Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-25
VIEW OF THE ARMY
Another Citiz ems Observations
OF ke'ly's Following.
A HARD CROWD COMING THIS WAY.

The Crusaders of the Nineteenth Century
are a Pack OF Tramps, Not mt All TO he
wcicomed-win They Reach Rock ISL
and:
THE ARGUS recently published the
observations and Impressions sof a
corr espOndent who had seen Kclly's
army OF trampers in the far west,
which were altogether favorable to
the modern crusaders. Nj. b. Hen
bricks, n well known travelling man.
has formed n different estimate of
them. which is interesting in view OF
the army's advance in this direction.
Mr.. Hendricks saws:
u came down to Dubuque last Sat-
urdav on business, but found when |
arrived there that it would be some
days before l could do my work there
and as much to fill up the time. as
ANYTHING. | concluded to 90 out and
see for myself the material of which
! Kelly's army is made. | took the
Milwaukee road and vert To a point
where was notified that the train
would go no further towards Council
Bluffs. There l left the train and
accepted the invitation of the super
intcndent to 90 down the line and
view the nondcscripts.
The first evidence of the army
that l saw was hand car upon
which were the representatives of
the Chicago and Omaha papers.
They were fortunate in stealing so
much of the train. AS rule they
are obliged to walk. and this alone
may account for some OF the colorinr
against the railroads. The physical
need Of a freight train is as great
with the reporter as it is with the
sccdiest soldier in the ranks.
when | arrived at Nicola | hired
n rig and drove out to meet them.
When we did meet them we drove by
the crowd and then turned around
and fell into The procession. Al ter
going Il short distance the army
halted and divided for a rest on the
roadside and | drove through be-
tween the divisions. having an ex-
cellent opportunity to inspect the
whole crowd. | then sent my horse
and buggy home, Joined the army
and marched into Nicola with them.
What was your object in going
to so much trouble?" asked the re-
porter.
simply to satisfy my desire to see
who and what these men are"
Were you successful" he was
asked.
Mostly'Tramps.
YES. satisfied myself that the
q. bulk Of the crowd were tramps pure
and simple, and hard lot. fur
Their satisfied myself that the people
feared more than they sympathized
with these men and are taking Iust
the course to aggravate the wrong.
! The people, not the soldiers. hung
Hubbard in eiligy. They also met
the army ut Nicola with bands. busses
and banners, and demonstrated their
fear by eXuberance of the honors he
! slowed"
What effect will the action of the
people have?" he was asked.
Upon that and that alone depends
the size of the army when ii reaches
the Mississippi. Ii they are treated
ut all places rs they We're at Nicola
there will he 5000 in line at the
river. II their bare necessities were
only met the army would scatter in n
week.
Mr.. Hendricks says that Kelly is
an a@itator by profession and n cheap
one ut that. He has been identified
with the Salvation army and several
other organizations. and eventually
will he the greatest and perhaps the
only gamer from the foolishness now
being INDUCED in.