Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-07

| THE PLAN ADOPTED IN FRISCO HAD CPO
THE OLD SOLDIERS PATRIOTISM IN NATuRA
1 LIVING coLoRs.
>t'The people Of Washington have it in thei
power to make the very earth welcome the vet
GRAMS in September, and they ought to do it,
said remnant Of one Of the boys who wore tn
blue while he stumped around on one leg an,
mopped his face with his only hand, seeking
cool place in Pension Park one evening re
Gently.
"The welcome I mean il decorative emblem
in the street parking and on house lawns.
viii cost a very small sum Of money, and littl,
time and effort will make 1t far more beautiful
than anything that has ever been seen on thii
side of the continent. / have attended every
national encampment from Denver, in 1883. tc
Detroit, in 1891, and 1 think ought to know
something about what decoration is most ad.
mired and most effective. The careless OBJ
server probably supposes that flags and badges
flowers and banners are pretty much the same,
no matter how disposed, but it is really aston
ishing to see the diversity in methods Of treat
ing the same decorative material.
..Denver and Portland contented themselves
with display Of bunting and lavish hospitality.
Columbus and Milwaukee treated US much the
same way. The latter city banked . good deal
on her beer. In some Of the cities II rained
dismally, and then the flags and bunting looked
a. though they antedsted the food.
ST. LOUIS ILLUMINATION.
''This was the case in st. Louis. Following
on the heels Of San Francisco, the city of the
Big Muddy determined to Guido the efforts Of
the town at the Golden Gate. The city appro-
priated goodly sum and expended it in illnmi-
nation. 1t was really q magnificent sight at
night Down the long narrow streets for miles
were rows of closely set gas jets with globes Of
alternating red, white and blue glass.
There was splendid equestrian statue
representation Of Gen. Grant, done in stained
glass, in life size. which formed a transparency
and when lighted at night it stood out against
the gloomy skies like q thing of life. 1t was
aftervard presented to the National Soldiers
Home at Leavenworth and forms a memorial
window. Another striking illumination was
railroad and engine formed of tiny gas jets not
over an inch apart, which spanned the street
from two second-story windows. The Grand
Array and kindred loyal badges in mammoth
size, formed of jets in the same way, Illuminated
the fronts of many business houses. Besides
the gas illumination, the business part of the
city was draped with bunting and hung with
pictures. But. Lord! how it rained 1t began
the day we got there and never let up till we
left, on Saturday. The flags refused to do any
thing but cling funereally to the staffs and the
colors in the cheaper decorations ran into each
other and became amazingly transformed At
night, however, the CT ~ was picture of fairy
land, albeit somewlmt damp. 1 never shall
forget those long vistas of streets, with the red
white and blue shining and Pickering through the
rain and the mist. but in the daytime it looked
duh and dead. Decorations ought to be some
thing that wind and sun and rain cannot fade
or tear
Boston looked like monster May pole, and
as pretty doll The east wind and dismal
rains Of that season withheld their presence aud
the ivy-hidden houses peeped out from the
bunting like little girl from her big hat
Perfect weather and charming hospitality made
that an eneampment to be remembered.
THE IDEAL DECORATIONS IN FRISCO.
"The ideal decorations, however, were in San
Francisco. Or, rather, they began at the Mis-
souri river and ended at the Golden Gate, lit
orally. for out in the bay the shipping was fairly
giddy with masses of color, flags of all nations,
but above all the flag of the world, the stars
and stripes.
1T was a triumphal march from the time we
reached Kansas until we landed in Frisco, for
every town turned itself loose to originate some
novel display In our honor. 1t was hot as hades
and by the time We reached Arizona some of us
old boys were nearly worn out, and we were
pretty well quoted down. Even there. how
ever, among the pines and the mountains, the
sage brush and cactus, the old flag ioated on
the breeze. l remember one place away out in
the alkah desert where even the sage brush
'ulked In dwarfish clumps, and only that Pariah
Df the plant world, the cactus, fourished. We
halted at water tank to give our engine a
rink. We tumbled out to stretch our legs. and
there in a tent We found the tank tender with
the furnished badge on his breast and an empty
sleeve. His wife and daughter, a shy girl of
Twelve, hved with him.
FLAG OF GROWING PLANTS.
he MT IL, ~ -
IF red and white calico, set up on sticks. and
under it the only vegetation in 200 miles of the
God-forsaken spot was a little flag of growing
plants. The man who could look on that nm
noTed would have been made of cast iron. We
uncovered IN the presence of the national en-
Dlem and the eomrade said proudly:
~ reckoned you'd prishate it. Sis hez saved
her pennies fur most year ter git them plants
an IT TUX skirmishin' ter keep 'em alive. but
sls Is grit clean through. A conductor from
Frisco brung her the cuttin' an Sis hez about
set up nights nussin' en-
Vow, call that pure patriotism" said the
veteran, as he blew his nose vigorously and
blamed the sun for making his eyes water
'As We began to get toward San Francisco
l he peopae met Us at the border of the state
With carloads of wine and fruit and flowers,
md from that on the very creak of the car
wheels seemed to cay welcome
In San Francisco the eruption Of bunting
was something bewildering. The streets were
lined with dry goods triumphal arches
sprang up in our path, and whole blocks of
painted canvas depicted stirring war scenes
Better than all this, however, I liked the en-
blems in the parks and in front of the private
residences, for they spoke in mute but loving
angriage Of the thoughtful care that for weeks
mad fostered and tended the tiny plants, while
the bunting might have been the thought of a
lay, the labor Of an hour.
WELCOMES IN THE PARKS.
"About the new city hall remember wei
come, Grand Army encampment' was done in
etters two feet tall, a light green on bronze
and scattered about the grounds
we're the crossed oars and anchor Of the navy
The shield, star and crescent, all exquisitely
formed of the same beautiful plants. The
Crocker residence, on California street, was al
Ways the scene Of admiring groups. 1t stands
On beautifully terraced ground and the en-
Dlems were numerous. The G. A. R. badge was
! splendid representation in actual colors The
Eagle in yellow pyrethum perching upon cannon
81 variegated thyme, the balls Of escheverra,
the red and white Of red acanthus and white
,edrum and the blue field Of lobelia. The other
badges we're conspicuous about the grounds and
none OF them were less than six feet in length.
These decorations were repeated at the Senator
Stanford and Flood manAions in fact anybody
who could boast Of bit Of ground had at least
one emblem, however small. Sometimes the
corps badge Of the veterans who lived there
sometimes q. A. r. and the word Welcome