to require reports and pay
ment OF per capita tax semi.anpually
instead Of quarterly, reduced our Tsys.
pqo by the amount Of one quarterly
assessnent, estimated at $2,475. The
statistical report shows that there was a