The Forrest City times., 1897-08-27

WX But the sun soon
 " broke through the clouds and gave promise of bril- liant day.
 Aides-de-camp in the gold lace of the national guard of Nesv York were early dashing about the steets on the rearing horses looking with anxious care to the assembling of the divisions to which they had been assigned. Men, women and children began to post themselves behind the long wire screens that had been spun out all along the line of march during the night like an immense spider web.
 In the corridors of the Iroquis hotel spurs were jingling and sabers were clanking as the officers of Gen. Clark sons staff hurried to the headquarters of the commander-in-c chief to report to Col. Winans, chief-of-staff.
 From east and north there came at intervals the rattle of drums and the clear note of the bugle. The posts of the department of Illinois, and some of the departments of Wisconsin. were early on the march. The music and the tramp of the marching feet brought cheering crowds to greet the little attachments as they passed, and the hum of expectancy grew into roar of excitement as the time for the moving of the procession grew nearer. Excursion trains on every one of the many lines leading into Buffalo began to pour thousands of recruits into the already y-congested thoroughfares, and the railroad stations took on the ap- pearance of human bee-hives, from which a swarm was flying.
 The street cars, as they pushed slow ly down the center of the city by the, temporary side street routes, were filled to the point of distress.
 Excursion boats were screeching their whistles in the harbor in an endeavor to get to dock with their quota of spec tators.
 THE GRAND PARADE.
 Gen. Clarkson and staff rode from the Iroquois hotel to the Hotel Niagara as soon as the staff had assembled on Eagle street. In front of the Niagara the staff drew up in line, and Gen. Clarkson waited upon President Me Kinley to escort him to the head of the column. At ten o'clock the president left the Niagara, accompanied by the escort All along the way to the point of formation the president was loudly cheered At lo:30 the command to march was given and the procession moved.
 To the roll of innumerable drums and the blare of trumpets the Grand Army of the Republic, headed by the .f |. -. its triumphal way through the seas of cheering humanity. The sidewalks on each side of Main street as far as the eye could reach were filled with solid mass of people. From every window faces beamed out and the roofs had population equal if not greater than that of the windows.
 In the great square in front of the Erie County bank the first glimpse was caught of the real immensity of the procession, for here the close walls of the houses opened out on either hand, and the great tide of humanity poured out from the narrow street as from a funnel, and swept in solid mass of blue and gold beneath the arch of Welcome. On the balcony of the
 
 and played Hail to the Chief as the presidents carriage passed below. The people on the grand stand gave a mighty cheer which was taken up and echoed back by the hundreds in the plat to the west
 President Mckinley" "Comrade Mckinley" 'The Grand Army" could be heard in the roaring tumult of voices.
 Again the column plunged between eongested sidewalks and again the deafening applause roared back from wall to wall. The imposing depart ment of Illinois on the right of the line received an ovation as it passed along. Columbia Post of Chicago was wildly applauded. but the whlte-haired veterans of the smaller posts from re- mote corners of the state were not for gotten by the generous crowd.
 As the veteran color guard, the old battle-hag battalion, passed, heads were uncovered. There were 20 battle-worn, shot and torn flags carried in the pa rade by Camp l, Buffalo Sons of Vet erans, in company with Meade post of Philadelphia The old color guard was under command of Capt. Morgan and Edward Curtis.
 On came the procession. post after post, in columns of platoons, eight