The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-15
ANDY FELT WARNS THEM
He and Others Make Red Hot Speeches at
the Veterans Campfire.

the Veterans Campfire.
The campfire at Hamilton hall last
night was sort of an overflow affair for
the inaugural ball Those who couldn't
dance or did not care to, attended the
campfire and there were enough of them
to fill the big hall to overlooking.
The hall had changed its dress some
what, for the occasion and the long strips
of red and blue cloth which were hung
from corner to corner when the Repub-
lican convention met last summer, had
been taken down and festooned around
the electric light in the center of the
hall.
Department Commander w. P. Camp
bell of the G. A. R., had charge of the
ceremonies.
The great crowd waited a half hour
over time for the Modoc5 but they did
not come until later, so W. S. Murray,the
department chaplain of the G. A r.
started the ball a-rolling with prayer
which called forth many responsive
"Amens."
Then Ed H Madison, who presides
over the destinies of the Sons of Veterans
in Kansas, was introduced. He Is
Dodge City lawyer and good talker.
He said much that was complimentary
about the old soldiers and then excused
his lack of Information on army subjects
| by saying:
"FOr reasons more or less obvious to
! you, | can not recount stories of army
life" The audience laughed. the
! people are building monument to the
| old soldiers which shall endure forever"
| said he. ut is in the hearts of the peo-
pie" Judge ]. V. Beekman of Arkansas
| City then spoke eloquently.
w. II. Mcbride SAID that he was from
Ohio and that Ohio people never run for
Office
a few stragglers from the Modocs had
| wandered in by this time and o. w. Fox
led them in singing "Marehing Through
Georgia with the audience joining in
the chorus AS the last sound of the
voices OF the thousand singers died away
Jackson's band struck up "The Star
Spangled Banner" and followed it up
with half dozen other patriotic airs
o. c. Hill, whom Gov. Morrill, has
selected to draw the salary of executive
clerk, here appeared III his official capac-
ity and announced that Gov. Morrill, was
| too i'll to be present.
a. j. Felt, of Atchison, is a good speak
er, and every one who heard him last
night will say so. He has a faculty of
saying exceedingly warm things. espe-
| cially at a campfire, and Congressman
! Calderhead says that he warns the at
mosphera for twenty feet around when
he talks. 1t is also said that the reason
why Gov. Felt's words are SO warm is
because he eats mustard on his custard
pie.
''We are not here" he said, "to have
anything to do with the. anmosities of
the past, but to prevent animosities of the
present We want it fixed so that it will
be impossible for any man to play Hockey
with the boys. Applause.
"Some people talk about anarchists
and l was told one time that there were
5O0,O 900 here, but l am not afraid of them
Why, if they would give a few of the OLD
soldiers-only the gray haired or bald
headed ones like Barney Kelly or Lew
Hanback-Orders to tend to those fell
lows, and they would send them to = il
fifteen minutes"
John S. Langston, the only Topeka mar
who was allowed to talk, recited two
regulation camp tire poems.
Congressman W. A. Calderhead of the
Fifth district, whose bearing is purely
military, then told stories of army life
He is an old soldier and can talk ''arIny'
such as old soldiers never tire of listen
ing to. His most impressive statemen
was:
do you know that beautiful monu
ment marks the resting place of Rober
| E. Lee? but where is the monumen
which marks the resting place of Ulyssei
S. Grant? An elegant statue stands u
the tomb Of Jefferson Davis, but where
is the statue for Gen. George H Thomas
A stone marks the place where Stonewal
Jacksoe fell and where he sleeps, bu
another Virginian who saved state t,
the union, hero of many hard Tough
battles, died at Hagerstown, Md, tw'
years ago pauper. 1 allude to Gen. B
F. Kelley"
The Modocs sang again and tn,
audience frightened up.
Comrade Lew Hanback, was introduced
and spoke few words.
Miss Jessie Johnson of Salina recitec
1.-The Whistling Regiment in an excel
lent manner
D. Stewart Elliott of CoffeyvilIe spok'
briefly, as it was growing late.
John a. Bright closed the camp fir'
with the song, "Throw Out the Lii
Line" which, as every body knows, i
Mr. Bright's crack song and obody il
Kansas can beat him singing it.