The Portland daily press., 1898-05-03

Inc Cneerlng ana Applause was Con-
tinuous All the Way to the Union
Station-A Day of Excitement and
Patriotic Fervor.
Portland's contingent of the state
militia left for Augusta yesterday after
noon. 1t was day which Portland will
long remember and nothing like it has
been seen since years ago when the boys
Of an older generation went to the
front.
At seven-thirty O'Clock a guard was
pacing slowly back and forth in front of
the armory building and all visitors were
refused admission. One by one the mem
bers of the five companies began to ar
rive. Each one of them was dressed in
campaign uniform with brown leggings,
large campaign hats and carried with
them their haversacks and blanket bags.
At nine thirty O'Clock most of the soldier
boys were assembled at the armory al
though they continued to arrive in twos
and threes up to the very hour of forma-
ton. Once inside the armory the soldier
boys were not allowed to leave until they
started for Union station. The streets
about the big building were crowded with
people and many of them remained in
the vicinity all through the forenoon and
until the battalion headed by Major Col
lins marched out ON their way to the
depot.
Congress street as far as the eye could
reach was one waving field of red, white
and blue. Many of the public buildings
and large stores were decorated, while in
front of every dwelling waved one or
more flags. The crowds packed the side.
walks Of the streets and in many places
extended from cnfb to curb. Nearly .all
the stores and places Of business were
closed for three hours at noon. In front
Of City hall deputy marshal Sterling with
q large squad of officers had all he could
do to keep the street open for the passage
of the troops. In this big crowd which
was bubbling over with enthusiasm and
patriotic spirit it seemed as if almost
every man, woman and child carried an
American flag of some size and these
waving back and forth constantly made
the scene most unusual and beautiful
one.
The Portland battalion headed by Mai.
Collins arrived at the corner of Market
and Middle streets promptly on time.
Here they were met by the escorting
column and the line of march was taken
up for City hall. From the moment the
march began it was one continuous storm
of cheers and one long roll OF applause.
From windows and sidewalks. from house
tops and doorways the spectators yelled
and yelled, and this continued all the
way up Middle and Temple streets end
down Congress to in front of City hall.
There was such crowd damned in at
this point that it was with difficulty that
the. Portland battalion could be drought
into line to hear the Mayors address. AS
it was the crowd was too enthusiastic to
remain long quiet, and on all sides the
applause continued, while women and
men forced their way through the long
line OF soldiers to shake the hand of some
youpgster in blue.
When the applause of the crowd ceased
Mayor Randall, with Mayor. Moulton of
Deering at his right, and with the Port
land City5sgoEernment grouped behind
him. stepped forward and removing his
hat, spoke as follows:
MAYOR RANDALL'S ADDRESS.
Mr.. Commander, Officers and Men of the
Battalion:
Thirty seven years ago, I, boy of four-
teen, saw march forth from our city the
first regiment of Maine volunteers under
the call of Abraham Lincoln for $4,000
men to defend the integrity of the Union.
That regiment was largely composed Of
the brave, energetic and patriotic young
men of our city, marching forth as you
are doing today, with patriotic zeal for
the defence of the honor of tho country
and the flag. Little did 1 think then that
thirty seven years later, it would become
my duty as Mayor of the city to say "God
speed and safe return to another body
of equally brave men, again promptly re-
spending to their country's call.
And as stand before you today / find
it impossible to speak to you as I would
like. You are all my fellow citizens,
many of you my personal friends. But
today we are all brothers in the great
family of the Nation. The city of Port
land looks back with pride upon the rec
ord of her sons in every walk in life. In