The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-24
Nckinley to
Be on Hand.
Present Encampment Nota=
bic in Many Respects.
Commander ClarksOn Arrives and Is Welcomed With
All the Ceremonies Due His Rank-Camp Jewett
Formally Open-Programme for the Big
Gathering of the Old Soldiers

Special to the Globe.
BUFFALO, Aug. 23.-Wednesday 50,-
GOO men will salute the Stars and
Stripes as they laZily float over their
heads. At their front will be the dove
of peace, for the war eagle is enjoying
a Well-earned rest. The sun may beat
down fiercely on the heads of this host,
but they have felt it's scorching rays
with tenfold more Intensity on South
ern battlefields. 1t will be the thirty
first annual march of the whole Grand
Army of the Republic, and the nation
bares its head as they pass by.
Buffalo has been in a state Of con-
tinual preparations, for to have the
national encampment of the Grand
Army is no small honor. Furthermore,
the president of the United States will
be present, a man who, himself a
member of the Grand Army, little
more than year ago marched in the
ranks of his own post as a private
citizen. This year, he will receive the
been a picture, something they have
read of, but which has never been be-
fore them in realistic fashion. Then,
as the presidents aide will come a man
who possibly has won more heartfelt
cheers from these gray-haired men
than almost any other who has every
right to walk in their ranks. They
call him Secretary Alger now, but all
his old comrades only knew Gen. AL
ger, of Michigan, who fought with
them, ahead of them and more than
once very nearly laid down his life for
them. This is a combination that no
national encampment has ever before
seen.
There will be, unless all signs fail,
over 100000 strangers. They will hail
from almost every state and territory
in the Union. More than one of them
will be able to say, too, when asked
where many comrade comes from:
"You ask us where he halls from;
Our answer it shall be,
He halls from Appomattox,
And It's famous appletree.''
1t is In chaotic fashion that the Buff
falonian will tell you of all that he ex-
poets. He knows not what to expect,
in fact, except something that is far
and away in advance of anything that
has happened in the town before He
is overwhelmed by the thought of the
memories which the presence of the
veterans will bring. Today he is much
like the housewife who has set the
table for guests whose opinion she
values highly. He is flying about in
all directions to ee~that nothing is
out of place. The town has been swept
and garnished. Streets have been
placed in fine condition and asphalt
pavement donated to localities which
would never have heard of it within a
quarter of century to come if it had
not been for this encampment. Moth
ing is considered too good for the vet
Grams. bless them. Never will their
tired feet find pleasanter ways to
tread, nor their gray hairs given more
pretty city that smiles on Lake Erie.
FIFTY THOUSAND LEFT.
The majority Of persons will be sur
prised to learn that the official fig
ures Of expectancy as regards the num-
Der of veterans are 81, 119. Here it Is
almost thirty years since the Rebellion
was crushed forever. and yet more
than $4,000 of the defenders of the
fellows, the majority. Canes are not
regarded as ornaments by the most
of them. Old wounds make it very
difficult for some to keep up to the
march, march, march of their COM
rades. Still they form a mighty host,
and one which would be capable Of
doing infinite damage yet to those
whom they consider the enemies of
their country. This, too, despite the
fact that every year the ranks of those
who can no longer answer the roll call
steadily increase.
This is where they are coming from
and mark well the fact that many a
state which they first entered in bright
blue uniform is now on the national
roster as the place where they at pres
ent live in peace and prosperity: