Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-20
MAINE G. A. R.
Veterans Holding Annual En-
campment in Auburn.
Six Candidates for Department CON-
mander in the Field.
National Commander Present Reports and Ad
dresses at tuesdays Meeting.

nuai cncampmcnt Of the G.. \. r.. met
ut II O'Clock this forenoon. at Auburn
hall. Auburn. with over 400 members
Of TIE order in attendance. one of the
largest gatherings in the history of
the cncampment in recent years.
on Monday evening, the council of
adm nistrat.on met at the headquarters
at Hotel Atwood and transacted pre-
linnary business.
Important meetings Of the commit
tees of both the Woman's State Relief
| Corps and the Department of Maine
| National Relief Corps were held. the
| former at Auburn and the latter a;
Lewiston.
The commander of the national en-
campmcnt of the Grand Army col
| LHc RoSSclu of st. Louis. arrived on
| Monday evening, and will rema in dur
| ing the sessions. A vast amount of
| elcctionccring for the office Of depart
| ment commander is being done With
| slime five or six candidates in the field
| The encampment met at II O'Clock
| today.
| 1t was voted to hold the election of
| ~. L.,
Wednesday. 1t was voted that all NOM
| mating speeches be limited to five
minutes time.
| At 1l.3O Department Comma nder seth
| /. Snipe of Bath. delivered his annual
report. which began as follows:
Comrades: one year ago we met in thu.
beautiful city of Portland where we re-
| ccived 4 cordial greeting and a soldier :;
he % rai n
| vided for our pleasure has seldom been
"qualled and never surpassed in the his
tory of the organization in this depart
ment. The march of another year is end
| ed and we pitch our tents for the annual
cncampment in this fair city on the banks
| of the Andrcscoggin, whera our comrades
| arc as loyal to the order as any in thu
| land. ana where the first principle OF our
order. fraternity. will he extended to us
| in the same fraternal spirit as it has been
| in the past
| When you elected me to the high Office
| | now hold, | was not inScnSiblc of the
| honor conferred on me or Of my respon-
| Sibiity for the faithful discharge of the
| important duties committed to my trust.
| No ono should seek the honor of such a
| position without being willing tn do the
work htat comes with it, How well that
| duty has been dore you must judge. In
every post that | have visited and from
every comradc that | have mot. / have
| received the most hearty welcome and
| cordial greeting that can come only from
| a .. \. H..
! regret is that could not visit every Post
| and extend hand OF fraternal greeting
| to every member of our order.
| AS | stand here in the c.osing hour Of
my term of office and look back over thu
year there are mingled feelings of pleas
| ure and sorrow-of pleasure when ! re-
call the happy hours spent with my com
| radeS, the fratcrnll spirit which prevails
in our ranks. and the large number VIII"
are permitted to meet at our annual CON
VcntiOn. My feelings are SorroWful when
| | recall those who will never more answer
/ here at the roll call, but who have gone
| to join those on the ether shore. Some
who Were with US one year ago W" Will
| never see again At ur annual reunions
never again hear their voices nor grasp
| their hands in fratCrnal greeting. In al
| most every Post there is the vacant seat.
| We were all panied to learn OF the sud
den death Of Past Department Comman-
der J. Wesley Gilman, on the Eth of Jan
/ Uary. | am sure il WIS to many of MS 4
! personal loss. and desire hero publicly
| 10 bear testimony to his loyalty as a com
| AIDE and to his faithfulness as / friend.
! | shall not soon forget his cordial aud
| pleasant welcome at his home whore !
was entertained so royalty on my official
| visit to his Post. IN his death the De
partmcnt Of Maine loses one Of its most
loyal. honored and active members. Ills
| record soldier was one of which any
| young man might justly he proud lie
| enlisted at the age of IL in the Hlth Name
| Infantry. in August. 1852 and served untli
September 1854 As member of the @.
A. Il. he was ever faithful in the per-
| formancc of every duty monument upon
| him. As department commander ne Wis
lifted more Posts and met more or our
| comrades than anyone who has hlicd that
| position. He loved the G.. y. r.. and his
| warm hearted. genial companionship en-
| dearcd him to all. Ills record as a Ciu-
zen was honorable one, as ne hau
filled positions of public trust aud respon-
| sibility with fidelity and honor.
In the early days ofasalr orders we took
d just pride i'll its growth. ana watcieu
each year with interest. the number that
| had boon mustered in. Now we regret
| to hear the report that announces tne
| number that have been mustered out
for our number grows smaller as tl i'I
| years go by. There are still many on
| soldiers in every community VINO nav
never belonged to the G.. ~ r., ana l
| would not recommend that we try 10
| oVer-perSttade them to JOIN our ra'lh ,:
They have seen the good work done DS
Our organization, but have not been Will,
| ing to identify themselves with IL alin
help carry along the good work III "tlcn
we have been engaged. The question ha9
| been asked me frequently by those wiz
| have been invited to join us: Nv nat PEI
! eft will it be to me to join the Ii a n
Nv answer has pcen: II do not kio"
it will be any material benefit to you, anu
| if you wish to join il for what you 80 -
get out of it. you had better not oe.U ;.
a member. We want you tor ',ie'i1 Tbe
| for what YOU can do for others. 80
avowcd objects of the G. y. K;,arc =, a
tcrnity. charity and loyalty, This meats cans
to help those who are less fortu.at - ,han
ourselves: to cultivate and strens.,,o
those fratcrnal feelings which we l3t ~.
| in the army and navy; and TO tcacu =" 4,
| lesson of loyalty There is a cIass t" a. =
4 would earnestly urge you to get paC t III ~ ~
| vour ranks. 1t includes those WIZ a. i.
on the suspended list. which J iJei ~
much too large. If they are uiapas Dit
nav their dues the dues should DE l.d
Il ted that they may remain in Good $50" ,,ar
ing If they refuse to pay tor any NJ
sonal reason or for any grievance 10y, nr,
NAV have. let us use our best eiue 60,
To get them back. one year ago our ~
bership was 1861. on the 1st OF Jaiiu 10, q
1901. it was 616i. loss of aHi we VIA,
lost ore Post. Knowles Post OF Masat p ,l,
surrendered its charter. This was ,iJe.
of only six members and they Wer. "boId
" scattered and therefore unable 70 4;
their meetings longer. There ,ohar
POSTS in the department with me ,. paes
shin of less than p, and l23 WIN
than %.
This was followed by the report OF
sistant Adjutant General James L. w,
r;oly or Watcryillo In part IL was do -