The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-20

In the bright fullness of a perfect day
"a day in which the very breeZes whis-
oered a song of welcome-Utah yester-
day received her patriot sons. With
arms wide stretched and pulses thrill
ing with the emotion that comes to a
mother when a long absent child again
finds shelter in the old home, Utah
thinks of them.
Words are too cold to express the
warmth OF that welcome. Phrases that
can properly portray the real signifi-
canoe OF that greeting have not been
coined 1t was simply a magnificent
outburst of long pent-up yearnlng. me
flood gates were opened, and on the
wave that followed the volunteers We're
carried into the hearts and homes OF
their beloved.
Here and there in the ranks of the
soldiers who went away raw recruits,
and VINO came back veterans, who went
away boys and came back men, face
was missing. In the soil of the land
they helped TO conquer their bones are
lying Rude headboards mark their
resting places, but they were not for
gotten yesterday.
In every speech, in every conversa-
ton. a tribute was paid to their mem
Dry Perhaps, in that spirit land across
the dark river. where the angel of peace
forever hoverS with widespread wings,
those honored dead heard the words of
affection. Perhaps they, too, thrilled
with pride as, gazing over the battle
ments of the great unknown, they saw
the laurel placed on the brows of their
comrades. and realized that they, too,
were worthy of the well won honorS be-
slowed upon them.
Great Crowds Took Part.
Fully $4,000 people took part in the
demonstration here and in Ogden. In
the Junction City upwards of 10000
people did honor to the heroes, while in
Salt Lake the celebration was partici-
pated in by 10000. OF this number
probably 10000 were from outside cities.
All the railroads We're taxed to the ut
most limit of their capacity. In addi-
ton. many hundreds from nearby
points drove in in vehicles of every de-
scription.
Even as every town and hamlet
throughout the state had furnished its
quota of volunteers, SO every one of
them sent a delegation, large or small,
10 welcome the returning batterymen.
Never was there such a sight in Utah.
Old men who saw ii yesterday said:
God grant that the need may never
occur again"
When the special train that carried
nearly 200 friends and relatives of the
volunteers left the Oregon Short Line
depot AT o'clock yesterday morning
to begin its race to ogden, cluster of
people remained behind to pick places
OF vantage from which to view the re-
turn Of the soldier train. Superintend-
ent Calvin's private car had been at
tached TO the rear of the train. 1t car
ried Governor Wells, with his staff, and
a party of friends as the guests of Cen
eral Passenger Agent y. z. Burley.
Breakfast was served while the train
was skipping along at a rate of nearly
sixty-five miles an hour. Ogden was
reached at 6:45, and there it was an
nounced that the volunteers would not
arrive until $50. Mayor Boyle and
committee OF citizens visited Governor
Wells. and turned the municipality over
TO him.
Arrival In Ogden.
Nearly two hours had elapsed when,
far away down the Southern Pacific
tracks, came the faint foot" foot"
of locomotive whistle. Five thousand
people, in a rOily, restless. good-hu-
niored mass, had filled the platforms
and yard. The far away whistle was
the signal they had been looking for
With almost the precision of a band of
college students they began to cheer
All the steam whistles in town joined
in the hubbub, and the uproar was ter
rife.
Hundreds of men, women and chill
dren ran down the tracks 10 intercept
the approaching train. Ogden's small
police force was as powerless TO stem
the tide as a child would be who at
tempted to bail out the lake with a
sieve. The bluecoats were simply swal-
lowed in the vortex of humanity, and
that was the last of them.
TWO minutes after the first whistle
was heard the train rolled in. From
every car window a head protruded !
Each head contained an open mouth |
ana from each mouth came yells that I
TiValed the whistling. The platforms |
were damned, and before the line of |
cars reached a standstill the volunteers
had begun swinging themselves off.
Major Grant was among the first. He |
was followed closely by Major Young. |
Captains Critchlow and Wedg~ood and |
the other officers. They formed a little I
circle, and permitted themselves to be |
mObbed by their admiring friends and |
relatives. Volleys of kisses that sound |
ed like an infantry engagement rent
the atmosphere.
Everybody Was Related.
The two hundred and seventh degree
of consanguinity was regarded as close |
and good many of the I
lookers-on We're at once made sorry /
they hadn't volunteered. Governor
Wells came uD moment or two after |
the officers reached the station plat |
form. The executive didn't do any
kissing, but it looked for a time as if