The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-06-15
Spckane Suuenders Without the
Firing Of Cur.
THE COMMANDER IN THE CITY
Surprised the Old Soldiers by Dropping
in Prom the East Last
Night.


Army of the Republic arrived in the
city yesterday in anticipation of the
annual encampment of the veterans.
There are $50 delegates now in the city.
Nearly all of them are from towns in
eastern Washington. The Northern Pa
cific at 1850 and the Great Northern at
a. m. will bring in $50 more, and 100
are expected to come in wagons over
land in parties of from to 20. There
will be the usual rear guard this after
noon and evening. although the sessions
of the various bodies begin this fore
noon.
COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
Commander in Chief Thomas G.. Law
Ter of Rockford, ILL.,, surprised the old
soldiers by dropping in on them in
formally last night He has been look
ing over the department of Montana,
and is scheduled to review the depart
ment of Idaho at Occur d'Alene City
today. He will leave at $40 a. m. for
that point, returning at z o'clock this
evening. The reception to the COM
mander in chief will be in order Thurs
day, as was arranged for. General Law
Ter is accompanied by Cassius G. Jones,
adjutant general of the Grand Army,
Colonel George A. Scale, his aide de
camp, and r. e. Fiske, commander
of the department of Montana, who
came from Helena to escort the party
from the Montana department to this
state. Mrs. Emma r. Wallace of Chi
cago, ILL.,, national president of the Wo-
mans Relief Corps accompanies the
party. The national officers will leave
| Spokane Friday for Oregon City, Or,
to visit the encampment of the depart
ment of Oregon, and will proceed from
thence to California and Utah. and may
possibly take in Arizona before con-
Guiding the seasons tour.
Commander Lawler was entertained
informally last evening at the Grand
Army headquarters in the Hotel Spo-
kane. He found the place alone and
it was some time before the veterans
now here learned of his unexpected
presence in their midst. Then they
focked in to meet him and until mid
night the levee continued without in
corruption.
The commander in chief is a distin-
guished soldier in appearance. He is a
broad shouldered, dark-haired man of
60 He chatted pleasantly with the old
soldiers he met, and to reporter ex-
pressed himself as well pleased with
the result of his observations while on
his tour.
IT have visited go departments since
January, when they began to meet"
he said. THE national organization
has 100000 members in good standing.
Including the suspended members there
are over 100000. There never was time
when better feeling prevailed, when
there was more patriotism manifested
by the members, when more interest
was taken in the old soldier by the
What will be the chief subjects of
discussion at the next national encamp-
ment at Louisville?" he was asked.
ut is too early for me to say. or
course, I am collecting data as L go
around, but it would not be advisable
for me to discuss the question at pres
emit"
SHE IS A SOLDIER, TOO.
Mrs. Wallace. the national president
of the Relief Corps, is the wife of Judge
Wallace of Chicago. She is every inch
soldier, too. When Judge Wallace
was colonel in the Illinois volunteers
she was at his side, and her first child
was born under the guns before Nash
vile. Tenn. The organization of which
! she is the head, has, in round numbers,
100000 members. 1t has charge of the
charitable work of the Grand Army of
the Republic, and teaches lessons of
loyalty and patriotism.
Adjutant General Jones - Cash
Jones" he is called by his old comrades
is a prominent man in Illinois. He
was supervisor of the 18th census in
that state in 1890, and more recently
held the position of state bank exam
liner. Now, however, he devotes his
whole time to the work of the Grand
Army, and he has his hands full, too
Commander Fiske of the department
of Montana is a veteran newspaper
man, being the editor and one of three
brothers who are the proprietors of the
Helena Herald. The present owners
founded the paper q years ago, and II
has continued without change ever
since. 1t is the oldest paper in Mon
tana, and was the first republican pa
per in the territory.
; THE department has ZOO members, d
Commander Fiske told the Spokesman
Review last night. There are % posts
IL Of which have relief corps There
are about 1000 veterans in the state in
: all The department is holding it's own
! in good shape"
Commander Fiske presided at a nam
moth campfire at Helena Monday
There were prominent Grand Army mer
from all over the state present to meet
the commander in chief and his com
: panions. The ladies prepared a memoir
! able feast for the occasion.
ARE WELCOMING THE VISITORS
Some of the Veterans Who Arrived Dur