Evening star., 1894-03-26
COXEY'S ARMY CAMPS
Arrival Of the Soldiers of Peace at
Canton, Ohio.
THE GENERAL SLEEPS IN A HOTEL BED
His Followers Crouch Under Tents
and Blankets.
A FEW MORETHAN A HUNDRED

birth there were just 122 people, on foot,
in wagons or on horseback.
The national colors were carried at the
head of the column by a colored fellow
named Sam johnson of Massillon, we'll
known for his mortal fear of work. Carl
Browne came next, mounted on a splendid
white horse weighing nearly 1000 pounds
He wore high top boots, corduroy trousers
buckskin jacket, a fur overcoat and a
very large sombrero. DOC" Kirkland of
Pittsburg was close behind with two aids
Then came Citizen Coxey in his phaeton,
colored coachman driving a spirited team
Mrs. Coxey, her little son, Legal Tender,
and her sister, Miss Jones, drove next to
Coxey to the first stop, and there left the
column. A light running gear bearing a
speakers platform was next 1t also &C
commodated Carl Brownies panorama IL
Illustrating his harangue against the ma
tonal banking system the monster Of
the age.
The Great Unknown.
Lew Smith, the great unknown" headed
the section of footmen. He is the fellow
who made such an incendiary speech on
Massillon streets that he was not allowed
to speak the second time. People in the
crowd the first time he spoke thought he
was Fielden, the Chicago anarchist, and so
announced. He replied: Il am the great
! unknown, and must remain So" He is
handsome, commanding and well dressed,
and maintains good discipline Seventy
four footmen followed They were a sorry
looking lot, ana Ii not regulation tramps
tney belle their appearance. OF course a
few OF them had the appearance of good
cltzens, but they were almost lost in the
crowd.
Ten men mounted on good horses were
much better looking lot. A covered wa
gon accommodated the band OF fourteen
members. Two wagons accommodated the
tent ana commisSary, an ordinary farm wa
gon loaded with horse feed brought up the
rear
The first stop was made at Reedurban
ana here, according to the ScripturaI idea
which Browne introduces wherever possi-
/ bic, there was feast of loaves and nshes
! rye bread. canned salmon and oiled sar-
dimes After an hours rest the order to
fail in was given. There were some recruits
| by this time, a dozen more horsemen and
probably loo marched through the city TO
Camp Lexington, just outside of Canton.
where the night was spent.
The Sentiment of the Banners.
In spite Of the snow storm raging during
the whole march the line was thronged
with people, and as the army passed il was
I cheered or jeered, according to the senti-
ments of the groups passed. 1t required
/ good deal Of fortitude to march through the
! storm, and through the crowd, too. Ban
ners were numerous in the linz. sad many
pore Scrlptural quotations. Secas Senounc-
/ ed banks, others the governmoNe.Gssd some
! abused Congress.
/ Christ is our leader headed the process
sion, ana the man carrying il swore like
trooper when his fingers got cold Thirty
! two verses of the Bible prove Christ a
Theosophist' was emblaZoned on another
banner, while another read. We working
men want work, not charity" Others read:
| God is not the God of the dead but of the
/ lfvfrg; Understanding bonds feed on
rothing but gold and honest labor" The
Blngdom OF heaven on earth (as in the
Lords Prayer is at hand" "Coxey's good
roads plan;" Banks of issue must be sup
pressed and the circulating medium restored
| to the general government" Banks sf
| issue are more dangerous to liberty thar
standing armies The Jeffersonian rein
carnation OF Christi" For the Coxey plan
| the former factory slaves, all kinds of la
bor railroad employees. millmen;'' The
! body, heart, arms, hands, legs of the REIN
carnation of Christ"
Under a crayon portrait of Coxey was
j. 5. CoXey, the Cerebrum of the Common
veal Browne was labeled the "Cerebei-
lum of the CommonweaL"
At the Camp Grounds.
When the camp grounds were reached the
men set to work like old-t time circus hands.
and in a thoroughly systematic plan soon
arranged the camp for the night. Only two
/ tents were pitched One is a round circus
| son by Wetler's circus, a Massillon enter
/ prise that is not coming out this season be-
cause of the hard times. The other is a
square tent, used as headquarters. 1t is
embellished with some of Brownies handi-
work as an artist The entrance motto
reads:
"ObJect-To go to Washington and hold a
meeting on the steps of the nations Capt.
| tol May /, to petition Congress to pass
CoXey's bills giving work to the honest un-
| employed"
Both sides of the tent flaps are inscribed:
| Headquarters j. s. Coxey, Good Roads
Association Of the United States. on to
Washington"
! On the rear of the tent is one of Brownies
original cartoons. 1t represents an octopus
the limbs of which represent national bank
monopoles, &c, crushing the life out OF the
people. Under IL is a very lean hen, labeled
! THE People," and very fat one marked
/ THE Banking System" The poor one is
scratching worms and the fat one is eating
them. one OF the commissary wagons is in
scribed, Sell what you have and give it TO
the poor"
When the grounds were in order in an
| iron kettle hung on an improviBed crane
conee was made and the warriors sum
! moned to supper. The great unknown"
was still in command, and his sharp. shrill
voice informed them that all who lid not
answer promptly would not get a bite. Sew
| eral fellows made a heavy raid on the bread
/ basket but his quick eye caught them and
/ they were obliged to return al but one loaf.
The unknown's" command of the commits
! sary is just as strict as his command of the
/ line. The rations were Issued to groups
I which were called by numbers. Five men
constituted a group, and as soon as five en-
/ list they elect a group marshal When the
/ forces swell. other divisions, such as COM
munes, cantons and divisions, are TO be or
ganized.
There was not much variety to the sup
per, but there was plenty Of Il, such as IL
was, and little nothing was left for
| breakfast, but local populists and prohi-
| bitionists agreed to furnish breakfast some
| of them saying their wives would 20 to
camp TO prepare IL. The camp grounds
were surrounded by ropes and none but
warriors admitted.
The stiff wind and light fall of snow pre-
vailing when the army reached camp soon
! ripened into a full-fedged sno xstorrn and
1 the ground was covered with snow The
| thermometer dropped to % degrees above
zero 1t was a bad night to be out and
! those who have the fortitude to remain in
camp can be counted to stay with the army
/ till IL reaches its destination, II they don't
desert before breakfast In the morning
Not one IN ten of the men had blankets
and but few OF them overcoats. Fifty-two
| of the fellows went to police headquarters
| and were given lodging in the city prison,
| and others dragged burning logs into the
| big tent. In those who applied at the city
prison officers recognized many vko had