The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-12
THE BATTlEHElD STATION.
PICTURESQUE VEATvRES OF THE
NEW Town OF LYrLE, Ga
ersaent MISUNDERSTANDING for
the Asny-On the Mtaway-Dtstrf-
bssiea 81 MiIstary supplies, Etc.

One % the most interesting things In She
growth OF the camp IN the national park
q, Cafckamauga has been the sudden
strides taken by Lyle. the battlefield sta
ton. The station could hardly have been
called place before the advent OF the
soldiers. Three weeks ago Is had ous a
railway station lexis feet. store" and
blacksmith shop. That Characteristic OF
Southern buildings-a wide, iow-covsred
poress-~as not wanting al the blacksmith
shop and there the sages OF the vicinity
gathered 70 fight the nations battles and
give voice 10 the honely philosophy which
seems 20 flourish under The hot southern
SUI. But suddenly there came from the
North an invasion os hlue-coated patriots.
Once before had the oldest :nhahitant"
seen The marching battalons ride across
his fields. laying them waste Then the
invasion was marked by one OF the Blood
est battles OF the war. The booming OF
cannon, the charge OF desperate men. al
the horrors OF war were brought forc!bIy
TO the peaceful resident. and when the
army OF tha. day settled down for camp
life ft was an army OF siege and OF occu-
patton Now the invaders from the North
are welcomed and 10 their numbers are
added the lsgions OF the South. Within
week a great tented city OF +e.0oc souls
had sprung UP In the national park ard on
the haliowed ground where trod the heroes
sion az first. but finally locations became
known by the very monuments which
marked the spots where deeds of vaior
we're performed by that other army.
With the influx OF soldiers came extraor-
binary demands upon the station or Lyle
but the peop-e OF Chattanooga. twelve
miles distant, rose to the emergency. The
1880 men had numerous and sundTy ne
eessites in the supplying OF which the
eli.swd spectators saw fortunes. The one
railroad leading 10 Lyle had been taken
By the government. but long wagon trains
started tfom Chattanooga. and winding
along the historic Missionary Ridge. skirt
Ing the mountains. reached the station.
The trains brought rough lumber, scores
Of carpenters, big stocks OF merchandise
and the necessary clerical forces.
Within a week wonderful transforma-
ton has been wrought. The little railway
station has beer turned over to a corps of
speedy telegraph operators An entirely
new station has beeen constructed. with
platforms 200 feet long on each side. Start
Ing Just north OF the station has sprung
up the new Lytie. II is a single narrow
street as long as ten city blocks. In no
place is il wider than thirty feet, and IL
Is beautiful IN its disregard for a straight
line. JutIing corners of rough shanties,
sometimes entire buildings. make frequent
detours absolutely necessary. This Is
of It's scenes anon. Back Of the new sta
ton, 20 the right and eft Of IL. three deep,
are the new government sidetracks. On
them engines puff and blow as they strug-
sic with the long strings OF cars. Some
times IL may be a stock train of 100 cars
loaded with horses and mules and with
four engines pushing aud pulling il. Again.
II may be train Of passenger coaches
Loaded with what the Georgia residents
calls "suiturs, or, again. scores OF box
ears with sealed doors loaded with equip
ment.
. Northeast and northwest of the station
are the government warehouses. The ware
houses are about 200 feet long and 50 feet
wide. They have wide Platforms on each
side OF them. The railroad tracks pass
along one side, and at the other is the
roadway for the regimentai forage wagons.
Each of these groups of warehouses Is
now about so fees long. and additional
buildings grow UP each night. The sue
cession of roofs with gable-end effects is
odd, They look Ike nothing so much as
the long Ice houses along the rivers IN the
Northern states. Between the main track
or the railway and one OF the long side
tracks Is the mule corral with from 5000
TO 5000 of the Missouri species kicking and
csvortiag about. Below the CORA. is the
harness warehouse, with tons of the big
heavy four and six mule team harness with
yond all this are the rows OF forty or fifty
big brick ovens, where fresh bread Is 10
be baked for the big army. Dense black
smoke rolls from the row OF stacks in the
daytime. and at night showers OF sparks
make pyrotechnic display while white
uniformed bakers scurry about along the
row OF ovens. Across the tracks and Just
outside the government reservation is the
new Chickamauga theater. where continu-
Gus performances are in course.
Barring. perhaps. 100 wives Of officers In
camp and twenty Inhabitants OF the mid
way. there are no women In the great
tented city or new town OF I.ytle. or all
the women Mrs. Armstrong. wife OF the
surgeon Of the Twenty-drst Kansas has
become best known, She has striking
fsage, the b.uest Of blue eyes and fairest
OF eomplexioas, which the hot Georgia sun
seems poNeriess 20 6arxen. ALFRED in a
black tallor-made riding habit. mounted
On big bay horse. which Is full Of fire
and spirit she goes dashiug along the gov
eminent roads. She has a kind word for
every man who wears the blue. AS a cock
ade for her riding hat she has a neatly ar
ranged silk flag, When she approaches
along The winding white readwayx the men
step to The side % the r1ad and come 10 at
tent!en. AS she passes with kindly smile
they salute and are delighted 20 see her
yellow hiding gaunt!ets touch The tip OF
The scenes about Lyt,e station ard In
the midway are difficult OF description,
and can only be appreciated when seen.
Hundreds q soldiers from nearly every
state in the Union surge back and forth
between tie shanues. Scores os ,oud-
vcirsd. leataer-lunge3 crteTs rena the air
with their cries as they hawk their wares.
Soldiers step 20 decker with them. ana the
excFhstan; prices which prevail threaten
20 bankrupt the defenders os she nation
snd render suddenly wealthy thu forum
ate merchants. occa stoual,y a raourtes.
otticer rides down the midway. and the
ren line up il solid masses % salute
leaving oasv q passage wide enough fo-
the horse 20 pass. Once IN awhile hack
driver has the femerity 10 invade The
street. X g happens 20 be at time when
;ae soldlsEs are particularly thick 81 the
street they become annoyed =: TIE shouts
% the driver 10 move aside, aaa, picking
up herse hack and occupants carry ell
outside the street. Il IS not uncommon FOR
oT'lcers % aavs their horses fest lifted oa.
from 0ader them. as the soldiers crowd 20
close that horses ard riders are powerless
cccssioa2-ly groups OF jewellers move
down the street. exercising rare license