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

Salt Lake From the Short Line depot
TO Liberty park the sidewalks, and
for large part of the way most of the
streets themselves. were damned so
tightly with people that il looked as if
another spectator couldn't have been
hammered in with pile driver.
And cheer-well, if ever a people put
their hearts into their voices, the peo-
pie of Salt Lake and the strangers
within their gates did yesterday. It's
reasonably safe to say that there are
at least 10000 people in Utah this morn
ing who find it an effort to speak above
whisper. The soldiers took the APP
plauSe as stoically as they did the bull
lets OF the Spanish and the FilipinoS.
With eyes straight to the front. except
for occasional greetings of friends or
gianceS at the decorations in their
honor, they marched along like the
veterans they are until they reached
the park.
There they were assigned seats di-
rectly in front of the speakers stand,
where they listened until, stoicS though
they were, their cheeks flushed at the
encomiums heaped upon them. The
distinct feature of this part of the Elk
erciSes although the speeches were all
good, was the opening number. Not
within the memory of the oldest inhab-
liant has the long metre, DoXology been
Liberty park yesterday afternoon
Paean of Thanksgiving. q
Praise God From Whom All Bless
ings Flow" rose as a paean of thanks
giving, the very acme of gratitude
friends and relatives of the boys who
had come back safe and sound from a
PARKWAY land. There were some who
sung the grand old hymn with tears
trickling down their faces. They were
thinking OF the boys who didn't come
back. Tears were very near the sur
face on thousands of faces, but they
were mostly of pure joy.
At the end of the programme. which
was cut in two on account of the late
ness of the hour. all the volunteers on
the grounds We're formed in batteries
or troops and escorted by the national
guard to the banquet tables. Those
tables made the prettiest picture seen
in Salt Lake in many day.
Wherever flower would show TO ad-
vantage a flower was placed. Wherever
bunting could be tastefully displayed it
was in evidence, and the balance of the
available space was filled with as de-
licious a menu as ever tempted a hun
gry palate. All the really good things
to eat were there. and in such profusion
that everybody in the park could have
been fed if there had been time
While the boys were eating. coveys
of the best-looking girls in Utah-and
that is saying good deal-passed
among them, pinning on the medals
they so fairly Won Every man got one
and the fact that the girls were de-
liberately careful about pinning each
one of the souvenirs on, caused as much
pleasure as the receipt of the gifts
themselves.
Last Meal Together.
1t took a long time TO eat the dinner.
The soldiers. especially the batterymen,
fingered over the meal. for they knew
it was probably the last one they would
all eat together. The partingS were
the most pathetic features OF the day
Voices that never faltered on the firing
line. shook and broke down over the
simple words. Goodbye, old man.
Eyes that hadn't been wet for many a
month were filled with tears atsthe re-
alization that the end had come. 1t
was the end of hardship. of disease, of
danger. but il was also the end of good
comradeship, of camp fire festivities. of
good times in barracks and IN camp.