Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-08
FLOCK TO ST. PAUL.
q. A. r. VETERANS OWN THE
MINNEc OTA CITY.
Immense Attendance OF Visitors from
Outside States-Citizens Show Appre-
citation of tho Honor Conferred by
Superb Decorations.

st. Paul, Mimi, Sept. 2.-Veterans
Of the civil war literally swarm the
streets OF st. Paul. The citizens COM
mittee compared notes in the after
noon, and found 114,000 Grand Army
or the Republic tickets to st. Paul had
been purchased in states outside of
Minnesota. Each of the railroads had
special train after special train
Following one another as fast as safety
would permit. One of the Chicago
roads brought in thirteen specials dur
ing the day. Another road coming in
from the southwest, admitted that it
did not have half rolling stock to haul
the passengers who had tickets. Il,
passed all mall stations without stop
ping, leaving hundreds of ticketed pas
sengers to come in by to-day's trains.
thousands of cots have been put into
school buildings and other structures
where there is room, and over 1000
slept in tents at Camp Mason. The
weather was delightful. Not a cloud
ffecked the sky all day, and the tenn
perature was at no time above 20. To-
night it is about 81.
The train bearing Commander-in-
Chief Walker and his staff due here at
1880 O'Clock, did not arrive until after
IL o'clock. The regular programme,
however, was gone through with. Sixth
street might properly be termed Grand
Army avenue, for there is no street in
the city so typical of the occasion or so
handsomely attired in the colors and
the emblems of the nation Sixty mar
ble-white columns of fancifully nodded
STAFF stand at intervals between Smith
park and the cathedral Each is sur
mounted with a banner that blows with
the silent breeze, and each contains
some figure or design emblematic of the
great war OF the rebellion and the pres
ent reunion of the men who wore the
blue and wear ii yet
striking face that appears fire.
quently in all these decorations is that
or Abraham Lincoln. Invariably his
picture is framed in the colors Of the
nation, either of bunting, flags or long
streamers Of finely cut tissue paper.
ance TO some extent of Russian thor
oughfare on fete day with it's tower
ing white columns and square banners
and streamers floating from the peaks
of the topmost STATS. Beneath and
connecting the columns are continuous
lines of incandescent electric lights
which, when turned on at night, fur
nish picture that is brilliant and
glowing beyond description. The lights
are vari-colored, and these, in connec-
ZION with the gaudy colors of the deco
rations, combine to present startling
and bewildering effect.
The formal program of the encamp-
ment was begun in the evening at
$50, when reception was given at
Hotel Ryan to the COMMUNICATIVE chief
and Mrs. Walker by the citizens COM
mittee and citizens OF ST. Paul. The
hotel was gayly decorated for the &C.
casion, and several thousand persons
sIook the hand Of the commander.
AT the same hour at the state capitol
there was reception to the Grand
Army, the Women's Relief corps and
Sons and Daughters of Veterans. Mrs.
Marie Hazenwinkle, president of the
Minnesota Women's Relief corps. was
IN charge of this reception. 1t contin-
ued until IL o'clock, and it is estimated
that at least 10000 veterans passed
through the capitol during the evening
Inc scene about the women's head
quarters at the Kittson mansion was
animated
The leading candidate for president
or the Woman's Relief corps is Mrs.
HIT or the department of Indiana. Her
home is at Greencastle, that state. The
contest for commander-in-chief is get
ing exciting. Another candidate has
taken the field in the person of Gen.
Joshua A. Given OF Iowa. The three
other candidates are: Rear-Admiral !
Meade of New York, Major Thaddeus
5. Clarkson of Omaha and j. T. Line |
han of New Hampshire In some quar-
tiers 1T is stated that Given is put in |
the field to draw strength from Clark |
son, who lives in the neighboring state |
OF Nebraska, and who, If Given were |
not candidate, would get the Iowa |
vote. The friends of Gen. Given how
ever, resent this imputation, and say |
his candidacy is urged in good faith.
They say that Gen. Given has had the |
rare honor of having served as a SOL
der in two wars, that in Mexico and |
during the rebellion. Gen. Given is
now the commander of the Iowa de-
partment of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, the first Office he has ever held
in the organization
Maj,-Gen. Sickles. president of the
Union Veterans Patriotic league, Gre
ated a great deal of adverse comment
by injecting politics into the encamp-
ment in letter to the surviving SOL
diers and sailors, urging the election
of Major Mckinley in the coming pres
idential election.