The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-30
WELCOME THEM HOME
The Boys Should Be rendered a
Reception of Some Kind.
BUTTE THE BEST PLACE
The Regiment Will Be Mustered Out at
San Francisco, but an Effort Will
Be Made to Bring It
Home Intact.

The preliminary steps toward prepar-
| ing a reception for the Montana volun-
| teers when they arrive home from Ma
| Mia were taken at a meeting of citizens
| held last evening in the council cham
! Der at the city hall. For some reason
| probably because the meeting had not
been very extensively advertised, the
attendance was small, but the gentle
! men who were there decided to go ahead
| and, after an exchange of opinions, the
/ chairman of the meeting was empow-
cred ITO appoint an executive commit
| tee to take charge of the arrangements.
| The meeting organized by selecting
Henry Mueller chairman. Mr.. Mueller
stated the purpose of the meeting and
| after the selection of j. F. Davies as
| secretary, Ex-Governor Richards adj
| dressed the meeting. He expressed the
| belief that the people of the state
ought to suitably show their apprecia-
! ton of the regiment by giving the boys
| a grand welcome home, and 1T was In
| the hope that the suggestions that have
| been made might crystalline into some
| definite plan of action that the meeting
| had been called. Governor Richards
| favored the idea of giving a reception
| to the regiment as a body, but they
had voted to be mustered out at San
| Francisco, and, If they could not be in
duced to come home as an organiZa-
ton, it would be impracticable to do
| so. He thought that if a committee of
| citizens from the different towns which
| sent companies were to go to San Fran
/ cisco the boys might be induced to come
| home to be mustered out. AS to the
| place where the reception should be
| l,a p,,tt = hnn nl "
| place to be considered, as it was the
| most centrally located for all the COM
/ panies. 1t had been suggested that If
| Governor Smith were to go to San
| Francisco it might be that the soldiers
| could be brought home together as the
| National Guard, even if mustered out
| there. He was not certain, however,
| that this could be done. Governor Rick
| ards also favored the idea of present.
| ing each soldier with a medal comment
| orative of his service.
| Dr. L. E. Holmes said that while the
| citizens were DESTROYS of giving the sol
ders royal welcome, in his judgment
| the wishes of the soldiers should be
| first considered. He thought the first
thing the soldiers would want when
| they got home would be to see their
relatives and friends, and If 1t were
| desired to give them reception 1t
| should be deferred till they had been
| home three or four weeks. He did not
| think the soldiers from Dillon or other
| towns would enjoy a reception here or
anywhere but at their own homes. he
| did not think the soldiers ought to be
| asked to muster out here or anywhere
else except at San Francisco. 1t meant
| about $50 a head to them and the men
1 would need the travel pay. -
| Colonel c. f. Lloyd thought that as
| the soldiers had decided to be mustered
| out at San Francisco, any reception
! contemplated should be deferred as sus-
! gested by DR.. Holmes, for he appre-
| hended the men could not be induced
| to change their minds, and in that case
| they would struggle home and gen
| eral reception could not be given until
| some time after mastering out.
! Governor Richards, speaking again,
| said he had not been aware that the
/ travel pay amounted to so much as Or.
/ Holmes stated. That being the case,
| the boys should not be asked to foreso
their travel pay, and some plan should
be devised to get them to come home
| together after mastering out. He I'M
| derstood the railroads would make a
| rate of $50 for the soldiers, and IL the
| committee he had suggested were to go
| to San Francisco and tell them OF the
| reception that awaited them, they could
| be induced to come in body; or II
is possible a special train could be
| chartered which would make the rate
| even less than $50, in which event the
| boys would doubtless be glad to avail
| themselves of the chance to get home
| cheaply
Attorney E. B. Howell made a sugges-
| ton He thought the soldiers had
/ shown great heroism and were deserv-
/ ing of a suitable expression of the peo-
| ple's appreciation. The state should
present each man a medal that would
| be treasured by himself and those who
| came after him; and more than any
| thing, he believed that something sub
stantial should be done for the men in
| the way of providing them with en-
ployment Some of them left good jobs
| to go to war and all would want work.
He thought the best thing the people
| could do for the soldiers was to see
that they We're provided with employ
| ment.
r. H. Paxson, who went to the Phil
| ippines with the regiment as hospital
| steward, said Governor Richards had
| expressed his sentiments. He knew the
| boys would expect some kind of a re-
| ception.
Alderman Knowlton said if necessary
| the money to charter a special train
should be raised, in which event I'M
doubtedly all the boys would be glad to
| come together.
/ After further speeches it was voted
| that the chair appoint an executive
| committee of seven. he to be an ex-
officio member which should be author
| lied to go ahead and take charge Of
| the matter both as to the reception and
arranging for medals. The chair an
nounced he would defer appointing the
committee till such time as he could Sc
| lect men who would agree to act. The
meeting then adjourned.