Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-11-11
The Vets are Dying.

~ @SN VI
The Vets are Dying.
In CLASSIC lore it is said that when
,xerxes had halted his army on the
march to conquer Greece and had
numbered them aud found that he
had over $500, 900 soldiers, in the even
ing be was found by one of his senti-
nels standing on hill gazing down |
upon his camp, in tears. On being
asked why he was weeping, he replied:
"See that great armyj In few years
they will have all passed away and not
one Of those brave man will be left"
1t is said that General Grant as he
stood and viewed the "Grand Parade
Of the old Boys in Blue" at Washing /
Ton in 1865 made the remark that
these heroes had conquered the brav- !
est and most heroic army that ever
brod the earth, but that In q few
years they will all be gone and will
only live in history and in the hearts
and affections of grateful nation.
The "Boys in Blue" in that parade
were in the prime Of young manhood.
On the 9Th of October at the nation
81 encampment, over the same route,
Pennsylvania avenue, another review
took place. There in the parade were
the remnants of the "Old Guard"
They were no longer young, flushed
with the strength of manhood, but
were old, gray and tottering, many of
them leaning on the staff to support
their feeble steps. Many of their
comrades who had marched with them
In rs, had shared the fate that Xerxes
said awaited his army, and which
General Grant said would overtake
the heroes of '65.
From 81 to IS these men had sung
the song 1--WE are coming, Father
Abraham, a million men or more"
but the men in the parade October 8,
II they did not say SO, thought Gwen
soon be at home over there" and
while they were on that day march
ing in review before the president,
the assembled thousands and the
great nation which they saved, they
were on the march which would soon
end I'm the camp beyond the river"
Many had fallen by the wayside on
the march since 'B5, but the time has
now come when these brave men will
fall thickly, will not only be number
cd out singly, but will be discharged
by companies, regiments, brigades, d.
visions and army corps. The high
water mark of the Grand Army of the
Republic was in 1890, when it num-
bered 400, 49S. Since that time its
members have been mustered out un-
til now that grand order of brave men
only numbers 1858, 745, a falling off Of
almost one-half in twelve years.
There is now only 6,5l1 posts, scat.
tered throughout the nation. A few
years ago they were found in nearly
every town in the northern states and
IN the larger cities OF the south. Ow-
ing to the death of the mem bers many
posts have surrendered their charters
and have been consolidated with other
posts, and this consolation will con-
tinue until soon there will be only q
post In q county, then state organi-
nation and soon, too soon, only a ma
tional organization. The little bronze
button will get scarcer and more rare
and the time will soon be here when
the last old veteran as he posses along
the street, leaning on the staff or
crutch to support his feeble steps, the
passer by will salute him and the
children will stop their play and, as
they gaze on him, will say, "There
goes an old union soldier"
Yes, the veterans are leaving the
camping grounds on this side and are
crossing over into the bivouac in the
unknown land. AS their ranks are
thinned here, they are getting larger
over there, as they are mustered out
here, they are enrolled over there.
One of the grandest and noblest
things that the nation and the states
are doing is in providing homes for
the dependent ones and the wives,
widows, mothers, etc, of these men
in which they can pass the remainder
Of their days.in comfort and tranquil
aty. Let no one begrudge the pension
these old fellows are getting, for it is
part Of the price which the nation is
paying for its existence and in short
time there will be no pensions to pay
to thatgrand army of liberty defend.
ers, for opposite each name on the
pension roll will be written one word
"pead. Farmers Tribune.
The Rice vile Recorder under its
new management shows its sympathy
with the trust magnates in its mild
criticism of the PLAIN DEALER for