Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-06-09

Beginning with Monday evening Hot
Springs began to realize that an event
of unusual Importance was about to
take place within its gates, for every
train bore veterans and friends who
came to enjoy the Sixteenth annual En-
campment of the Department of South
Dakota, of the Woman's Relief, the
Sons of Veterans and the Black Hills
Soldiers and Sailors.
The special train bearing the visitors
from the eastern portion of the state
arrived over the Elkhorn Tuesday ev-
ening at S:l5 o'clock, with about three
hundred passengers aboard. Tho
trains from the northern Hills that
same evening were loaded, and We'd
nesday the city presented a lively ap-
pearance-und the crowd has been in-
creasing each day.
the Evans, where the reception pro-
gram was carried out Wednesday even
ing as published last week, the eXer-
cises taking place from the veranda of
the Evans.
Mayor Karscn's Welcome.
Mr.. Commander, members of the
Grand Army of the Republic, Womans
Relief Corps, and Sons of Veterans, of
the State of South Dakota:
In behalf of the citizens of Hot
Springs, bid you welcome to our city.
We feel that we are honored in being
accorded the privilege of addressing
the defenders of this Union of ours. l
have no set phrases and realize that
our welcome should be as simple as it
is sincere. We extend to you every
thing we have within this beautiful
Vale of Minnekahta; we open to you
here we want you to feel free to take
everything in sight and everything out
of sight. Though belonging to gen.
Grafton later than the one of which
you are part, we want you to know
that we feel that nothing in this glori-
Gus land of ours, guarded by the stars
and stripes, is too good for the surviv-
ing veterans of the war of 81.
The task that You accomplished en-
titles you to the keys to our homes,
our city and our hearts (and l don't
know but to the Kingdom of Heavenly
A body of men that will fight as you
fought; that will face the hardships
and horrors of long and awful war,
such as you faced; men who will shed
their blood and give up their lives to
relieve from bondage q human race
are entitled to all and more than man
can bestow. Within the past eighteen
months we have often realized :how
we'll you did your work and what an
example you set your children to fol
low, and how we'll they have followed
it in the past year and half. You
, need no introduction to us, your past
deeds are your calling cards; that
bronze bottom there on the lapel OF
your coat is your badge, and tells of
noble work which entities you to the
best we can furnish you. Gentlemen
realize that when Abraham Lincoln
found that he could safely trust you
with the future destinies of this gov.
ernment, that there can be no danger
in my delivering to you the keys to
this city. Hot Springs is yours and
the fullness thereof, only we hope you
will not carry away all the fulness
Not only is our latch string on the out
side, but every door in our city is oper
to you. It may be we'll, however, tt
warn you that there are certain door.
in our city that you should avoid, ant
we confess that we have among us, a.
there are found in other communities
those who strictly follow the scriptx.
al Injunction and ''take the stranger.
in"
There is no other class of men more
admired today than the American sol
dier, and it is patent that the whole
world, today more than ever, takes of
his hat to him. You are the express
4 sion Of divine sentiment which per
meates the American nation; a nation
90 opposed to oppression and SO liber
" loving, that had that disgrace tc
4 European nations, the Armenian mas.
sacres, occurred as near to our shores
as to theirs, the numbering of those
Christians would have been the torch
toSsn.lle the crematory Of the Turkish