Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-11-09
FIFTY-FIRST AT HOME.
WARMLY WELCOMED ON ARRIVAL
AT COUNCIL BLUFFS,
Twenty-Five Thousand People From Outside Towns Parc>
ipate in Welcome-Bands Galore-Shaw,
White and Others Make Addresses

COUNCIL BLUFFS, November O.
Twenty-Five thousand people from all
over Iowa Joined the people of Council
Bluffs today in welcoming back to
Hawkeyedom the Fifty-first Iowa vol
unteers. 1t was a great day in this
town. On Sunday the excursion trains
began to pour their hundreds of coach
loads of people into the city. The Bur-
lington system brought in over 10000
people on special trains, and while it
was by long lead at the top of the
list, yet the other lines contributed inn
mense throngs. Sunday afternoon it
became evident that the town was
stalled. The people couldn't be fed, to
say nothing Of housing them. The
court house and city hall were convert
ed into bed houses; thousands went
over to Omaha for the night. This
NOR hing they were on hand early, but
not early enough to see the trains come
into the Rock Island station with the
soldiers. Comparatively few were at
the depot when the train was sighted
coming across the Missouri river
bridge. AS soon as possible the signal
was given, and the whistles of the city
were turned loose, in shrieking chorus.
But the citizens and visitors had taken
too many liberties the evening previ-
Gus with the sanctfty Of the Sabbath
Even In Council Bluffs Sunday Is sup
posed to be more quiet than any other
day of the week. But this was an ex-
ception. The people turned night into
day. promenaded the streets, sat in the
parks to listen to the music of score,
more or less of bands. argued and wor-
ried about the question of sleeping
quarters and otherwise had a real good
time till early morning. The strain was
too severe, and the town and it's guests
were ringing for ipa
ginning to get well down to sleep when
the whistles began blowing. So it hap
pened that with $4,000 people waiting
to receive them. there were only a few
hundred in the neighborhood Of the de-
pot when the trains came in. But the
town soon awakened. and by the time
the troops could be formed and march,
ed up town, the streets were thronged
The first train came in at 7:30 and the
second an hour later.
The Parade From the Depot.
Everything had been arranged to
make the parade a great affair. There
were about thirty bands in the town;
the police, fire department and all the
CIVIC organizations of the town were
pressed into the parade: then there
were numerous delegations from towns
all over Iowa, wearing badges indi-
eating their respective postoffice ad-
uIcSSeS. IL was d great CaNalCale, DuC
In Ole minor respect the local commit
tee had erred. 1t forgot to make de-
tailed arrangements with the regimen
tai officers for the part the soldiers
should take in the parade. AS soon as
the boys got into the town they climbed
out Of the cars and proceeded to enjoy
themselves. Their legs needed stretch
ing, and some of them were dry. The
efforts made later TO form them and
secure something like the complete
strength Of each company for the pa
rade was difficult. and the result was
that comparatively few Of the soldiers
were actually in the line Of parade. The
parade, however. was a great success.
Never were so many bands in a single
procession in Iowa. The long line took
about forty minutes to pass a given
point. 1t marched all through the CEN
trail district of the town and finally to
Bayless park, the order being as fol-
tnWQ.