The Indianapolis journal., 1893-09-06


and those men" and be broke his SEN
teuce IN the middle to yell at big hica
post
The women were apathetio at first. but
as they began TO see fgmiliar faces In the
marching ranks they too "enthused."
They waved handkeuchiefs and flags
gloves and fans. and. though they could
see perfectly well sitting so admirably
were the seats raised, they actually got up
on their chairs ana cheered with the rest
az the bent and gray haired vets. "A
sight like this always N axes my heart
ache,' SAID one little woman in rusty
black. II saw so much of it during the
war. The first calls toDk all our BOYS and
Young men. and when the later calls came
our old men had TO 60. NV father went
out "a. he was too old and he was not
able ply sicslly. but they were not 30 care
ful then as they were earlier In the war
and took blm. lt seemed 90 hard TO
SEQ the old men go. had given up my
husband end an only brother, but the
country needed father. too. NV trother
and husband were killeti at Perryy,lls and
father fell before Petersburg Just when hs
was almost ready 10 come home. II seemed
very hard. but they saved the flag and nv
children have an hoDored father 10 re-
member. and that 10 every thing" As she
furtIvely wiped away tear and the peo-
pie who had been listening to her fonnd
the sun suddenly making their eyes water.
she leaned forward eagerly and, laying her
band on the arm of stslwart man, said
gently: "Son. there some of your fathers
comrades" They were Illinois boys.
The different emblems carried puzzled
some of the onlookers dreadfuily They
knew that the grasshopper and sunfiower
belonged TO Kansas. and the pine tree to
Maine. but they could not see the sIgnifi.
cance of the cotton ball canes of Mlssis-
slpDi. or the sheaves of wheat carried by
the Dakota comrades The Texas Steers
horns were plainly enough understood.
One very young lady hazarded the opinion
that the colofed boys who carried the cot
ton were cotton pickers and were sim
ply advertising their trade. lady
very much wanted the steers horne be-
cause she could place them above her draw
ing-room doors and they would make such
q unique drsprry holder.
Very few understood the why of the eagle
carried by the brave Wisconsin boys. Yet
1t Is little more than quarter of q century
since "Old Abe" was as much talked abOut
as sherman or Grant. lie was only a young
eaglet when the Wisconsin boys were on
their way tO the front. and was owned by
an Indian. He broke his string and circling
In the air lighted upon the flagstaff of the
Wisconsin boys, and refused with angry
screams to be displaced. They bought him
and carried him through the war. His
pictures on colored cardboard brought the
Sanitary Commission some $50 0O0 and IL
was sold by every school child in the land
TO raise funds for the commission. Old
Abe was suffocated by fire III the Wisconsin
StRtehouse Few years ago, but the vet
ersns bad HIM stuffed. and he accom- panies
them Of old.
Ono thing that greatly pleased every.
body was the fact that the bands all played
patriotic airs There was no After the
Ball. or McGinty. or Annie Rooney, and
the classic composers were let severely
alone. What the boys like best are the old
familiar airs like "Annie Laurie." "AuId
Lang Syne." and the patriotic melodies.
These put life into the steps W hen they be-
gsO TO lag and light again the fires of pa
triotIsm. The fife and drum corps were
particularly noticed. because SO many OF
the players were little bits of boys and
girls. The Colorado Drum Corps came In
for double dose of enthusiasm.
"Hurrah for Mckinley" one Ohio veteran
said. as he lifted his siouoh hat TO the
ladies on the reviewing stand. "Hurrah
for HARRISON" called q second, and the
cheers were given with q will. "Hurrah
for Hoke Smith" called n grim.visaged
party in civillIan's clothes and minus
badges OF insignia. who sat in the front
part OF the stand. The storm Of hissss
sounded like the steam eeoape from q big
MoRui engine. The "sot" upon party
snesked away soon after. the surroundings
seemed uncongenial.
When q colored poet passed. sin giny lus-
tily. "We'll hang Hoke Smith to a sour
apple tree" tho crowd took it up and
helped them out with a hearty good will.