Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-31

pledge you the same conduct which has
characterized the regiment ever since 1t was
mustered out at San Francisco and has been
travelling through the country as citizens.
] am not the orator OF the regiment. He Is
Major Kilian and l want him to say o Few
words.
Major KHAN said that he had but one
thing to say to the regiment. He asked
the men to remember that when they were
done celebrating in Omaha Columbus was
waiting for them and there were no keys
needed there.
The Governors Address.
Governor POINTER was introduced and was
cheered by the regiment when he stepped
forward. He said:
II you have had any doubt Of the welcome
the state would extend to you, the scenes
and acts of this morning have removed
every such doubt and assured you that the
state was proud OF you. When you stepped
off the steamer at San Francisco the greet
Ing which met you gave you an Idea OF the
welcome which was awaiting you at home.
AS your way home has been one triumphant
progress you can realize the appreciation the
state and the country have OF your services.
These preparations for your homecoming
are in recognition OF your splendid fighting
qualities.
You are about TO put off the livery of
Uncfe Sam and resume the garments OF
citizenship ana we know that the same de-
votion to duty that characterized you in the
service will follow you into the pursuits OF
peace, Just as in 1865, when the returning
soldiers quickly assumed THE duties OF cit
izenship with that devotion that has char
acteriZed them through all the years. |
know that men who have been the kind of
soldiers you have been cannot but be the
best of citizens and the kind we are glad
to welcome among us. We are prouder OF
that flag, with some of it's stripes missing,
than We would be of the fairest new one
just from the factory. 1t shows the quality
of the men into whose care we delivered 1t
when you left. In behalf of the people OF
the entire state l extend you a welcome
home. We wish you all prosperity and hap
piness, and all that can be done to bring
you 1t, we stand ready to do,
ID. E. omp Responds to Calls.
Governor Poynter was loudly applauded
and then there were calls for Thompson, who
had not expected to speak, but neverthe-
less came to the front of the stand and
said:
1 have a reputation for being a modest
young man, which l want to retain, and l
am afraid that 1t is not in keeping with
such a reputation for a man TO make
speeches. But l want to tell you of the
admiration we air feel for you. You are
like the original George, you were first in
peace and first in war and you are now first
in the hearts OF your countrymen. We
hUOW lIdl yOu IdNt uOIt SOuI vi u
across the seas and we are glad that you
are back with us.
DR.. Buffers Address.
There were calls for DR.. Butler and the
chaplain of the Thurston Rifles, in uni
form, came forward and spoke as follows:
1 read in an old English play the other
day of a woman who went to every funeral
she could and was always thinking about
them. One day she came home with a
coffin plate inscribed with the name Of
Thompson, and when the family asked her
what it was for she said, why, I was Just
thinking that II our little daughter should
grow up and marry a man by the name OF
Thompson, and If he should spell his name
with a p and he should die, how handy it
| would be to have this plate in the house.
/ hope that it will be that long before We
shall have to have a plate inscribed for Mr..
Thompson.
/ have no merit or claim to stand here
as a speaker. l am not the mayor of any
municipality or the governor of any state,
but hold an office of which l am prouder
than l would be Of any such position. l
am chaplain Of the Thurston Rifles. There
Is only one man who ranks me and he is
Chaplain Mailly of the regiment, who has
prayed and fought with you and has given
a demonstration Of practical Christianity.
You started from the Golden Gate at the
same time that 1 started from He'll Gate
that we might meet in the Gate City. They
asked me to come because there is no
politics in mine; that is why l was called
from the sunrise to speak to you who have
Just come from the sunset.
/ wish / were like the Mississippi river,
and why? Some Of you will say he wants
to be the Mississippi because then he could
overrun his bank limit, but that Is not it.
Some will say because thep he would be in
| perpetual levees as you are now holding a
levee, but that's not 1t. 1t Is because then
I would have three mouths with which to
tell you the welcome that is yours. Oh, it
would take three thousand mouths to ex-
press the welcome that throbs in the hearts
of these thousands gathered about you.
All Our Boys.
81 am chaplain of Company L. but you
are all our boys. We thank you for rush
ing past your homes with but a brief word
to come to the mother-city of Company l..
The last service did for Company l. was
to go to the mother OF a member who did
not have time to see her before he left for
Lincoln, and tell her goodbye for him. That
was Martin o. Legg of sacred memory. Let
there be no sadness here. Let those who
are absent inspire us, as the stripes wnicn
are missing from that flag inspire us, for
the al sent are here with us. | feel now the
touch upon my arm Of the man by whose
side | marched to the depos "a year ago, the
touch of Lee Forby's hand. DO lou think
he ana the others are not here now. They
are lihe Him who said, i go away, but !
come again. lou men, WUdl 40 you Inl1. X
now OF Stotsenburg, who rushed away from
his loved family to go into that hell at
Quingua? Do you think that he Is not here;
that he has not come down from heaven to
be with his boys? Let us make this a day
that will be memorable, but oratory Is moth
ing to what your acts were.
You men who have been down among the
black fellows-all coons must not look alike
to you. Remember there are some OF then
here who feel as we do towards you. W.
are here of both sexes and of all complex
ions, all professions and an political faiths
but everything Is swept away n the wei
come that goes out from all our hearts.
have contempt for myself when | thing thai
| am a barrier between the members Of
Company l. and those mothers waiting al
the aTmory. ! am proud Of you; there hat
never been a minute but have been PROUD
of you and | share the confidence that in
peace you Will conduct yourselves as you
did when winning your victories. And now
when we pray, we will not mention you a!
beyond the seas, but as here with us, bott
the living and the dead, and God over all
to watch and protect us and bring us al
last into that city of everlasting peace, t.
be His forever.
Dispersal of the REGIMENT.
With the conclusion of DIR. Buffers ad-
dress the exercises at the stand were over
Company l. went to the armory to meet
relatives and intimate friends and the rest
OF the 500 men were directed to the cars