Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-19
MAINE VETERANS
Capture and Safely Hold the
Queen City Of Bangor.
State G. A. R. Encampment Opened
Commander Walker Present.
Department Commander treen and Other
Officers Responsibilities Relief.

bahgor, FcD. Is. - Special THE 2Jtl
annual session Of the Maine Graud Arm,
opened, this afternoon. at City hall Th
(interior Of the audience room was sppro
priately decorated for the meeting ant
many veterans were present to hear tn,
reading Of the reports. 1t is estimate,
| that over 500 veterans are here to atten'
| the encampment The hotels are al
overlooking with guest, and Bangor pee
| pie are entertaining many Of ne com
radcs al their homes Commander in
| Chiei Walker arrived in the city. Tuesda,
| morning and saw was met at Nc stat ion
| by Past Commander Anderson 81 Gray
Col. Millctt OF G0rham, :.nd Murray p
Watson Of Auburn He was escorted L
, the Bangor house and all day lie has Leer
entertaining callers
1t was nearly 3 O'Clock when Denart
ment Commander Green called the meet
ing 10 order ut City nail Chaplain
Webster Of Newport, invoked the Divin,
blessing and Commander Green made his
report as follows:
Comrades:
One year ago. at the department en-
campment at Skowhesan, by your suff-
RACES ! Was placed at the head Of the De
partment of Maine, 6. a. r., as its de
partinent commander for $50 Aware OF
the distinguished honor conferred. was
also aware of the grave responsibility and
trust which the office imposed upon any
coinrade seeking that high honor. How
well have succeeded or failed in the ad
ninistration of the high trust, must he
content to leave to this encampment and
the reports of the department officers.
IL is we'll known that the q A. r
react cd its high water mark In member
ship in 1892, not only in our own State
but throughout the country, and since that
time has shown steady but sure decline.
Many reasons can be shown which have
brought about this result.
First, increasing age and in6rmitics of
the comrades; second, increasing poverty
TO such an extent that the small fee in the
form OF yearly dues seems, and is. a bur
den to many OF our members; third, the
ndispoSirion of those in the smaller coun-
try towns to attend the post meetings, by
reason of distance to travel ard a secmin =
want of interest; and. lastly the death
rate, which Is thinning our ranks as the
gears roll Oh at a remarkable rate of NOR
tally.
A II these reasons and man more that
could be added go to show why the q. a.
4. is beginning to decline after over rs
years of service in behalf of its patriotic
Enthusiastically charity and loyalty
The year has been Il busy one in G. A.
r. circles to keep the interest and mem
bcrship up, and also to endeavor by circu
lar letters and persona! appeals to the
different posts throughout the department
to induce the large number in the sus-
pended and dropped lists TO again close up
the ranks and resume their membership
in the q. 4. r.
This effort has caused not only n large
amount of work ON the part Of Asst. Adjt
Gen sawyer, but has also caused quite
an expense in the way of stamps. etc. The
result has been quite gratifying but not to
Snoh an extent as was expected and dc.
sired
With membership on Jan. /, 1888, OF
S9l6 comrades in good standing, there was
ut the SkOwhegan cncampment last year
over 1l6t comrades reported on the sus-
pended list-ncarly Is per cent and it is
upon this list OF suspended members that
a large portion of our work has been done
Ian. !. 1895, the reports showed S9l6 in
good standing, July ], 1895, the reports
showed 500 comrades in good standing,
a loss of s!N for the first six months OF tie
year.
| wish D state Mt this time that If the
nd lutants reports bad been correct we
should have been able to show a slight in
crease i'll membership over the previous
six months, the adiutants of many posts
suspending the same comrades two, three,
and in some instances four times. When
regained and taken up again they Were
only accounted for once, and in this way
we lost some 10 comrades on our July re
port. This showing we have been able
10 make for the first six months. notwith-
standing we have lost by death some So
comrades.
For the last six months the showing has
been AS follows: BY muster in, Sc; by
transfer, IS by reinstatement, 152; gain,
253 Losses have been: BY DEATH Sc !;
honorable discharge, s; by transfer, 80 +;
by suspension, 1870; by sentence of court
martial, /. Total loss for term, 1924.
Number of comrades in good standing,
Jan. /, 1895, S9l6; number Of comrades
in good standing, Jan. |, 1896, $500; to
tai loss in membership for 1895, u.
This, comrades, is very gratifying
showing when we take into consideration
that we have lost by death III during the
year. In making comparison with the
other New England departments, l find
that Maine has sustained a smaller per
centage of loss than either of the other five
departments named.
After touching at length upon the Off
cial visits paid to posts by himself and
other department officers, speaking very
highly of the work being done by the
State and National Relief Corps the Sons
of Veterans aud the Bath Military and
Naval Orphan Asylum, visit, last year.
to Camp Benson and the Newport Relief
Corps Home, Commander Green goes on
to say:
1t is very gratifying to note the in
creased interest in the observance of
Memorial day in our good and loyal State
The reports from all sections show that
the day was generally observed not only
by the G. A. r. and its auxiliaries, the
State and National Relief Corps, camps