Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-21
POTOMAC RELIEF CORPS.
Interesting Installation Ceremony at G. AR
Haii-Some Good Speeches Made.

| Interesting Installation Ceremony 1T GAR
HaIl-some Good Speeches Made.
| The members of the Potomac Relief Corps
met last night at Grand Army Hall and in
| stalled tie new officers of the organization.
The hall handsomely decorated with flags
| and bunting caught in graceful folds with G..
A r. emblems. Over the platform a huge
corps badge in flags hung, with the word '"Po-
| tomac" in white upon it On the platform sat
Commissioner of Pensions G.. b. Raum. Con-
gresham Boyd of Indiana and Comrades Odell,
Lincoln, Richardson, Faunce, Dinsmore, Hau-
back. Mckee. Church. Huntoon and Taber.
Command r -in-chief PALMER of the G. A. r.
had been selected to install the new officers
and had ordered out his staff escort buta
hurried call to Baltimore to attend a meeting
Of the committee from the New York State Sol
! diers Home 10 make arrangements for erecting
monuments at Gettysburg prevented his at
tendance. The committee was to have met in
this city yesterday, but owing to the storm
delayed. In his letter to the President Gen.
Palmer said he greatly regretted his inability
to be present ard wished the corps great sue
cess.
WORK OF THE ORDER FOR THE YEAR.
Mrs. Nellie F. Prentice. the president of the
corps, before retiring read an interesting ac
count OF the wo-k of the order for the past
year. The report showed that the membership
ON january !. 1891. was 234 and the present
membership 34i. The irst years relief work
amounted. to $3.50 and during the past year
.l.lO0 in cash had been distributed, and 279
families, or ,03S persons, relieved with foodand
clo:hing.
The report was received with applause.
1t then time for the installation and the
president ordered the guard. Mrs. Adele Sax
ton. to proceed to the ante room and see If the
installation officer was ready.
such being the case the conductor. Mrs, MI,
A. Uoughton, escorted ex-Commander-in-
chief ). 5. Burdette TO the platform. Then
followed the installation. The ceremony was
interesting and the following were indicted
into office: Mrs. Nj. II. Wisemer, president; Mrs.
Adele Saxton, senior vice president; Mrs Anna
Hamilton, junior vice president; Mrs. Emma
J. Partridge, secretary; Miss Mary l.. Smith,
treasurer Mrs. Nellie c. Royce, chaplain; Miss
Lizzie Iabler, conductor; Mrs Sallie Church,
assistant conductor; Mrs. Nora Edgar, guard;
Miss Frances Andrews. assistant guard.
The NEW PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The new president Mrs NJ. II. Wisemer then
delivered her address. 1t was intelligent.
effort and highly interesting Concluding she
said that the women of Potomac Relief Corps
We're a unit; there were no dissensions among
them and the corps would live until the last
one of those noble veterans who Fought SO gall
lantly to save the Union had been touched by
the finger of God and gone to join the silent
majority.
Gen. 5. S. Burdette spoke entertainingly of
the Potomac Relief Corps and the good it had
done during its organization. He finished his
remarks BY presenting to the ex-president, Mrs.
Prentice. beautiful gold badge from the
ladies of the corps.
Mrs. Prentice was deeply moved and re-
sponded feelingly.
Department Commander Urell announced the
program, the first of which was n song with
banjo accompaniment by little Miss Harbaugh.
COMMISSIONER RAUM REMARKS.
Commissioner G. b. Raum spoke Of the
thousands of veterans all over the country
whose lives had been wrecked in the mighty
struggle for the preservation Of the Union. He
hoped the people of the United States would
not forget these men. The more familiar he
became with the old soldiers who are the bene-
hcIaries OF this government the poorer the re-
lief seemed When the services OF these men
were measured and all they had accomplished
taken into consideration il seemed that some
thing more should be done. These disabled
veterans were getting old and he hoped that
the gratitude of the people would extend as
the line diminished.
CONGRESSMAN BoYD's SPEECH.
Congressman Boyd Of Indiana was the next
speaker. He told in an interesting manner
the story OF his enlistment. 1t was the mothers
and wives of the old soldier who really saw the
fiercest part Of the war. He believed in wo-
mems relief corps. They had a perfect right
to take an interest In Grand Army matters.
referring to the pension Office he said he
hoped the government would not forget the
poor soldier who fought and bled for the pres
ervation of tins grand republic. Increase the
pensions, he said. II this government was
able to pay annually $4,000 600 between 1861
and 1866, with 30000.0O0 inhabitants. it
could well afford to pay slI5,OOO coo
IN pensions annually now, with population CT
65,O0O.O00 people. But it was the bondholders
who were getting the money. They received
three times as much as the poor pensioners.
The other day gentleman connected with the
treasury showed him a statement which bad
been carefully figured out. 1t was the interest
that Vanderbilt received on MS bonds. The
calculation showed that every minute be had
coming to him interest S3.5S. Concluding
he said: If the government can afford to do
this, in the name Of my country and God, give
to the poor boy who gave the best years of his
life in defense of the flag so or 90 cents day
III pensions"
Mr. Elphonso Youngs, jr.. gave a selection on
the cornet and Comrades Lincoln, Mckee,
Odell. Hanback, and Church made appropriate