The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-13
RETURN OF THE VETERANS.
sAVANNAHIANs SING THE PRAISES
OF THE REUNION CITY.

Lack of Entertainment for All.
Many visited the Historic Scenes
in the Vicinity of Charleston, and
Some of the Old Landmarks Fast
Disappearing - The Auditorium
should Re Duplicated in Savannah.
Most of the Savannah veterans who at
tended the Charleston reunion returned
home yesterday. All of them enthusiast
cally praised the hospitality of the people
of Charleston and their generous and i'm
partial welcome and reception Of the old
soldiers of the Confederacy. 4
THE scene on the streets" said Capt.
John r. Dillon, vice president of the Vet
GRAMS Association, was a magnificent
one and worthy the brush Of the artist
or the pen of the poet. The long line of
old veterans the thronged sidewalks fill
ed with the grace and beauty of the city,
the state and the entire south, the wav-
ing banners and the decorations with
which almost every business house and
private residence along the line of march
was adorned, made up a picture well
worthy of long remembrance. Along East
Bay, Broad and Meeting streets, the Bat
terry, King street and Rutledge avenue
the decorations were magnificent and no
other word adequately describes their
beauty"
The applause that the veterans received
along the line of march was hearty and
spontaneous, and of this our camps got
their full share. So far as Iacould see
the applause was perfectly impartial, and
no part of the country was more favored
than another. The sidewalks were a per-
feet mass of people and the windows were
filled with those who used them for the
purpose of getting a better view of the
parade than they could have hoped TO
OBTAIN from any less elevated position. The
stores were closed on the day of the pa
rade, and the entire city was given up to
the festivities of the occasion There were
people and more people everywhere"
capt. Dillon praised very highly the
work of the local committee of citizens
OF charleston, to whom had been entrust-
ed the reception and care of the veter-
ans and other visitors. These gentlemen
were a hand whenever they were needed
and most obiging in furnishing all the in
FORMATION in their power upon any subjecr
desired
II unable 10 give il themselves, in Iookine
up some one who could. This committee
iabored early and late for the comfor,
ana convenience of the guests of the city.
ahd seemed 10 take a genuine pleasure
IN helplng all that it could and In endeav-
orlng to have the visitors carry awav
from Charleston the most favorable i'm
preston possible of the hospitality and
sTac C kindness that was exhibited at
all times by the city and its people.
Inc arrangements for the accommoda-
tAoh OF lhdlsent Confederate veterans with
meals and sleeping quarters were most
ample and exceedingly well planned and
rocked after. The sleeping and eating
apartments We're situated in unused ware
houses near the battery, which were clean
and well ventilated. The cots upon which
'ne veterans slept were comfortable. and
the tables at which they ate. and the ia
Die utensils neal and attractive in apnear
ance. The meals seemed to be good and
the arrangements for providing them so
ample and complete that there was never
any apparent difficulty in feeding all of
the large number that applied for enter
lainment
The Auditorium is a magnificent build
ing, sealing 1000 people, said Cant. Dill
Ion, and emphasized TO my mind the
need that exists in Savannah for sucb a
structure, though perhaps somewhat
smaller. It's acoustic qualities were i'm
paired during the reunion. by the exten-
s'Ve use OF dFaperies and decorations and
by the incessant noise of the people pass
ing to aud fro in the rear of the hall. For
TINS reason it was often impossible to hear
the speakers or to distinguish what was
being done in the convention, but I have
no doubt that with favoring circum
stances every word that is spoken couId
be distinctly heard. The building is adj
mirably adapted to the purposes for which
II was intended and seems certain to nv
mind, to DO Charleston a great deal of
good, and to bring conventions and other
gatherings OF the same sort 10 that CITY.
1T occurred to me that IL would nav the
merchants of our own city to make such
an investment and that in the trade that
1t would bring to the city it would nav q
handsome profit upon the sum of money
that would be required to construct II
Without such building we cannot invite
any large gathering of people 10 meet In
Savannah; if We did have such one we
could extend the invitation and mean n
and the natural attractions of the civ
would cause its acceptance 1 sincerely
hope that The agitation that is now baing
made for the erection of an auditorium in
Savannah VIII not be suffered to die an
untimeiy and unnatural death bur that II
viii result in the construction of a nnhIic
edlnce that the city greatly needs ANA
that win rebound to its great ADVANTAGE
The crowds at the reunion were snIan-
didly handled and there was little n anv
disorder. In the matter of suppresslns
drunkenness the dispensary system seems
10 me to be success, and I saw not baIf
dozen men under the influence of Honor
during the entire time l spent in Charles.
ton. suppose there must have been
some of IL, but there was certainly YER,
little The crowds at the reunion wero
orderly and good-natured and from az
small amount OF il-feehng that I witresse5
l imagine that but little Of either The 'd,s
ponsary or blind tiger liquor hoth ~
which varieties, am told. are equanv
bad could have been INDUCED in" ~
There were immense crowds rhins IN
the time to visit the various seaside w.
sorts in the vicinity and the fortiacat;ons
in the harbor. Fort Sumter is being mad
into modern fertilization, and in nIace
Of the old guns that were formerly monnt
ca upon its walls is to receive a batter,
of 16-inch rided cannon, of the latest ana
most improved design. These viii Nv