The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-08-25
WITH SONGS OF REJOICING
Tramp. Tramp. Tramp. the Boys in
Blue Are Marching in Buffalo.
FROM MORN TILL DUSK
The Greatest Gathering In the History
OF Grand Army Encsmpments-
President Mckinley and Gen
eral Aiger Are There.


darkness and from twilight 10 mid
night the great gathering of the Grand
Army of the Republic waxed greater
and grander. The Grand Army has
turned out In greater numbc.s than
ever before at a national encaTpr,cnt
and this is true also Of the ex-Prison-
ers of War Association and the naval
veterans and the women's auxiliary
bodies. Just as the songs of victory
foated up from the triumphant hos S
of Sherman as they marched Ia he
sea, SO from the old soldiers gathered
In Buffalo wells up mighty ming,ing
of thankfulness. of happiness and Of
| JOY. From early morning until late
at night Main street held a continuous
procession of posts. Scores Of them
brought bands and few indeed had no
music. The features Of the day were
the arrival of President Mckinley, ae-
companied by Secretary Alger and
| Governor Black Of New York: the
banquet to the president this evening
and the parade of the naval veterans
and ex-prisoners of war this morning.
, During the day there were more than
90 corps. brigades. l.gimental and
company reunions. The naval veter-
ans, ex-prisoners of war; ladies of the
q. A. II. and the association Of nurses
| held their conventions and there Were
many receptions given by and Ia the
ladies of the auxiliary association. A
trip on the lake. participated In by
about 1000. was one Of the plsasantest
Of the many entertainments. This
| evening there were q number Of camp
fires for the men and receptions ana
musical entertainments for the ladies'.
From the moment the special train
that bore the president and his retinue
| TO the city arrived until he retirc,. to-
night there was one glorious and
| spontaneous demonstration. From the
depot tn the Niagara hotel. a distance
of two miles. the streets We're lin, I
with people, and at the hotel In mont
of which there Is great square tn.
police and soldiers from tn, nearby
barracks had difficult work to keep the
multitude in position. Even when the
president had entered the hotel and
| vanished from sight there followed af-
ter him the cheers of the people until
he was obliged to come TO the balcony.
where after quiet was resturel, he
said: Il come to greet you and thank
! you at me same tihie Tor yoLr gener-
Gus welcoms. The Grand Army Of H.,
| Republic seems Il be ON foot Ia. da y
but not carrying arms. These Were
long since laid aside. and the Grand
Army Of the Republic is to-day dedi-
Gated to peace and union forever.
am glad To he I'm the city of Bufi?l ,
with my comrades Of 81 and 81 lnd
my comrades now. l thank you ell
and bid you good afternoon
shortly after 5 o'clock Columbia
post. dressed In fatigue coats and
white duck trousers. arrived AT the
| hotel and acted as escort TO the pres
, ident To the Elliott building where thS
post entertained the president at a
banquet. As the president pass d
from the hotel to the banquet hall ;he
police had literally to drive a way
through to the carriage and ut the
Elliott club the corridors were ~
densely packed that the president had
| to be lifted through by stalwatt 10.
| licem ms.i. In the reception room of the
club he met prominent citizens OF Iuf-
| falo. and then a little later he entered
! the great banquet hall as III, ! uest
/ of honor of Columbia post of Chicago
! with 500 other distinguished guests
and soldiers.
After an elaborate menu had been dis
cussed To the satisfaction of the guests,
the toastmaster called for Governor
Frank =. Black, who extended well
come from Columbia Post tn President
Mckinley. Al 6:i5 O'Clock Senator
Mark Hanna. who had just arrived in
the city. came into the banquet hall
His entrance was noted by applause at
the further end of the hall. aud as the
proceedings passed. President McKin-
ley rose and moved along the hall ia
meet him. There was shout of APP
plause as the two men clasped hands.
Both took their seats amid applause.
Following Hanna's entrance II was
announced that the president, desiring
to hear Archbishop Ireland and other
speakers, had decided 10 make a brief
visit To- some Of the camps and then re-
turn. He left. accompanied by Com
manedr-in Chief Clarkson.
The toastmaster then announced the
next toast. THE City Of Buffalo Wei
comes the Grand Army" Mayor
Jewctt responded. While Jewett was
speaking the president returned and
for few moments pandemonium
rCigned supreme somebody yelling
Wheat, sl.o3; silver. 40'' a cry tha,
was taken up and repeated again and
again.
When Jewett had finished his address
President Mckinley WAS introduced
and for fully five minutes IL seemed as
though the roof would have To fall or
the side walls bulge with the roar Of
applause and greeting.
Mr.. Mckinley said. slowly and im-
I rdessively:
MIR, Toastmaster and Comrades and
My Fellow Citizens: I wish ! might
frame fitting words to maxi a fittins
response TO the more than gracious
welcome you have accorded me her.
tonight. ! come with no set form OF
speech: come with no studied phrases
10 present to you. but come in ths
spirit Of comradeshlp 10 talk TO you. al
We have often talked In the past around
the campfires I'm war. as we'll as al
campfres in peace. To me. I see by tn,
/ programme. has been assigned IN,
toast. The Country and Its Defend
ers' My fellow citizens, blessed Is thai
country whose defenders are patriots
Blessed Is that country whose soldiers
fight for N and are willing u give IN,
best they have. the best that any maj
has-thcir own lives-to preserve Il be-
cause they love il.
Such an army the United states ha,
always commanded in every crisis o
her history. From the war Of the reyu
luton to the late civil war the men fol
lowed that flag in battle becaus the,
loved that flag and believed in what 1
represented. That was the stun o
which the volunteer army Of 1861 va,
made. Every one of them not onl,