The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-01-03
G. A. R. BANQUET.
Comrades Of r. P. Cummins Post
Enjoy Their Annual Feast.
POSTS RExARKABLE RECORD.

Inc members of r. y. Cummsns Post
No. 2l0. g. A. X gave their annual ban
quet Thursday. at the Somerset House.
which wss attended by about sixty old
soldiers, many Of them accompanied by
their wives and daughters. and by repre-
sentatives Of the press
Prior 70 the banquet tie members of
the Post met in their post-room, where
routine business occupied their attention
for several h,urs. The report OF Quarter
master J. NJ Cook showed that on Jann-
ary I, 1889. there were lO3 members in
good standing. and that only one death
that OF Past Commander Oliver Knepper
had occurred during the year. II is
doubted whether any other organization
OF Civil-Wsr veterans in the country can
show such a remarkable record of the
longevity Of its members. Thirty five
years ago hostiiities between the North
and South ceased with the surrender Of
General Lee TO General Grant at Apo
msttox. The youngest of the Boys in
Blue w,s then eighteen years OF age, while
the average age of the Union Soldier was
thirty years.
Many Of the veterans present bore un-
mistaksble signs Of physical deerepitude,
while others, notably "Unele Jake" Hine-
baugh. of lockwood, whose hair and
beard have been whitened by the frosts
of eighty-six winters, seemed to be in the
prime of vigorous manhood. "Uncle
Jake" as he is affeetiunately called. not
o,lrv hx- HE old cou,raHaS In orp,o but
by all who know him, was the centre OF
an interesting group, and his CHEEKY laugh
and cordial welcome encouraged young
sters like Comrade Isaac Jones to hope to
attain to his old age.
The banqueting-room was thrown open
at l:45 p. IN, and the charge that imme-
diately followed eclipsed BILLY" Hoch-
stetler's famous sostie at SaylOr's creek,
where he boldly dashed to the head of the
cavalry forces aud called, Brave boys,
will you follow me?" to his halting COM
rades. History records the battle of Say
lor's creek As one of the most famous Of
Sheridan's many brilliant charges, oven
If il does fail to note the fact that Hoch
stetler's comrades promptly responded tO
the challenge thrown down, and that
Comrade BILLY" led a body of troopers
10 victory.
The tables, groaning with delicaeies and
substantials of the most tempting varie
ty, rejecting unmeasured credit on Mine
Host Tayman's accomplished chef, were
soon relieved of their burden, but not un-
til after Past Commander Rev. +. p. Say
lor had returned thanks to the Great Cap
tain, and appealed to Him to spare the
lives Of the old soldiers until all are ripe
for the sickle.
The courses, consisting of oyster soup,
roast turkey and cranberry sauce, roast
beef. saurkrsut aud speck, baked beass
(which tickled the veterans in a way that
must have caused the army bean, whose
praises have been sung in prose and
poesy. TO feel that he is a back mum ber,
pumpkin and minee pie. ice cream and
clke-but why continue. when there was
plenty and 20 spare. II any cOrrobOra-
tion is required of this lass statement the
reader is referred to comrades Ephriam
Minor, Judge Dickey and jeff" viii.
Comrade &. ]. Harrison, at the request
of retiring Commander A. II. Huston,
acted as toastmaster DIR. Mountain, of
Confluence, was the first speaker. He
prefaced his remarks by stating that be
might as well try to convince his con-
rades that he had a sure cure for rheuma-
tisin as TO make them believe that he
could make an after-dinner address.
Continuing. he said that the mortuary
statistics gathered in the New England
States have demonstrated the fact that
women live TO a greater age than men,
and. such being the case, the old soldiers
would be first to pass 10 the 'other side"
where they would greet their wives.
Here some one suggested that the reason
why the wives of old soldiers attain
greater age than their husbands is owing
TO the fact that they can not secure pen
sions until after they have been widowed,
and another observed thai old soldiers
are invariably partial to young wives
The d 'ctor concluded by paying a high
tribute to the ladies.
Comrade King, when called upon, fn-
ished story which, he declared. Dr.
Mountain was too modest to repeat be-
fore such q large company.
Judge Dickey expressed the pleasure
he had experienced in meeting with so
many Of his former comrades in arms.
aud comrade Isaac Jones recounted a
boyhOod fes, of his when he remained
under water for a full half hour." In
fairness to Comrade Jones it is necessary
to state that his well-knOwn temperance
proclivities were as unmistakably pro
nounced in his younger days as in his
now maturer years.
Comrade F. p. Saylor read report,
giving the standing Of ali the Grand
Army Posts in the county, from which
it appeared that all are in flourishing
condition.
The banquet was unanimously voted
the best aud most successful X. P. Cum
minis Post has given since the custom of
holding annual meetings during the holi-