The Republican., 1894-04-19
EVANSVILLE ALL o. X.
The COmmonWeal Army Well
Treated in the Little Mountain
Village.

monwealth Army across Mason and |
Dixon's line into Maryland and |
into this quaint village, fourteen |
miles nearer Washington. Camp
U. S. Grant was pitched IN a field |
Just outside of town. 1t was
the centre of attraction for all the
people Of this section of the country.
The army's departure from Addison
was not attended with any partlcu-
lar excitement. But few saw the
early start that was made.
Hard tack had been distributed,
and as the men marched they
munched and drank. For the
first time in q week the weather was
fine. Progress was slow, however,
owing to the condition of the
draught horses, several of which
were about exhausted.
Two miles out Of town a white
mile stone by the roadside marked
the border line between Pennsylva-
mia and Maryland, the famous
Mason and Dixon line of history.
There the army halted. Led by
the band it sung "Maryland, My
Maryland" in rousing style. The
halt was brief. Before the army
lay the steep sides of Kiser's ridge,
1850 feet high. and the highest
point in Maryland. The three
miles ascent took two hours, as one
of the horses tagged out and had to
be left in charge Of two men. Mar
shall Browne was dlsmounted and
his handsome grey stallion put to
work.
The command was halted for
lunch at the bridge over Pusley's s
run, at the foot Of Negro mountain.
From that time until GrantsviIle
was reached the men marched
slowly. AS the place of encamp-
ment was reached the men scattered
over the wide hollow given them
for quarters and soon had a dozen
fires lit among the rocks. The men
were presented with a lot of army
canteens by Captain Beecher, Of
this place.
Nothing ever occurs to disturb
the quiet of Grantsyille, so that
when the Coxey army came along
one day hehlnd schedule time, hav-
ing been delayed one day at Union
town by the snow storm, everybody,
from the demur old maiden to the
little boy, was out to see the show.
People from Meyersdale, Mechan-
icsburg and Salisbury came, some
on foot, some on horseback and
some IN wagons. About 9 o'clock the
the advance guard, consisting four
teen newspaper men, four telegraph
operators, Gen Coxey's son and
some one they called manager,
arrived in town and put up at the
National hotel, People in great
numbers lined the streets, remind
ing us of an old fashioned circus
day. The saloons closed their doors
in the afternoon and the large and
excited crowd were quiet and
orderly.
The streets were lined all day
with hobos that belonged to Coxey's s
band and travelled in advance or
what is more likely, regular t1amps
who would not submit to the hard
ships and discipline enforced by
Coxey's lieutenants.
About 4 O'Clock the army of the
commonweal, 225 strong, in charge
of Smith, the great unknown, with
their banners and an apology for a
brass band arrived and camped for
the night in an old distillerY west
of town.
At night they built campfire
in front of the hotel, where Carl
Browne spoke for about two hours
and half. After his TRADE against
the old parties and Cleyeland and
John Sherman in particular, he
passed the hat for a contribution,
the amount of which was not made
known.
The army left on Saturday morn
ing at 9 o'clock for Frostburg.
Their parade through town made
very favorable impression and many
persons were heard to say "those
people have been misrepresented. ="
They were about as quiet and
orderly as any other body of men of
like number would have been. In
deed it was the wonder of everyone
how body of men could be con-
trolled and handled as they were
where the officers had no means of
enforcing their orders except their
personal influence.
Poor deluded creatures, laughed
at and almost ostracised, having no
definite object in view, they tramp
through snow and mud and rain,
sleep on the ground or shiver by
their smouldering camp fires, live
on what they can get and wear what
they have, expecting to get to
Washington and liye off of the
IgI, N,1 I