The evening times., 1899-06-09
Mr.. UTLEY OFFERS
an EXPLANATION
Failure of the Glen Echo En-
campment.
Not a Lack Of Organization But Of
Harmony.
Certain Daughters Objected to Some
of the Speakers and the
Manager.

The abandonment OF the Glen Echo en-
campment, for which elaborate arrange
ments had been made by the Robert E.
Lee Chapter of the United Daughters. of
| the Confederacy. has provoked great
deal of discussion. Numerous causes have
been assigned for its failure. including the
torrid weather, lack of executive ability in
the preliminary management, the refusal
of the Virginia Daughters to harmonize
in the celebration. etc, etc.
w. L. Utley, who has had the manage
ment of the encampment arrangements in
hand for several weeks, and who has re-
ceiyed a large share Of the blame for its
failure. gave the following interview to
reporter for The Times this morning;
las the statements which have recently
appeared in the press of Washington con-
cerning the Glen Echo encampment do
not represent the facts in the case, give
YOU this statement in justice to the Robert
E. Lee Chapter and myself. According to
the agreement l made with the X. Z. Lee
Chapter when first took hold OF the mat
ter, I wish to say that l am personally
responsible for all Indebtedness, and ex-
pect to live up to this part Of my contract
and will see that every dollar Of the obli-
CATION is met / am not In a position to
do this at the present time. but hope to be
in the near future. With regard to the
statement that have not represented the
facts to the r. E. Lee Chapter concerning
my agreement with the Glen Echo Park
officials, i wish to say, that my agreement
with the ladies in writing was to the ef-
feet that l was to have full authority to
make such contracts and conduct the busi-
ness Of the encampment in such manner as
/ felt to be to the best interests Of all
concerned.
My contract for Glen Echo Park was
first made with Mr.. Thomas c. Cole, who
was then in charge. When the park chang
ed hands l renewed my contract with Mr..
Brawner, the new manager. According TO
the agreement Mr.. Brawner was to receive
% per cent and the r. E. Lee Chapter 10
per cent Of the gross receipts. After max
ing this agreement. Mr.. Brawner subiet
the amphitheatre to Messrs Rock & Keith.
These gentlemen came to me about an
hour before the opening exercises and rep
resented that they were going to lose mon
ey by virtue Of the fact that they had to
pay the salaries OF their show people dur
ing the time that the encampment was in
progress and refused to open the doors OF
the amphitheatre until l made an agree
ment which would protect them against
loss. ne was
receive the first $500 and that l should re-
ceive the second $500. but in the event We
took in 81 200 the original contract was to
be in force l have since learned that it
was unnecessary to make such an agree
ment. but it is too late now.
That the encampment was not a sue
cess admit. But l do not agree with the
causes assigned. The weather was against
US, it is true; but instead of there being a
lack of organization, there was lack Of
harmony. There was no serious disagree
ment in the r. E. Lee Chapter. for the
ladies stood by me until the last. The sis
ter chapter of the United Daughters OF the
Confe ieracy did not unite with the r. E.
Lee Chapter in the manner expected. OBJ
jections were raised by individuals against
some Of the speakers and against me in
dividually, because | was not an 5. C. V.
l do not care to mention names or the
speakers objected to.
Zone thing more and am done. My alb
sence yesterday was occasioned by the un-
derstanding that there would be no exer-
cises in the afternoon at the park. there
fore spent my time in notifying the invited
speakers and talent. did my best TO pre-
sent an attractive and acceptable pro-
gramme to the Confederacy and 20 the
public Had il been a success | would have
been congratulated; as il is, l must take
my medicine My experience has served
TO teach me that hereafter it will be best
to remain on the north side of Mason and
Dixon's line"