The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-09-10

The 3oth National Encampment,
GAR, is now thing of the past. and
an event upon which every veteran can
look with unmingled pride and salts
faction.
Everything passed off in the happi-
est manner. The attendance was much
larger than anybody had expected.
The distance that the majority OF the
comrades would have to travel, the hard
times, and the refusal of the railroads
to grant stop-over privileges. were all
deterrents to the attendance, but in spite
of these the throng of veterans and
their families who gathered within the
hospitable gates of St. Paul was sur
prisingly large.
All heartily enjoyed themselves The
journey of the Eastern comrades to the
Northwestern metropolis was one long,
delightful amazement. Much as they
had heard of the greatness of their
country, and the richness of the Interior,
they had never really understood what
this meant. They were not prepared
for a trip of 1000 miles, after they
crossed the Alleghanies, through the
absolutely richest agricultural country
upon which the sun smiles. They
could not conceive Of cornields as large
as some European States, and hundreds
of miles of these; of wheatfelds as big
as German or Italian dukedom, and
hundreds of miles of these, all rioting
in an abundance of harvest that the
seven fat years of Pharaoh's reign
could not surrass. They could not I'M
agine riding for hours on flying train
over plains as level as floor, with the
coil as black, as fine, and as fruitful
as that of the best-kept gardens they
ever saw; of going to bed dazed with
the monotony of boundless fertility, and
waking in the morning to find their
train still speeding through limitless
stretches of the same fruitful land.
After leaving the opulent East they saw
1000 miles of the opulent Interior,
with its beautiful towns its thriving
cities, its trim. well-kept farms, Its sub
stantial, comfortable homes, showing In
dustry, thrift, happiness and prosperity
in every detail and surrounding, and
then they were told that this was only
part-they had only begun to see what
really constituted the great country for
which they had fought, and that this
was part of what they had achieved by
their victory over rebellion. Every
veterans heart swelled with thanksgiv-
ing and pride.
The proceedings of the National En-
campment were eminently satisfactory.
There was spirited rivalry for the high
honor of election as COMMANDMENTS
Chief, among the friends of four COM
rades, each of whom was well deserving
of the place. But the decision of the
majority was instantly and heartily
acauiesced in, and all Wed with one
another in doing honor to the choice Of
the Encampment All the other officers
elected were equally creditable to the
Order, and we can take q just pride in
every one of them as a representative
soldier, high-class citizen, and true
comrade.
Upon all the questions that came be-
fore it the National Encampment took
high ground, and its utterances were
unequivocal, and on lofty plane. Moth
ing more could have been desired.
The 30th National Encampment has
done very much to strengthen and build
up our noble Order, and promote its
greater usefulness in the future.