Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-09-22
OF HISTORIC WOOD.
a Gavel Presented Commander
in-Chief Palmer.
MEMENT0 OF SIX GREAT EVENTS.

Indianapolis Captures the Next Encamp-
Went Without observation-disclosures on
the Condition of the Order-A Member
ship of 100000 OShown-Resolutions Of
Sympathy with the ePresident-State Sec
retary Foster, Secretary Tracy and Vice
President Morton Attend Reunions.
WASHINGTON, Sept. ga pleasant fea-
ture of the opening exercises of the Grand
Army encampment yesterday was the pre-
sentation of gavel to Commander Palmef
by members of the staff of the department
OF the Potomac. The welcoming address
on behalf of the city and District was made
by District Commissioner Douglass, and re-
sponded to by General Palmer, who was
approached before he could sit down by
Comrade L. ID. Yeager who acted as
spokesman. In the presentation speech
Ieager told him the gavel was made OF
historic wood and described its parts and
their histories.
A Memento of Six Battles.
He said: "The head of the gavel is COM
posed of four pieces of wood The section
OF yellow pine formed part of the NOR
tar battery that fired the first gun at Fort
Sumter, April II, 1861, at 4:30 a. m. The
section of white walnut was cut from
tree which stood in the field of Gettysburg.
The piece of red cedar was cut from tree
standing in the angle formed by the cross
ing at Five Forks, Va, being the point
around which the battle was fought. As
this was the battle in which your bravery
won the special commendation of your COM
mander it was deemed fitting that it
should be included. The piece of walnut
was cut from the body of a tree which
stood in the court house yard at Appomat-
toX at the time of the surrender. The han
die is made of two pieces. one of which was
cut from "A tree which stood on Snodgrass
Hill at Chickamauga, while the other
formed part of that glorious old ship, the
kearsarCe.
And Still Another GaveI.
He closed with assurances of the best
wishes of himself and associates for the
commanders future happiness. Com
mander Palmer made IA patriotic reply, and
was about to resume his seat when he was
addressed by Mr.. 3. H Warner ON behalf
of the citizens committee and presented
with a gavel. Warmers presentation and
Palmer's response Were both felicitous and
evoked applause. The commanders annual
address having been delivered. the reports
of officers We're the next thing in order and
showed the order to be flCurishing. The
receipts of the quartermaSter general were
nearly $4,000. the expenses lttle over
$4,000 and the balance on hand - .54S. 49,
A Roll OF 500, 900 Members.
The total assets of the order are 80. - ;5,5
The rantmonument fund aggregates S11.-
SIS. -. only IL having been received
since last encampment. The inspector gem
erals report shows : $3.50 posts: total mem
bership, 409,00 in good standing: posts with
relief funds, zoos; amount of said funds,
Si76,505: amount expended for relief, S3lo,-
AS; total amount of property outside of
that in hands of quartermaster and of post
relief funds, 81 ,342, 1873. The posts own 80
O5S muskets. The w. r. c. is compliment
ted rs being of great benefit to the order.
Points from other Reports.
The judge advocate general reported
decision that acting assistant surgeon
I. :. y, appointed by the navy Office for
temporary service, is not eligible to mem
bership in the G. a. r. The aijutant gen
eral reported that there was much trouble
organizing the departments of Louisiana
and Mississippi but that it had been ac-
complished with seveGty-three posts. The
pension committee reported IN reference to
expeditions of work in the pension office
that all is being done that can be reason
ably expected and the report was approved.
sympathy for the President.
Junior Vice Commander T. f. Clarkson
of Omaha, offered the following resolution.
1t was seconded by eX-President Hayes and
unanimously adopted: "Resolved. by the
members of the twenty-siXth national en-
campment of the @. A. r., and through
them the 100000 of its members. that their
most sincere and heartfelt sympathy is
hereby extended to Comrade Benjamin
Harrison in the deep affiiction which has
kept him from our midst, with the earnest
hope and prayer that his noble WIFE that
true American woman, may be spared to
him and to us for even greater opportuni-
ties for good.
indianapolis Gets the Prize.
Governor Chase, of Indiana. ex-depart-
ment commander, asked the encampment
to determine the location of the encarnp-
ment of 1898. he was compelled to leave
the city. He presented the name of InCii-
annapolis. On motion of delegate from
Ohio the encampment by acclamation ac-
cepted the invitation from INDIANAPOLIS
without waiting to hear further in regard
to it. or for any other city to be named.
The date of the meeting viii be fixed by
the council of administration after confer
ence with the citizens. The encampment
then adjourned for the day.
The President VIII Not Participate.
The presence of President Harrison in
Washington viii not alter his plans an
nounced several days ago. He will be un-
able to participate in any of the exercises
of the q. n. X. encampment, as he remains
as he did az Loon Lake. constantly at the
bedside of Mrs Harrison. No work except
of the most urgent character will be at
tended TO and lie will not receive any callers.
except those having the most pressing busi-
ness. In other words the president wants
to devote his entire time to Mrs. Harrison
THE BUDGET OF REUNIONS.
John w. Foster Talks to the Twenty-Third
Army Corps-Other Meetings.
Outside the encampment hall reunions
were the order of the day. The Twenty