The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-31
THE ooxEYITEs IN mlcHIaAs.
How the Remnant of the Seattle Army
Beat TheIr Way.


Saturday evening July Z, the Industrial
Army which started from Seattle April 20
boarded the steamer r. G. Stewart at Du-
luth for trip over the Great
Lakes, with General Jeffries in COM
nand. The DuIuth;trades councils contri-
bzted 500 for transportation and the
Army paid the remainder, $500 which had
been donated By the miners at Anaconda
and forwarded TO the Army at Minneapo-
lis. The Army had dwindIed down TO
about 200 men, most OF whom were re-
cruited in Minneapolis and Duluth. there
Seattle with the Army.
The trip from Duluth to Marquette,
Mich, was made Ia twenty-eight hours
without incident. The provisions ran out
at Houghton and stop of fifteen minutes
was made to buy more bread and coffee.
Wills the commIssary general was up
town buying food Gen. Jeffries addressed
the crowd on the wharf, and s25 worth of
song books were sold.
The steamer arrived at Marquette at
II Is a. m, July 9, and the soldiers quietly
debarked and proceeded down to an
abandoned mill, where they camped for
the night. and when the people of Mar
quette awoke next morning they found
200 hungry Coxeyites in town. The army
spent the day at this quaint little city,
holding grand msss-meeting in the even
ing, at whish Gen. Jeffries, BRIG. Gen.
Shoals and Col. Ross spoke. A collection
OF $40 was taken mp. and $27 worth of song
books were sold. The chief of police came
up 60 the Stand at 10 o'clock and told Gen.
Jeffries that they did not have any pas
senger coaches. but If nice, clean box cars
would do the city would furnish train at
IL o'clock to take the unlimited guests out
of town and speed them toward Washing
ton City. This offer was accepted and the
army was again on the move promptly at
II o'clock.
The next stop was made at the city of
Mackinaw, on the straits of that name, the
train arriving at about IL o'clock the next
morning. Here the troops spent the rest
of the day cooking and eating.
At 1880 p. m. the army was again on the
move, walking eighteen miles south to
Chepoygan, arriving there at O'Clock in
the morning, wet through and through,
the sorriest looking lot of unfortunates
ever seen. Mayor McMullen met the men
as they came in and told them that he
would send them down breakfast in the
morning. The men crowded into empty
box cars in the freight yard. Early next
morning the freight yard presented a
queer appearance. Groups of mud
bedraggled men were cooking breakfast
around about dozen camp fires; some
were drying their clothes, some shaving
and some mending their garments. The
mayor did his utmost TO secure transport
tation TO Bay City for the army, but after
three days conference with the railway
and steam boat officials gave up in despair
and told the soldiers he would give them
500 If they would walk out of the county.
But the boys told him their feet were
sore and they could not walk, but
that for 500 they would furnish
transportation. A bargain was soon
struck and in about an hour the army, I'M
der command of Brig. Gen. Shoals.
marched up TO Supt. Martin, who was
quietly smoking in his private car, and
ordered him 10 direct his engineer to
make up train of empty box cars and
pull out for Bay City. The superintend-
ent begged the question. but when told
that be would be locked in his private car
and pulled at the end of the train at the
rate of eighty miles an hour With Coxey-
lite engineer he gave M, telling the boys
that freight tram would arrive from the
north in Eve minutes, which they could
take and begged TO be allowed TO furnish
the train crew. This arrangement suited
The men. and at 80 the Coxey special
pulled ont OF Cheboygan for Bay City, $50
mles away. Nearly every resident in the
tity wAs az the depot to see the army
lsavs. and cheer after cheer rang out SIS
ths train steamed out Of the city, and the
Coxsyites are stu wondering whether il
vas because they were glad to get rid of
them OF whether they were sympathizsrs
with them that the cheers were given.