The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-22
DINNER To GEN. MILES.
General Entertained in His Native
State.

Heard Himself and His Deeds Praised
in Boston INTERRUPTIONS Beef
Not Referred TO.
Boston, Narch 2l.-After morning OF
sight seeing and an afternoon at the Iegis
lat re, General Miles closed his first day
in this city by attending "a banquet given
him by the Merchants club, at the AL
gonquin club. this evening, and there
heard himself and his deeds eulogized and
reeounted by number of prominent
| citizens and friends. The banquet was a
most enthusiastic affair. over two hun
dred leading merchants of this city being
present and every reference to the achieve
ments of the distinguished guest was
greeted with great cheering and other
mar ks of appreciation.
The event of the evening was the read
| ing of the Associated Press despatch
DENYING that former Secretary Sherman
was dead and the proposing by Gen.
Miles himself as he ose to speak, of q
toast and long life to the great states
man.
TIE beef Investigation was referred to
| by some of the speakers, but only in a
/ general way. On speaker said that good
food was essen tial to the American
! soldier General Miles and Lieut.. Col
! Michler sat on the right of President
John Mason Little, who presided. On the
/ immediate left were Gov. wolcott and
Adjntant General Dalton. The others at
! the head of the table were: Major W. A.
Pefrins, Col, Charles Pfan. Brig. Gen.
T. K. Mathews. Surgeon General X. A.
/ Blood, General +. ii. Appleton, Brig.
General W. A. Bancroft.
MIR. Little's wafm words of welcome
were followed by General Taylor's COM
parison OF the soldiers of the civil war
with those of the late war with Spain.
General Taylor spoke as follows;
In the course of his speech, General
Taylor said that in the civil war, the
soldiers for the most part, had not had
what term modern conventences In
home life; they had not travelled enough
To realize the boundless resources Of their
country and few of them knew TO what
ends human skill and ingenuity had
combined to make life delightful. SO
when the sold Ter went to war. be put up
with whatever came; unless he had been
favored above the average in his civil life.
He found his new experience az least
novel and sometimes comforting, because
they relieved him Of what promised to be
rode on cattle cars. with their privations.
because il WAS an easier method than
marching on foot. General Taylor quoted
some of his own experiences as instances
in point and then continuing, referred to
the soldiers of 1898. He said the soldiers
were accustomed to paiatial steamers and
railroad trains in their every day life
and knowing that they were under gov
ernme which had boundless wealth, 1t
was not necessary TO crowd them into q
transnc' or u railroad train which was
| bD. the actual necessaries.
General Taylor said that if he had been
one of these soldiers, representing $50,
zoo 0n0 900 of wealth. he should have re-
sented it. He said that he had the great
es, respect for the guest of the evening
and his closing sentiment was: Here s
to General Miles. the Soldier Who Has
Been in More Battles Than any man who
has ever Worn the Amer lean Uniform"
Gov. Woloott received warm greeting
and he, too, welcomed the distinguished
guest, as ne said. i'll his official capacity
as Governor of the Commonwealth. He
said that Massachusetts, was proud of the
record of her honored son, now returned,
and that his deeds had always been close :
" followed with great interest The
Governor referred to the beef investiga-
ton and said that General Miles had the
confidence of the people.
Col A. A. Pope, II life long friend OF
Gen. Miles gave short sketch OF his
career in his business as we'll as his mill
tary life.
In behalf of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, Comrade John +. Gilman, the
departmenb commander of this state gave
General Miles a most cordial greetfng.
With these preliminary speeches
finished, President Little introduced the
guest of the evening, who rose amid great
cheers and applause.
GEN Miles nrefaeed his remarks by ex-
pressing his great relief that Mr.. Sher.
man was still alive. He said he had been
greatly depressed since being informed OF
his death and that the good news was
such reaction that he asked the club to