Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-09-03
THE BIG REUNION.
It Was a Grand and Glorious Sue
cess From Start to Finish.
Conservative Estimates Place the Attendance at $4,000
Fine Weather, Good Speaking and no Disturbances
Tended Toward Making Everybody Happy.

The fret day of the Seventeenth
Annual Reunion opened with fail
weather and two heavy shots from
the cannon. All night before peo'
pie had been rolling into camp and
at sunrise the beautiful new
grounds presented a very busy
scene. The campers are jolly SCI
and TO hear their joyful voices ae
they stirred around getting their
breakfast one could readily see that
they we're delighted with the New
Camp Logan. The early morning
trains from the north were heavily
loaded and people from the sur
rounding towns and country came
in streams all day long.
After breakfast the Posts and old
veterans were assigned to their
quarters for the week, and the quar-.
ters are fine ones, too. Plenty OF
shade and level ground 10 what
makes a good camp, providing the
ground is dry and every foot of the
camp proper is just that way.
In the afternoon the old comrades
epent most of their time exchang-
ing greetinge, and at 8 o'clock the
Galena Firemen's Band gave con-
cert In the pavilion which was en-
joyed by the thousands of people
who heard It. In the evening there
was an old fashioned love feast
camp fire in the pavilion. Short
speeches were made by several good
speakers. During the evening
President Cooper under the ausPi.
ces of the Interstate Reunion
Association, turned the control OF
the camp over to Col. Weldy, who
made very neat speech accepting
the honor conferred upon him. The
attendance Monday was double
that of any previous Monday in the
history of the reunions and was the
wonder of all. The trains now run
to the grounds and each incoming
train YVES simply loaded to the
guards.
The second day of the Seventeenth
Annual Inter. State Reunion opened
fair, clear and cool and fully 25,0O0
people participated in the enjoy
anefit of what went on during the
day and evening.
Every incoming train was loaded
to the fullest capacity. Everybody
is perfectly delighted with the
grounds and the numerous conven-
iences afforded, and well they may
be, because New Camp Logan is
the prettiest camp ground any.
where in the whole southwest Peo-
ple rolled into camp all day yester-
day and the night before aud the
crowd was one surging mass of hu-
manity. When the sunrise gun was
fred at 9 o'clock the camp was
awakened and a hastily prepared
breakfast followed, after which the
forenoon up to 10 o'clock was put in
by the comrades in registering,
hunting up old comrades and re-
counting the vicissitudes OF warfare
from 81 to 65.
At 10 o'clock the forenoon camp
fire was opened by vocal and instru-
mental music, which was followed
by several speeches by comrades
and patriotic gentlemen. The Span
ish. American war was reviewed by
ahe speakers and many expressions
were made of the good feeling
which now exists between the blue
and the gray.
In the afternoon, after music by
the "Still Alarm" quartette and the
Galena Firemens band, the camp
fire announced in the program op-
ened by a speech from Rev. A. d..
States of Greenfield, Mo, who
stirred the hearts of his hearers
aud brought forth round after
round of applause. Rev. States is a
very pleasing and forceful speaker
and a dandy spellbinder.
In the evening Congressman Ed
r. Ridgeley of Pittsburg addressed
the vast assemblage and spoke for
about one hour. Mr.. Ridgeley is a
pleasing and forceful lspeaker, has
a strong voice and good delivery
and every word he uttered was
heard by all who tried to hear. Mr..
Ridgeley reviewed the Spanish.Am-
erican war and spoke at some
length on pension matters. he be.
lieves that every old soldier should
have a pension and the chief part
of his work in congress is looking
after pension matters. BY refer
ence to the Congressional Records
of the last session of Congress II
will be seen that he was very much
in evidence in the halls OF Con-
rese.
The third day of the big reunion
opened with q rush and people
seemed to rise up out of the ground.
Within one hour after the sunrise
gun was fred the grounds were
filled with people. more being pres
ent than at any other time in the
history OF the big Interstate re-
union. People from cities. who are
usually good Judges of crowds, de.
clare there were from 10000 to $1,000
people on the grounds,and they are
not far from right Vehicles
streamed into the grounds all day
from all directions and every train
in had all II could carry. The best
of order was maintained all day
long and no trouble of any kind
was experienced in handling the
crowd. In the forenoon at $50
o'clock the stockholders of the
Interstate Reunion Association
held their annual meeting for the
purpose of electing directors for
the ensuing year aud for the trans