The Portland daily press., 1897-08-13
Observation-Disclosures.
Twenty-N Ninth Annual Reunion Of
Famous Regiments.

EamVuS meg lmtuUSs
Event Occurred at Their Home at Long
Island Observation-Disclosures of Omcers-
Poem by Absent Member Read by His
Daughter.
| The goth reunion of the comrades of
the 1-10-29th regiment of Maine volun-
teers, was held yesterday at Long Island,
at the regimental buildings.
This was one of the regiments that saw
considerable service and suffered heavily
by losses of killed and wounded. The
remaining men of the regiment in spite
of their hardships and privations, are still
as eager to meet one another and talk over
the stirring days of 1915, and in story
and song relate many Of the pleasant as
well as the unpleasant features of their
camp life. There was q good attendance
of the comrades at the meeting and the
officers of the field and staff were we'll
represented and showed much pleasure in
| being able to once again meet with the
comrades of their command. The first
thing of Importance of the exercises of the
day was the annual business meeting
President W. K. Dana of Westbrook,
presiding. The records of the previous
annual meeting were read and approved.
The regimental historian John M.
Gould, announced that the work of COM
piling the regimental histories was pro-
crossing as well as could be expected and
be, accurate in important details The
work of writing the history of the en-
gagement of the regiment at the Cedar
Mountains is in the hands of Comrade
Trip who is making good progress on
the work
The report of the treasurer showed
that there was balance on hand of $36. 26
at last year, and that after all expenses of
the year they now have in the treasury
$65.71.
After the report of the treasurer the
president, w. K. Dana, in few we'll
chosen words, introduced the daughter
of John E. Cutter, member of the regi-
MIA, who read an original selection from
the pen OF her father.
Miss Cutter showed herself to be lady
of considerable ability in the art of elocu-
ton and her rendering of the selection
was listened to with great interest The
selection, entitled 1.-THE Lost Beans, -
was as follows:
THE LOST BEANS.
Old Company K grew up in the woods
Where the sprucy gales in their roguish
moods
From the forest tops unwind the skein
That winter spins on the hills Of Maine.
Well faithed and truthed their lives had
| been,
And the forests gave them discipline
AS they learned the trend of its darkening
And felt the grace of its serried pines.
| And they swung the axe with a stroke
as free
AS their fathers gave for liberty.
From the pages thumbed in the district
schools
They had learned, with the "Fundamen-
tai Rules,
OF Boston's tea, and of Lexington.
| And oft caressed with loving hands
| The fiinted lock of the same old gun
| That argued the case with the Briton
bands.
1 IA
| That burned in the lives of their stubborn
sires.
So when there was need of Company K
| They shouldered their arms and marched
| away.
But squad of other mould and grain
| Was Company E. From the thorough
Of the town they came, and from strife
for gain
Where shrewdness wins from caliber,
And pulls at another's tackle blocks;
| But they never shrank from the dryest
knocks.
Good soldiers, whom wars iron dew
| Fell lightly on,-though notion loose
| That strategy was for home use
Did stay with them the service through.
Virginia's winter, chill and gray,
Found Company e and Company K
Lined out by Rappahannock' flow
Some twenty years and more ago.
As the fires glow, the hold within
| Deep hid, while their hot energy
Drives the great ship through storm
and sea
So burned the army; till again
The stars shone out from their blue field,
And all the charging crests were stilled.
| But valor oft on fancy beans,
And this most charmed the boys in
blue,-
Best put the drills and marches
through
| To dream of home, and wake for beans.
Oh beans, as every soldier knows,
Back up right well patriots blowsl
So oft came K with plate and cup
Where the fat kettles yielded up
| Their glorious contents, and partook
with reverent homage to the cookD
One day the clouds in low hung flight
Almost shut out the better light
| That silver-lines the thickest mists-
As poets say, and moralists-
When K, with most substantial plan
For comfort of the inner man,
With patient care and loving wish
| Was fixing for the favorite dish.
Pat Collins had dug an Elegant hole'
Where the ashes feathered the glowing
| coal
AS they settled the kettle, and covered it
DER
With earth, piled top of the contra
band'' door
From neighboring barn; then of good
to be
They dreamed from taps to reveille.