The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-02

ROYAL ARCH.
with the 10000 others who will come
with them, can count on being well
cared for while they are the guests of
the people Of the national capital. The
arrangements for their reception and
their comfort while here could not well
be better or more complete than they
are today.
There is no longer any doubt as to the
great army that will attend. From
every state in the Union applications
have been received largely in excess of
the anticipations of the committee on
arrangements. Even from the south,
where the G.. A. r. is not supposed to
thrive, big contingent will come.
Texas alone will furnish contingent
Of not less than 1900 men, all wearing
the button that every man, woman and
child in the country knows as the in
sigma Of the q. A. R.
Il is no easy matter to care for great
army Of hundred thousand strangers.
A very large proportion Of the visitors
will find temporary home in the hotels,
and much greater number will be ac-
commodated in the boarding houses
which are to be found in nearly every
street in this town. Some one very
wisely said that Washington was all one
big boarding house, and he was not far
wrong. The national capital probably
has q larger floating population than
any other city Of it's size in the world.
But the hotels and boarding houses will
not be equal to the requirements. The
committee on arrangements have real
lied this in ample time.
In all the public squares Of any size
the visitors here today will see busy
workmen putting up long, low but
comfortable buildings of pine to be
used as sleeping barracks, as eating
houses and as Mushrooms. To build
homes, even temporary ones, for 40, 900
men is no slight task. But in another
week Chairman Edison, who has all the
details Of this immense work under his
thumb, will have his embryonic towns
completed and ready to receive the vet
Grams. Out on the lawns which sur
round the tall shaft Of white marble to
the memory Of the immortal Washing
ton there will be buildings to accommo-
date 10, 600 men; on the greensward of
Lincoln park there will be homes for
$4,000 more, and 10000 will be placed in
buildings scattered about on the small
public reservations with which the city
ahounds.
When the barracks in the monument
grounds are completed there will be
seen seven principal buildings along the
curving driveway which is on the south
side Of the Washington monument. Ali
Of the buildings are long structures,
with sloping roofs covered with tar pa
per and.a line of openings for ventila-
ton at the ridge. They will be built of
wood, with canvas sides, the latter SO
arranged that they can be raised or low
cred, as the weather makes necessary.
The buildings have uniform width Of Ga
feet and a varying depth Of from 200 to
$50 feet. A building Of the latter size has
capacity of about 1890 men. In the
vicinity other buildings will be put up
where the men can wash, and also build
ings where they can get their meals
Space has been reserved in the monu-
ment grounds for the members Of the
posts who bring tents with the intention
of camping out.
! The buildings in which the veterans
will sleep are interesting for several rea-
sons. The great size is Of course an ele-