The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-30
THEY ARE MARCHING
coxEVs coMMoNweAL ARMY HAS
STARTED.

Hundreds Watch Their Departure From
MsSsillon. -The Hobos In the Party rs
Frolicsome as Boys--The Crusaders Sleep
ON Pallets OF straw Under a Large Cir
Gus Tent.
CANTON. O., March 26.-In the face
OF sharp, cold wind that brought
shivers to the frames of well clad peo-
pie, Coxey's army marched eight miles
Sunday ON the road to Washington.
There were few less than 100 of them.
Not to exceed dozen had overcoats or
gloves. They had slept Saturday night
on pallets of straw in the air and
cherries circus tent, and they were
greeted in the morning by the dis
agreeable discovery that no detailed
arrangements had been made for feed
ing them. Several hundred persons
watched their departure from Massillon.
About 5000 persons assembled at the
temporary camp at Reedurban and
host greeted the crusaders at Canton.
The Massillon camp on the Tusca-
rawas presented an odd sight early
Sunday morning. No fire was permit
ted in the big tent. but there was heap
of blazing logs outside. Every few
moments the flaps of the tent were
parted by soldiery OF the commonweal
who visited the FIRE to drive away the
chills. Soon he would hurry back to
burrow in the straw for a nap and
others would take his place.
The hobos in the party became known
just before breakfast. They had soap.
Some of them washed at the river brink
and others carried water in pans and
heated it over the fire. They burned
straw and frolicked about like troop
of boys A bugle call to breakfast
brought them together at the tent with
a rush. The bill of fare comprised
bread. coffee and raw meat The latter
was affixed to the end of pointed sticks
and roasted over the fire. One group
of five ran away in body after break
fast and boarded a passing freight
train. Thirty commonweaiers spent
the night as dodgers at the Massilon po-
lice station. They comprised two en-
tire groups who could not be found
when they were needed for picket duty.
They were OH hand for breakfast.
AT s o'clock Marshal Louise Smith,
otherwise the unknown, summoned the
men to camp together and they were
found to number II groups. They were
organized into commune. Smith
drilled them on the meadows for half
an hour. He has added several formal
tiles of military discipline to the rules
of the cOmmonweal One of them is
the plan of having them march in files
of two and more surprising innova-
tion is the adoption of military salutes.
The IL groups consolidated are called
the Chicago commune. Two hours be-
fore the time for departure the tents
were pulled down and preparations
made for the trip. Outsiders were di-
rected to leave the field and await the
commonweal on the main streets of the
town. Camp wagons and saddle horses
were brought in from Coxiana and the
soldiers had busy time of it.
LOUISVILLE. o.. March 27.--But 70 of
Coxey's commonwealers had the cour-
age to march away from Canton in the
face of hewintry blast that was blowing
at the time set for the start. The band
deserted at that point. also, and that
took much of the spirit out of the sol
diers. The march from Canton to this
place through two inches of snow and
in a temperature 20 degrees above zero
was anything but pleasant experience
for the thinlv clad wanderers who had
imagined that the entire trip to Wash
ington would be sort of spripgtime
frolic.
ALLIANCE, o.. March 2S.-Twelve
miles of the longest free lunch route on
record was mapped out for the Coxey
caravan Tuesday. January weather
was also on the program, but the sym
pathy of people along the line of march
is making it possible for the men to
progress without any particular hard.
ship. They were cheered before their
start by sausage. ham. dry bread and
black coffee. Soap is still among the
things invisible and there is no danger
that anybody is going TO mistake this
for turnout of plutocrats. Only the
hobo contingent are provided with
soap and they are not particular about
using it. All luxuries are, carefully
treasured.
The army arrived in Alliance foot
sore and weary and at once set out upon
begging expedition. Toes have be-
gun to peep from shoes that have yield
ed TO the hard service Of the march and
the lack of clothes is severely felt.
Clothing and other supplies were asked
for. but little was obtained No din
ner, and only cheese, bread. potatoes
and black coffee on the evening bill of
fare has caused much grumbling and