The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-12
A GRATIFYING SUCCESS.
The Campfire Vest erday Afterno and Night
Addressed by Commanders Weissert
and Kelly and Adult mt Generals
Cry and CImpbest

|
bell, assistant adjutant general of the de
partment Of Kansas, arrived in the city
yesterday morning at 7:30 o'clock, and
were met at the depot by a committee
from Garfield post. General Weissert did
not arrive till O'Clock, owing to delay.
At 10 O'Clock the visitors were driven
around the city, and all points of interest
visited, which the strangers appreciated
very much and praised very highly.
At l o'clock the veterans formed On
! First street, in front OF Garfield post
! headquarters. and headed bya band OF mar.
| tIai music marched TO the Carey hotel
| From the hotel the column acted as an
| escort to the visiting comrades and
marched to the opera house, where
! she campfire was held Seats had
| been reserved for ''the boys. y
and it was some little time
before all were seated and order was re-
| stored. The interior of the house and
stage were beautifully decorated with flags
and flowers. The handsome floral decora-
| tons were the handi-work of Mr.. c. A
Rose, the florist
AT O'Clock Shaw's orchestra opened the
exercises with medly of all the patriotic
! airs, and the cornet solo, Home, Sweet
Home" in this, by Jimmy Hobbs, was
very touching, and was loudly applauded.
Judge Campbell, as commander of Gar
field post, was master of ceremonies and
announced that Comrade Edwards. of l.
| \. King post, No. los, Augusta, would in.
woke the Divine blessing. After the ia
| vocation, Rev. j. W. Anderson, of the
Dodge Avenue NJ E. church, and a mem
Der OF Ansen Skinner camp of Sons of
Veterans of this city, was introduced and
| delivered the address of welcome. Mr..
Anderson said il gave him great pleasure
| to perform this service, but it made him
feel very humble, and he always felt like
bowling his head in the presence of men
who had accomplished SO much at the
expense OF everything which could make
the heart glad or home happy. He said
we met today under The old flag,
! to honor the men who went to battle, and
who had made our country glorious. He
was glad that "Old Glory" waved over an
undivided country, the embodiment of
greater principles Than any other, and
made more glorious by the men present
Some of the great powers had sneered at
our flag, but Won made it respected more
than any other flag that floats. I'VE not
only revere you as defenders of the repub-
! lie, but as men who made awful sacrifices,
| inspiring true zeal and true patriotism.
We propose, as sons of veterans to hold
you in perpetual remembrance and strew
| flowers over your graves. | felt, as
watched the noble men march by today,
that the old veterans will soon be gone, but
" J a ltua a.
maze the evening time OF your life as
peaceful and happy as possible. And now,
In the name of the sacred dead, in the
name of the great deeds you have per-
formed, l welcome you to this CITY,"
Assistant Adjutant General Campbell
was then introduced Comrade Campbell
is no stranger to Wichita audiences, and
he began by saying that he always liked to
come here. One reason for this, he said,
was-that Wichita never did things by
halves; she always pulled the throttle
wide open and ''let 'er go. Gallagher" He
spoke of the attention the comrades had
paid the visitors since their arrival, aud of
the decorations of the opera house
He said two things We're most prominent.
these flowers, the most beautiful manifes-
tations of nature. and the most beautiful
flag that ever kissed the breezes of
heaven" What Comrade Campbell said
was too good to attempt to do justice in
this report.
Jud e Campbell then said it gave him
great pleasure and satisfaction to intro
duce the adjutant general Of the Grand
Army of the Republic, Comrade L B.
Gray.
Mr. Gray said it was his first visit to
Wichita, and he complmented the city,
the people, and the large audience. He
portrayed the country as great and power
ful and wealthy, and said that for a hum
dred years the nation had been going up
ward and onward. And who could say
that we are going wrong? 4 voice i'll the
audience shouted, Jerry Simpson, and this
provoked great laughter. He inter
spersed his remarks with some splendid
anecdotes, and closed with beautiful
peroration, apostrophizing the little
bronze button. which only a privileged
few can wear.
The drum corps favored the audience
with some music, and the post comman-
der introduced man whom, be said, We
all knew and loved, Bernard Kelly.
Comrade Kelly said that three of the
happiest years of his life were spent in
Wichita. and that he would always love
her people. The address was fine, deliv.
cred in the speakers best mood, aud any
attempt 10 report it would prove "A failure.
The anecdotes and illustrations were happy
and to the point, all of them. Us pity
that every eX-soidier III Kansas could not
have heard It. His reference TO Senator
Plumb was loudly cheered He said that
no day was too cold, no night was too dark,
no sun too hot, to keep Preston Is. Plumb
from doing service for an cx-sol1ler. lie
said that he had never held office til nov.
but he sometimes thought he would like
10 be "A member of congress for a short time,
and when some of these giddy congress
men attacked the pension roll, he would
like just three quarters of an hour in
which to pay his respects TO them; after
that he would say: Now Lord. lettesc
Thou Thy servant depart in peace; my
mouth hath had It's salvation"
He ridiculed the idea OF men en-
listing for eleven dollars per month
and said when - 900 prisoners
were offered their freedom If they would
desert the flag, only twenty seven IN that
great number proved recreant, the balance
preierring to starve and rot and die. TO be- |
ing disloyal.
The boys would have listened to him an |
hour longer.
After music by the orchestra Comrade |
James McDermott of Winfield, made /
few remarks, and the afternoon exercises |
closed with "America, by the aud.ence, |
led by \. B. Campbell.
TIE EVENING MEETING.
The opera house looked very handsome /
at the evening meeting, its decorations OF I