The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-23
About Two Hundred Thousand Mem
pected to Attend the Encampment.
FEATURES OF DECORATIONS
NUMEROUS ARCHES COVERED WITH
COLORED ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
City of Tents Provided for Comra q es
Who Wish to Renew Memories of
Camp Life-A Living Shield.

all ready for the army of veterans who
are on their way here to attend the thirty
first annual encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic. During the night
| hundreds of veterans and their friends ar
rived, and to-day they are coming in by
thousands. 1t is estimated that nearly
| eight thousand strangers were in town yes
terday and that from fifteen thousand to
twenty thousand came in to-day. The va
rious railroads entering Buffalo report that
in addition TO the hundreds of regular trains
schedules have been prepared for 245 spe-
cials to arrive here by Tuesday noon.
Among the prominent arrivals are ]. Cory
Winans, of Commander-in-ch chief Clarkson's
staff ]. S. Lewis, past junior vice COM
mander, and Daniel Ross, of Wilmington
Del, candidate for junior vice commander
n-chief.
Colonel Winans estimates the number of
visitors to Buffalo during the week at two
hundred thousand, making the largest en-
campment ever held. In speaking of the
choice of the veterans for the next en-
campment Colonel Winans said that so far
as his information went there was but one
choice among the delegates, and that was
Cincinnati. There seems to be a feeling
he said, among some of the Eastern people
that San Francisco wants the encampment,
but that is mistake. San Francisco is
preparing to make a bid in 1899. With re-
gard to the encampment being held in Rich
mond, Va, he asserted there is nothing in
! it. The people down there don't want it,
and the veterans don't care to go there.
| The chief objection, he said, was the GER
| tainty of unpleasant complications of the
color line. Notwithstanding this view, the
| Young Mems Business Association of
Richmond has opened headquarters here,
and is making an effort to secure the en-
campment Colonel Wnans says Pennsyl-
vania will send the most people to the en-
campment with New York second and Ohio
! third in attendance.
THE DECORATIONS.
The decoration OF the city with bunting
and electric lights is elaborate. Nearly
every building in the business section is be-
decked. On Main street, opposite st. Paurs
Church, the business center of the city,
stands the welcome arch. 1t is a monster
structure in form of a monogram com
posed of the letters &c. A. r." The arch
or span is formed by the legs of the letter
"A" which is In white, while the &c" and
''R" are in red and blue. This is surmount-
ed by two shields, standing on which is
golden eagle bearing in its beak cleo
trio device with the word Welcome" At
night $500 incandescent lambs illuminate
the arch. In Lafayette Park are displayed
| twenty-five designs representing the various
army-corps badges. Across Main street,
looking northward from Lafayette Square,
stands the triumphal arch. The structure
is built to represent a piece of solid ma
sonry, standing high above the street The
large center arch spands the streets and
on each side of the center arch are smaller
arches of the same design. A block beyond
the triumphal arch, at the entrance to
Chippewa street, stands another arch. the
gift Of the colored people. At the circle, at
the junction of North street with Porter
and Richmond avenues, are the reviewing
stands marked by the national colors.
There are two of them placed one on the
north and the other on the south side Of the
street. Their total seating capacity is three
thousand, President Mckinley and other
distinguished guests will review the pa
rade from one of the stands.
Camp Jewett. named i'll honor of the
mayor of Buffalo, a city of 5000 tents, pro
vided for the accommodation of the visit
ing G. a. r. men, is situated at the Front,
a broad plaza on the city park system, ad-
Erie the head of the Niagara river, and
the Canadian shore. At its entrance on
Porter avenue. a few blocks below the re-
to resemble granite, and forms imposing
entrance. The tents in Camp JeWett are
/ mostly or the lnUlan tepCo pattern. Ihey
being named in honor of General Grant On
the north the streets are named after Gems.
sheridan Mcclellan, Meade, Pope and
Burnside Those to the south side are Sher-
man and McCoOk. The cross avenues are
HooRer HHF@Rfn f9TSeT sdh09d sh06k
Stanley. Logan, Halleck, Bell Thomas and
Granger. At the exit from the camp,
and on the line of the Fort Porter ram
parts, stands the fifth and last arch. 1t is
in the form of a horseshoe, and is finished
in imitation iron.
THE LIVING SHIELD.
One of the most brilinat features will be
the living shield, which will be produced
on Wednesday, the day of the parade. Four
thousand children from the schools, who
have been under rehearsal for weeks will
form the shield which will stand on Chip
pewa street, just below Delaware avenue, at
the point where the line of march turns
from Chippewa street into the avenue. It's
position will be such as to face the march,
ing columns for the two blocks. The plat
form upon which the children will sit will
be built squarely across Chippewa street,
cutting off all traffic. It is to resemble a
large grand stand. the seats grading up
ward, as the elevation increases. This will
give the shield the appearance intended
namely, of resting on an easel. The seating
space viii be square and the ngures dressed
in red, white and blue. will be so arranged
as to form the outline of a Shield with red
and white stripes, and with white stars in
q blue field, surrounded by a border of
black Boys in black garments are to form
the black background while boys and girls
dressed in red. white and blue Will fiji in the
stars and stripes and the field. THESE chit
dren of the shield will be divided into two
reliefs to avoid the fatigue of remaining in
position for about seven hours. The first
two thousand will take their places in the
morning Just before the head of the column
moves and win remain in position until
about half of the procession has passed
Then they will be relieved by the second di-
vision, which will remain In position until
! the last man in The New York State Depart
ment at the left of the line. has passed
The children of the shield will all day long
sing national anthems and patriotic songs
to the accompaniment of music.
Camp Jewett IS all ready for its inhabi-
tants, and while it will not be formally
opened until 4 o'clock tomorrow afternoon
a number of posts are already installed
Ample arrangements have been made at
the camp and elsewhere for the care of the
sick Three hospital tents have been erected
at Camp Jewett each in charge of a COM
petent staff of physicians. The honor of
flying the first pennant a any tent at Camp
Jewett belongs to Reno Post. No. 81, of VIII
/ Transport Pa. A detachment of eleven
members arrived yesterday and was as
signed TO Tents 1929. Clayton p. White
of Williamsport, was the first veteran 10