The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-05-20
TO THE FRONT.
Minnesota's Brave Boys Pass
Through MankatO.
The People Turn Out by Thousands to
Witness the Departure OF the
State Troops.

1t is estimated that fully three
Thousand people were densely packed
around the union depot Mondaynight
when the first section Of the special
train bearing the Thirteenth Mime
sofa volunteers toward San Francisco
and presumably to the Philippine
Islands pulled in at10:2O o'clock. Inc
crowd had been waiting for long
time, as the train did not get started
from ST. Paul as early as had been ex-
pected. The depot platform was
solid mass of humanity. There were
men and women of all ages, boys
crowding about between the people
in a vain effort to see, babes in the
arms of their mothers, girls there
with their sweethearts, and people OF
every degree. There was DO respect
of persons 10 that eager crowd, for
every one Dad to be jostled and
squeezed. and everybody was good
natured about it.
Landlord Snow was on the depot
platform With big quantity of hot
coffee, which was poured into the tin
cups of the soldiers as soon as each
section of the train had come to a
stop. The soldiers were all awake,
and crowded the car windows on the
depot side, as interested in the crowd
as the crowd was in them. Cheers
were given. handkerchiefs waved, and
cries of What's the matter with
Mankato?n and "She's all right"
were heard Some gay boy in blue,
with his head protruding from win
dow would shout out, Hello, girls!"
and a litter would 60 through the
feminine portion of the crowd. And
so the fun would go on until the
train pulled out, when there would
be a general waving Of handkerchiefs
and cheering. The troops were line
looking set of men, well bronzed by
their drills at Camp Ramsey.
The four sections had thirty-eight
cars in all. The soldiers, priVates as
we'll as the men with shoulder straps,
travelled in Wagner sleepers, as the
road did not have the tourist sleepers
called for in the contract. The Sec
tions travelled one station apart, in or
der that there might be no chance for
an accident. Supt. Spencer gave the
matter of the safe passage of the train
his entire attention and was at his Of
ice all night directing the movement
of the trains. The regular trains were
not delayed much, and no hitch oc,
CURED anywhere.
After the first section had pulled
out, a large part of the crowd dispers.
ed. There were enough people left,
however, to densely pack the depot
platform when the second section
came in a half hour later. The crowd
was still there in force when the third
section arrived, and big out-pouring
waited until the last section arrived
at Las a. M.
The Concordia band was on the
platform and played number OF
patriotic selections while the sections
were waiting for the coffee to be
passed around. When the headlight
of big engine No. 1859 came around
the curve, the bell in the main street
tower tinkled it's warning and the
arms descended across the streets
and the long train of sleepers glided
along in front of the depot, the band
began to play and the people to shout
simultaneously and the latter drown
ed the former. The first section
brought the Saltwater and two St
Paul companies, and each of the
other sections brought three com