Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-21
PLAN To RECEIVE The FIRST
Comnitts. Of Fifty Appointed to Prepare a
State Welcome.
SCHEME OLA SPECIAL IRAN is POPULAR
Greatest Dimculty Decided TO he that
of Keeping the Regiment To-
gether After Muster out
on the Coast.

the council chamber yesterday afternoon
/ discussed plans FOR suitably honorlng tie
returning soldiers and organized working
committee OF fifty members. IWenty-nNe
/ OF theS.e are from this city and the remain
/ ing twenty FIVE are from other cities OF ihe
state. each town or city from which com
7 pany Of the regiment came being included.
Among those present we're Senator hay Nard'
| Adjutaut General Gage OF the Grand Army
D OF the Republic and Captain Culver Of NIL
I ford.
| Mayor Moores called the meeting TO order
and vas made chairman. Cadet Taylor was
selected TO be the secretary. The chairman
outlined the objects OF he meeting and
urged that it should not fail Of its purpose
! He called upon Cadet Taylor, Who stated the
proposed plan Of bringing the regiment to
Omaha from the coast free Of cos: and OF
presenting each member with suitable
medal.
Matt Daugherty Of Sidney informed the
committee that he had travelled 40 miles to
attend the meeting and was willing TO go
! 1000 to honor the boys OF the regiment
He strongly urged that they be brought 10
Omaha from the coast and De presented with
token Of the welcome that they would
value throughout their lives.
/ There vas some discussion as TO whether
; the Second and Third regiments should be
included in the reception, or should simply
be invited to cooperate in honortng the
members OF the First Mayor Moores read
several letters from ex-members Of the Sec
ond regiment, among them one from Captain
/ Hayward of Nebraska City. ia which the
feeling vas expressed that the Second would
not consent TO be guests OF the occss on,
but would do their part as citizens Of the
state and comrades in honoring the Fight
ing First"
Senator Hayward was called for and re-
Z sponded by saying that ne feared the regi-
ment could not be induced to come TO
| Omaha before the members had had q chance
20 60 to their homes. He recalled the fact
that only the positive order 0. the War de-
/ psrtment had kept the Second regiment in
Omaha for the occasion Of the presidents
visit and that a. the close Of the civil war
there was nothing that could prevent the
men from returning 10 their homes imne-
diately upon being mustered out He feared
! that it would be difficult to offer the BOYS
a reception which would be an inducemeat
strong enough to get them to Omaha before
they had been 10 their homes
Judge Thompson OF Grand Island urged
the committee to find out if Lincoln had
made preparations TO welcome the regiment
and II so TO devise some way of CO.
operating. He thought there was a tendency
toward rivalry which should be discour-
aged.
Edward RoseTa;er believed that the prob
lem should De dealt with in a practical
way. II the regiment could be brought 10
Omaha as a whole, he said. il should be,
but the committee might spend $40, ,O0o on a
special train and then no; succeed in hold
ing the men after they were once in the
state. better plan he thought would be
TO make arrangements 20 have the regiment
take part in the exercises al St Paul AMI
Minneapolis. where the president had ar
ranged 10 review all the troops from sur
rounding states engaged in the late war
From there the state might bring them on
special train and there would then De no
trouble in holding them a day or Two in
Omaha II they we're accompanied on their
return by the Kansas regiment so much
the better. And later, II the regiment was
rendered reception az Lincoln the people
OF Omaha would surely be broad enough
to take part and do them honor again. Il
might be that the committee would see It's
way clear 70 send the Second and Third
regiments 10 81. Paul as an escort TO the
FirsI- That would be better than to send
q train to san Francisco. and fail 70 get
them. As for keeping the whole regiment
together. he said, II would be more easily
done by getting them 70 81. Paul first than
70 Omaha.
Major Clarkson argued that there would
be no way to hold the regiment: together
once il had been mustered out AZ san Fran
cisco. He believed, moreover, that every
man in the regiment should be allowed 10
see his mother, wife or sweetheart before
being asked 10 come 20 Omaha "a a well
come The home welcome would outweigh
any others in the minds o. the soldiers.
Atterward they would be glad 10 come here
and DO anything Omaha asked OF them.
Captain Culver advised that an effort be
made 70 get the regiment here, even II II
failed. The effort would do the state
credit.
Rev. F. NJ sisson thought the state would
do well 10 bring the regiment home free
Of expense and then inquire what could
be done for their entertainment. There
was too much OF a disposition 10 look 10
what the city OF Omaha could get ou- o.
1t. The state would not be doing too much
II IL brought the regiment home IN spe-
cial train even Il the boys scattered TO
their homes as soon as they got within the
state
Judge Scott thought that the regiment
which had astonished the world with lis
gallantry should be brought home IN a spe-
cial train.
Reception by Entire state.
Judge Thompson then offered motion
declaring it the sense % the meeting tha;
The entire state should tender the regiment
a reception in the city q Omaha This
notion vas carried. Another motion vas
soon made that committee of twenty-five
be appointed 10 take charge Of the work.
This mo,iou also prevailed and Mayor
Moores Immediately read a list Of twenty
Eve appointsss 10 this committee.
Judge Thompson was unwilling 10 promise
the committee the support Of the people OF
Grand Island so long as this committee was
composed entirely Of Omaha men. He be
lisved the people Of the state would be
willing 10 have the celebration take place
in Omaha znd TO contribute as much as
possible toward It's success, but he objected
70 the rest OF the state being ignored.
Edward RoseEstsr then offered an amend
usnt TO the effect that ten members be
added 10 the committee from outside -
Omaha. Major Clarks5n suggested that the
number be made twelve, one from each %
the home towns OF the eonps MES, but as
Grand Island has no company In the First
Judge Thompson again objected Il vas
finally decided that the sire Of the con-