Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-04-26
THE DALLAS REUNION
Forty-Five Thousand Visitors. Five
Thousand of Whom are Vets.
stress of Numbers Forced the COMMITTEES
to Put Up Tents Day in Advance Of
the Program-Ten Thousand
Veterans Expected.

AUUOuuCEIutuL
until tomorrow, is under way. II be-
gan early today and gained strength
and enthusiasm as the day passed. 1t
was not officially recognized as the
twelfth annual reunion Chat COM
mences tomorrow at 10 a. m.); it was
twenty hours in advance of the pro
gramme, and 1t was attended by many
inconvenience, but it was a reunion
in full swing, nevertheless.
Tonight it is estimated that there
are $4,000 visitors in the city, and, to
quote Mayor Cabell, 1T fairly makes
the city limits bulge" OF these 1t is
said 1000 are the keen-eyed, strong
limbed men who, forty years ago, car
ried the Stars and Bars in splendid
heroism ON many glorious battle
field. Sons of veterans, sponsors,
maids of honor sons, wives and daugh-
ters, each with some badge showing
pride of Confederate deeds, make up
the total mentioned.
The unofficial opening Of the reunion
came about through stress of num-
bers. Delegation after delegation OF
veterans marched from the various
aepots to the Fair Grounds, which
have been converted into a magnifi-
cent camp. only to be met with the
announcement that the grounds were
not to be opened till tomorrow. A
small army of workmen was still busy
putting up tents and clearing the
grounds, and it was said that matters
could not be put in shape until to-
morrow
Col. Slaughter, president of the
Texas Reunion Association, told the
veterans that the nrst duty Of sol
der is to obey, and that they had
been ordered to report April %, and
not before. 1--WE are making exhaust
i've preparations to care for you in a
way you will remember with pleas
ure," said he. "but we're not now in
the right shape to entertain company.
Later in the day it was found neces-
sary to admit the veterans, and thus
the reunion got under way in spite OF
all efforts to keep it within the bounds
laid down by those in charge. The
greatest good nature prevailed every
where. There was not a sign of con
filct. The veterans admitted without
reservation that the unpreparedness
was to be expected under the circum'
stances, and the local committee aban-
doned red tape when the size Of the
army of "sooners" became apparent
Tents went up as if by magic, and by
early afternoon the Fair Grounds hat
become a tented city sufficient to ac
commodate 10000 men. Load after
load of cots and blankets passed
through the streets to the cantonment
and tonight it was said that the vet
Grams who were once again afielt
were enjoying all camp necessaries
and that tomorrow they would be IL
possession of camp luXuries. Work
men tonight We're still at work on The
grounds and putting the finishing
touches on the buildings which are t
be used, but this was no hindrance t.
the singing of the old soldiers nor o.
the exchanging of "reminiscences.
The railway depots and hotels were
the busiest places in Dallas, excepting
the cantonment. At the stations tht
platforms were crowded all day ant
far into the night with incoming
guests and the people there to NEE
them. So nearly incessant was tn,
arrival of the loads of human freigh
that the railway officials found
necessary to clear the yards of al
freight cars Consequently freigh
destined for Dallas and other Texa
points is scattered about the limits 0
the city, with a prospect of stayin
there at least till Wednesday, Man
trains were late, but on the whole it
said that the immense traffic is bein
: handled with a promptness remarkabl
under the circumstances.
AS to decorations, visitors declar
/, that at no reunion has this featur
been given more attention Not
building in the downtown district !
without its bunting or flags, and tn
great majority have both in profusioI
Electric lights and portraits of tn
Southern generals whose brillianC
4 has given them place in the world
history appear everywhere.
White Flag FIutters.
. The whole scheme of decoration wa
/ placed in the hands of an expert, wh
not only surpassed himself on ind
vidual structure, but blended th
! whole mass in a harmonious sea {
I fiuttering color. Among the flags o
r many houses appears white one; tn
signifies that, inside, lodgings are
g be had The idea belongs to FormC
: Governor Barney" Gibbs, who seize
upon it when fear became prevaleI
d that Dallas would not be able to hou!
n her visitors. To hang out the whi
, flag came as an appeal to civic prit
, of the citizens of Dallas. They wei
urged to show chat Dallas hospitalit
/ is equal to any in the South with i
o reputation for hospitality.
4 Tonight tigurative standing roo
e only" sign is out in many hom'
n where this emblem of hospitalit
showed, and by tomorrow night it
> expected that this curious feature
n the decorations will be absent.
d Ten thousand veterans are expecte
a and 10000 others before the reuniC
shall have passed into history. III
streets are a network of crowding, b
good-natured, humanity. All have S
cured accommodations and 1t is b
n lieved that the great crowd which
expected tomorrow will be equally We
cared for. To quote ex-Gov. Gibbs,
j. is a big job for a city of $4,000, b
% Dallas is the Chicago of the Soutl
: and can do it" =
d A huge shed at the cantonment h
y been put up for messing" 1t
planned to feed 10000 there tomorro
II If it could have been put in operate
. today the veterans already In can
: would have had little to ask for. b
d It was found impossible to hasten t
It work of preparation, and the old s.
d diers had to purchase their meals
d restaurants or at the innumeraf
4 lunch counters which have sprung
in every available corner.
d The convention OF the United CO
q federate Veterans will be called to {
n der IN the Auditorium at 10 o'clo
tomorrow morning BY Mai.-Gen. K.