The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-22
EX-soLDIERS BANQUET.
Commander Green and Sian Royalty Enter
tanned at the MetropoIe Last Night.

| the Metropole at 10 O'Clock last night Ii
was interesting to see them, they were SO
merry aud happy. There were many there
| whose heads were as white as snow ana
many also who are still young IN years
| notwithstanding the fact that they march
| ed to the front nearly a third OF a century
| ago. They came from all walks OF hie
| The rich man and the poor man sat side
| by side; the Republican and the Democrat
sat elbow to elbow; the Msthodist and
Presbyterian conversed and exchanged
! courtesies and all were formed INTO one
fraternal band with but one sentiment.
The Grand Army of the Republic is GER
tainly a noble and an honorable brother
| hood.
| The room was beautifully adorned. Nine
| handsome pictures hung on the wall repre-
senting the familiar features of Lincoln,
Garfield, Sherman, Grant, Logan, Hand
cock, Meade. Thomas and the gallant little
| Phil Sheridan. All of them were sur
mounted with two tiney little United
| States flags. Over the door which led TO
1 the kitchen a large flag hung and on the
wall in rear OF the department commander
| hung an immense pictorial representa-
ton of the Goodies of Liberty. The mirror
on the south wall was nicely arranged
/ with napkins which were formed into a
! handsome star. Two vast tables extended
| the entire length of the room with two
lesser ones between them. One
/ of 8these was reserved for the
! department, commander, the post COM
mander and few Of General Green 5
staff officers
! The bill of fare was very nice and con-
sisted of three or four varieties of meats
! fruits, salads, beans, excellent coffee and
! ice cream.
| When all had entered the dining room
they stood by their chairs until Chaplain
j. Il. Brant had invoked the blessings OF
heaven, which ceremony was very impress
siTe and solemn. The order was given TO
eat and for twenty minutes or more the
bill OF fare was discussed with very pleas
ant relish. Colonel Stewart, the excellent
host appeared with few boxes of fine
! fragrant cigars and circulated them
| among his comrades. When the cigars
were lighted and the guests had leaned
back in their chairs, General Murray
Meyers arose and in few neat words wei
/ coined the distinguished gentlemen
VINO composed the grand official board and
what L. known as the council of
administration OF the Grand Army OF the
Republic They are as follows: A. r.
/ 0reen, department commander; g. h
! Spencer, senior vice commander: E. H.
| Cook, medical director; J. F. Brant, chap
lain; \. b. Campbell, adjutant general; s.
4! ID. Andrews, quartermaster general: Ben
Downing, inspector general; r. A. Camp
bell, Judge advocate; J. II. Downing. chief
mastering officer; L. B. Pearsall, D. w.
Eastman, A. Reynolds, A L. Vorhis and
j. A Porter. Department Commander A.
b. Green delivered the response, and it
was grand eratorical effort. General
Green is fine speaker, particularly when
he is speaking on a subject where field is
presented for the expression of tine senti
ment, as on the pres Mt occasion. He paid
fine tribute to Wichita, and said that
the triumphs she has achieved are largely
due to the old soldier element,
who came here and developed
the fertile valley of which she is the
metropolis. His remarks about his recent
visit to the home of Lee and tue Arlington
cemetery near by were very interesting
His reference to the influence of the Grand
Army was also very touching and brought
forth great applause. Colonel Lewis fol-
lowed General Green with decidedly
humorous address, which is as follows:
| wss just contemplating the wreck be-
fore US, and comparing results with a
certain other feast, which some of us have
read about, At which, with but five leaves
and two fishes to start on, five thousand
men were fead and there remained after
q Ill fhrannh tTralye haSk-ars IF fruy
ments. This doesn't seem to be the kind
of feast at which there Is more left over,
after all are through, than there was at
the beginning. In fact this doesn't seem
to be that kind of a company | have
sometimes wondered whether lot of old
g. A. K. soldiers would have been safe
crowd TO have tried that kind of a
miracle upon! Whether it wouldn't have
been thought necessary, before their appe-
titles were satisfied, TO have dispatched a
steamboat up to the GadareDean shore to
have taken on board cargo of that
picked pork that was made when the two
thousand swine plunged down the steep
place aud were choked in the sea-
| met Hank HeiSerman on the street the
other day Said ne, Come round to the
Metropole Oh the DIST; we're going to have
something good TO eavF'
That's me" says l, who's going to be
there's
% says he. "there'ii be dozen or 50
of the council Of administration.
Hank, says l.. do you suppose there'Il
be any shw for "a Wichita erowd-iittle fell
lows like you and me-to hold our own
with lot of big fellars like tna;?'
20. ye- says he, well have twenty
five OF thirty OF our feilows-about two TO
one, with Comrade Joe Allen thrown in
and think we can hold them Level % the
hard tack.
"Ail right. says |, go and reinforce
your commissary department and count
me in.
Bob continued Hank. we shall have
TO look TO you for 4 little 'talAee, talkee p"
You know Hank learned the Chinese
veruacUiar tand some other things out IN
Chinatown, San Francisco. some Years
ago.
Iu moment OF weakness yielded TO
Hanks blandjshmeut. and promised TO
'talkee-talkee. selecting my owa subject
but was dreadtuiiy sorry afterwards. for
If there IS anything for which / have
holy terror. IL is the making of an after
dinner speech, but determined to try nav
best ard consoied myself with the ma xiB
that the Lord helps those who try TO help
themselves, sDd began the preparation of
this innromptu address | remembered
with pleasure and encouragement a for
chile example of the truth OF this good
maxim. in the experience OF an old dnrkey
preacher down in Mississippi, a. told by
himself: Just srter de wSh, when times
was powerful tight and pervishuns mighty
skeercr. used TO pray de Lord to send one
o Asssz Breckinridge's turkeys for de ole
darkey, but de turkey nsbber coined Dsa
riz up al prayed de Lord. awful hard, TO
sen de ole dsrkey srter one O. Massa Brock
iuridge's turkey-and the mattah was
generally tended to befo' sun up de mex
mawnin,"
However, as ! don't expect to occupy
more than an hour and q half. / must pro
coed 10 my subject. which Is touching
little incident j recently heard in the far