Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-21

| The twenty-sixth annual encampment ol
the Department. of Pennsylvania will hold
its sessions in the Opera House ne1t
Wednesday and Thursday, February "a and
| 25. 1t bids fair to be the largest encamp
ment in the history of the Department., and
will be composed of prominent men from all
| sections of the State.
The officers to be elected will doubtless be
General John P. Taylor. of Post 176. Lewis
| town, Department Commander: W. o. Rus
sell, OF Post Isl. Pittsburg, Senior Vice Com
mander, and j. K. Swoyer, OF Post J.
| Philadelphia Junior Vice Commander
There may be considerable discussion over
| the action of the Board of Managers of the
Soldiers Home at Erie in retaining so pei
| cent of the pensions of the inmates. On this
subject there is considerable difference oil
opinion. No doubt there will be some
strong arguments from both sides.
| A pretty appearance will be presented by
| the Opera House during the Encampment
The interior will be decorated with the post
| colors, corps badges, markers, etc, bunting
| flowers and plants. Post AIS and 1878
firing squads will act as guards and
during the sessions of the Encampment
| All the lower part of the ehouse-parquet and
| parquet circle-will be reserved for the dele
gates. To gain admittance to this part OF
| the house delegates must wear the regular
| delegate-badge. Other comrades not officers
| or delegates will be admitted to the balloon
| les on presenting themselves with their g.
A K. badge on and giving the pass word.
Arrival of tho City's Guests
Many of the visitors will arrive tomorrow
| but large number will come Tuesday and
Wednesday. Among those who will arrive
| tomorrow will be Department Commander
| Boyer. He will attend Post 3's meeting to
morrow night with hotherDepartmento officers
| and number of representatives from Phila
| delphia Posts. Commanderin Chief Palmer
will be quartered at the Hotel Duquesne dur.
| ing the encampment
Department headquarters will be estab-
| lished at the Seventh Avenue Hotel on Tues
| day. On Wednesday morning Department
| Commander Boyer and staff. with the De-
| partment representatives and. distin-
| guished comrades from other Departments,
| will be escorted from the Seventh Avenue
| Hotel to the Opera House by Post 8. Com
| rade Judge Collier will deliver the address
Of welcome to the encampment.
| Two camp fires will be held on Wednesday
evening, one in Old City Hall, presided over
by General Louis Wagner, of Philadelphia.
The speakers will be General Palmer, Com
Department Commander Boyer, Colonel
Chill Hazard, Colonel Thomas j. Stewart.
General j. p S. Goblin. DR.. T. L. Flood, of
Meadville: Colonel John W. Latta, of Phila-
delphia; General Charles P. Lincoln, of tho
Department of the Interior, and DR.. G. W.
Bryant, OF the Department of Missouri, the
colored orator. The music will be under the
direction of Prof E; H Permitt, and will be
Jennie Eggers will be one of the elocu-
tionists.
The Allegheny campfire will be held in
Carnegie Hall the same evening. 1t
will be presided over by General R. B.
Beath, of Philadelphia. The speakers in
addition to those of the Pittsburg meeting
will be John NJ. Vanderslice, of Philadel-
phia, and Department Chaplain Rev. j. W.
Sayres. Prof. Martin and a chorus Of IS
voices, and others, will furnish the musical
part. One or more elocutionists will recite.
rich treat can be offered to all who attend
either meeting. As the principal speakers
will address both campfres, there will be no
necessity OF the people of Allegheny COM
ing to Pittsburg or vice versa Doubtless
both halls will be crowded.
Banquet at Old City Hall
= On Thursday evening the citizens Of Pitts
burg, with Hon. Fl. l. Gourley, the Mayor,
presiding, will tender banquet to the
members of the encampment. 1t will be in
Old City Hall, around which cluster SO
bellion. The Woman's Christian Temper
ance Alliance had engaged Old City Hall
for Thursday evening. EI-Adjutant Gen.
eral Hastings was to have delivered q
lecture on the Johnstown flood. Although
the ladies had already been put to consider.
able expense for printing and other things,
they had no sooner heard that the hall was
needed for the Grand Army than they re-
linuuished their claim. Their generosity
and courtesy will be rewarded when tho
lecture takes place. 1t was postponed till
the evening of March lS.
1t is hoped to have present at the banquet
some able speakers to respond to the toasts.
Among those invited to speak are Congress
men Dalzell and Stone, Colonel Stew
A. Montooth, and General P. $. Co
bin. The decorations in Old City
Hall will be very fine. They will be under
the direction of Mr.. Frank j. Terrence, Of
the Citizens Committee and Majo Lambert.
Plants, flags, bunting, ETC., will transform
the place into O bower of beauty. The menu
will be an exceptionally fine one. The tables
will be set longwise in the hall, with the ex-
ception of the speakers table. This will
probably be placed on the platform which
will afford a chance to all present to see and
hear.
Quarters for tho Visitors.
The Hotel Committee, Of which Comrade
o. NJ. Head Is the untirtng chairman, has
been busy for weeks providing accommoda-
tions in advance for those who made appli-
cation. This matter is we'll in hand, and all
have been provided for who have applied.
One of the features in connection with the
encampment will be an exemplifcation Of
the un written work Of the order. A proyis-
ional post will be organized for the purpose
with comrades from different parts of the
State. This will doubtless attract much at
tention from those who are desirous of per-
tecting themselves in this work. The exem-
pliflcaJion will in all probability take place
in Post 157's hall on Thursday evening.
Commander John d. Mcfarland of Post g.
in general orders directs the members to as
semble in the post hall in full G. A. r. uni
form, buff gloves; at o'clock Wednesday
morning. to escort the Department. Com
mander, his staff and the representatives to
the Opera House. He invites comrades Of
other posts to join Post on this occasion
He says further: ''The Commander specially
requests that every comrade report for duty;
that the full strength of the Post be pre-.
sented on this occasion, and demonstrate
our appreciation of the distinguished honor
conferred upon the Post. Notice has been
received that the Inspector and Assistant
Quarterinaster General of the Department.
of Pennsylvania, with a number OF repre-
sentatives from Philadelphia Posts to the
encampment. will be present at the next
meeting of this Post to witness the work of
the muster-in ceremony as performed by
the Post. Every member is expected to
attend"
The Executive Committee met at the Pen.
sion Office on Friday evening. Reports of
the subcommittee were heard and every.
thing was found to be IN the best Of shape.
A resolution was adopted requesting ali
business men to decorate their places OF
business during the encampment; also re-
questing every comrade of the Grand Army |
to display the national nag from his resi- |
dence during the encampment. This should !
and doubtless will receive hearty response |
from all the patriotically inclined and the |
present beautiful appearance. The mem
bers of the Executive Committee will meet |
in full uniform at the hall of Post |
;, Fourth avenue, at 9 o'clock Wednes-
Seventh Avenue Hotel. The committee will
meet at the Pension Office at 4 o'clock to-
morrow afternoon to put the finishing
touches on the arrangements.
A Very Unique G. A. r. Badge.
One of the most interesting things con- |
nected with the various encampments is the |
badge. Some unique designs are often |
turned out, but it can be confidently claimed |
that the Allegheny County Committee has !
outdone them all for the Twenty-sixth De- |
~ Dan
As much as the emblem will be appreciated |
by comrades in this section, it will be |