The Washington times., 1901-07-28
PREPARING FOR THE G. A. R.
Cleveland Getting Ready for the
Annual Encampment.
Committees Engaged in Arranging
Details for the Reception of the
Veterans A Large Delegation
Expected From West virginia.


Veterans Large Delegation
Expected From West Virginia.
CLEVELAND. July 21.-The city Of
Cleveland is determined to give to the
veterans of the Grand Army cordial
welcome next month. on the evening of
June % last. at a meeting of the Com
mittee of One Hundred and the subscribers
to the entertainment fund, the Grand
Army Executive Committee announced
that the total amount subscribed to the
entertainment fund up to that time was
SS1 ,611. Since then the Finance and Exc
cutive Committees have made no further
effort In the direction of raising money,
but nevertheless subscriptions have been
received which considerably augment the
sum then announced
The Committee on Public Comfort WILL
during encs mpment week, maintain a CEN
trail inform tion bureau. Many other bu-
reaus of information will be established
at the railway stations and in other places
convenient to the public. Resting stations
especially fer ladies' of the organizations
auxiliary to aG associated with the
Grand Army will be provided, as will
also package ch-cking stations. great
many down Town stores have already Of
fered space for these purposes There
will be several hundred guides who will
work in three relays of eight hours EACH
so that at any hour of the day or night
strangers may arrive at any railway sta
tion or boat landing and be directed to
the quarters assigned them. Several hun
dred ice water barrels will be stationed
about the streets and replenished constant
iy. Several thousand seats will be placed
on the sidewalks of the principal streets in
order that the visitors may rest These
seats are intended primarily for the old
soldiers themselves, especially for any of
them VINO may ne fatigued during the
grand parade s.nd drop out of line before
the procession has disbanded.
Gen. Leo Rassieur, Commander-in-Chief
OF the Grand Army. was in the city last
week in consultation with members of the
Executive and Parade Committees He
was much gratified at the report made to
him that the parade would be short. He
early insisted that the veterans ought not
to be compelled to march more than two
miles, including the march neeessitated
by- formation. The parade will be on
"Wednesday, September II. and the parade
of the naval veterans on the preceding
day, which is Perry's victory day. The
encampment and the conventions of the
associate and auxiliary organizations will
be held beginning on Thursday, September
II. There will be large number of camp
fires and reunions. which are in charge of
a competent committee, of which Post
master Dewstoe is chairman. Many dis
tinguished guests, including the President
and will be present
The official badge of the delegates has
been decided upon. 1t consists of a gold
and bronze meualiion and a yellow rib
M tha ynld ot,d
sailors monument, the Garfield mauso-
leum, the Grand Army emblem. the seal
OF the State of Ohio, and soldier and
sailor. The badges, numbering about six
teen hundred. viii be sent in a sealed
package to st. Louis and distributed by
Adjutant General Sterrett either from
there or at Cleveland when the encamp
ment is held. The die from which they
were made will be b-oken when they are
sent. as the law of the G. A. r. is that
no one but encampment delegates shall
have these badges.
The preparations for decorating the city
have progressed SO far that at the last
meeting of the Executive Committee on
Thursday of last week. Hubbeil & Bones,
of this city, were appointed architects and
their general plans approved. The details
will be worked out this week and made
public, in all probability. They will be
magnificent and characterized by simplic
ity and dignity. Several grandstands win
be erected, including one for the school
children. who will greet the parade Of the
veterans with songs.
The Hollenden Hotel is the national
headquarters for the Grand Army and
also for several other organizations. The
other organizations are the Woman's Re-
lief Corps, the Ladies Of the G. A. R., the
Daughters of Veterans the Sons of Vet
erans. the National Association of Naval
Veterans and its womans auxiliary, the
National Association of Union ex-Prison-
ers of War and its woman's auxiliary, the
Loyal Home Workers, and the National
Association of Mexican War Veterans
The last named organization is composed
of the nearly six thousand veterans of the
making active preparations to entertain
these honored men. At Cincinnati, where
the association met last year, ESQ were
present.
secretary of the association. met with the
committees the other day. 1t has not
been customary for this order to meet in
connection with Grand Army encamp-
ments, but this year an especial invitation
was extended and accepted.
The Executive Committee. which has in
charge all the work of making ready for
the vast gathering the week of September
Gen. James Barnett, Chairman: Herman
Baehr, Webb c. Ball. Col Louis Black,
John FL. Blood, Arthur Bradley, Capt.
Russell E. Burdick. Col. c. c. Dewstoe,
Col, II. c. Ellison. treasurer; Gen. George
A. Garretson. Samuel +. Haserot, c. w.
Mccormick, Ryerson Ritchie, Capt j. c.
fiOldnu, anu SOl AVA j. flytTSDH
Ritchie, director: Edward w. Doty. sec
retary.
In the opinion of Commander NJ. B.
Bartlett, of the Department of West Vir-
ginia, the attendance from that State will
be larger than at any preceding Grand
Army national encampment. Accompanied
by Past Commander j. l.. Buckley, of
Andrew Mather Post of Parkersburg w.
Va, where both gentlemen live, General
Bartlett arrived in Cleveland last Tues
day afternoon. In addition to five hun
dred veterans for whom free quarters
were asked, many of the West Virginia
soldiers will stop with their families in
boarding houses and private homes. There
will, besides be many excursionists from
the State. The department, which will
bring with 1t the Second Regiment Ma
tional Guard Band of West Virginia, will
have headquarters at the Forest City
House, as will also the West Virginia Wo-
mans Relief Corps.
NAVY ORDERS.