The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-17
OFF FOR WASHINGTON.
COxey's Army Leaves Cumber-
land, Md. This Morning,
Bound Straight For the Ma
tiOnal Capital.
TO GATHER RECRUITS.
The Army Expected to Soon
Number Thousands.
Gen. Kelly Disappointed in Not
Getting a Train.

CUMBERLAND, Md April 17.-1ho army
of the Commonweal was astir by day
light preparing for its barge trip to Will
Transport. Footing John" White, the
bugler, shrieked the reveille from the
grand stand at the edge of the ball park
camp just as the sun was topping the
rugged mountains on the east of the
river.
The men rolled out of bed swee ping
down their apology for a tent and swiftly
bundling it with bedding into the wagons,
there was scant time for a perfunctory
washing before the line of march was
formed and the army plunged down into
the deep canon through which the pike
runs into Cumberland. The mists and
shadows still hung about the towering e
rock walls 800 feet above and through
the cold still air, the marchers sent echo
ing the strains of 'sThe battle hymn of
the Republic"
Through the Town.
Solemnity was changed to laughter as
the army made its way through the town
swapping rude jests with the crowd on
the sidewalks, where all the prominent
citizens of the town had turned out to
bid them godspeed. Both Carl Browne
and Coxey made short farewell addresses
from the canal bank before they started
down stream, thanking the people for
the kindness that had been shown the
army and promising to march back over
better roads than Cumberland had ever
seen, all of which was to be the result of
the bond issue bills the commonweal is
going to have passed by congress.
When the Potomac burst into view
there was something about the name of
this grand stream that thrilled every
man in the command, from the specta-
cled commander. who was sitting Ian
guidly in his carriage, to the veriest
scullion of the cooks tent. Even Browne
could not suppress his feelings. With a
yell which was quickly taken up by
every man in the command, the lieuten-
ant swung his old som brerO like a COW
boy in high jinks.
On the Grand Potomac.
The Potomac has seen an army or two
during its interesting career, but it is
doubtful if its slOping banks and foam
f1icked pools ever beheld such a column
of human beings as they did today. Ap-
parontfy approaching its helplessness
like the country through which the cru
sadeirs have passed, but hospita BILE withal.
its swirling eddies and rambling cata-
racts seemed to sing invitation to the
marchers to wash themselves. But they
didn't. They marched along with all the
alluvial accretions that are possible to be
acquired in a three weeks tramp from
Ohio to Maryland, wholly unmindful of
the noble and almost pleading river and
resOlutely pushing forward toward the
big white capitol dome which towers
above the stream farther to the east
ward
There is now every reason to believe
that Commander Coxey's army will as
sumo serious proportions soon after it
leaves Cumberland. Eighty men who
havo been camped here for over a week
waiting for the column to appear will
fall into the ranks, and the police de-
partment has information that 800 COM
monwealers are in camp at Hancock and
1000 more at Oldtown.
To Mobilize at Frederick.
The desperate efforts being made by
the commands in the west to reach the
capital by May 1, indicate that there is a
mysterious and significant scheme on
foot to mobilize somewhere near Fred
erick.