Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-06


cutters.
The preparations for the National en-
campmeut Of the Grand Army of the Repub.
lie go bravely on From present indica-
tions the forthcoming encampment will be
the most memorable ever held in the his
tory Of the organization. An idea Of the
elaborate decorations of the Capital City
may be formed from the chairman Of this
subdivision Of the local committees having
the arrangements in charge. The chair
man, Mr. c. H. Rudolph, stated at the
meeting Of the committee on decorations
that he intended to subdivide his commit.
tee with a view to assigning them to differ
ent blocks on Pennsylvania avenue 70 be
decorated during the encampmeut He
also suggested that the com mittee give a
prize to the subcommittee having the best
decorated buildings during the week Of the
reunion II is probable that prizes will be
offered also TO the merchants who have the
most artistic display of decorations Il was
suggested that three prizes be awarded, aud
a committee will be appointed to make the
award
II is hoped by the committee that Con-
gress will pass a bill providing an appro-
priatiOn for the purchase of bunting flags
and other material to decorate the buildings
of Washington This matter is in the
hands of Mr. Chaplin Brown. chairman of
the legislation committee.
( II is very probable that the committee on
| decorations will cooperate with the com
, mittee on illumination, Of which w. S.
! Knox is chairman, and work in making the
/ decorations of Washington one of the star
features of the encampment Mr. Rudolph
stated that he was sure the decorations
would surpass anything heretofore at
! tempted in Washington.
| Chairman NJ. l. Weller, of the committee
on public comfort is greatly in favor of
! having the G. A. r. headquarters now
located at 1905 New York avenue moved to
a more eonTenieut and. better equip.
/ ped building, aud at the next meet
| ing Of the executive committee will
ask Chairman B. H. Warner, Of that
body, 10 bring the matter before his COM
mittee. If the change is made, Offices will
I probably be located in some building on
Pennsylvania avehHe OF some other desir-
able place. 1t is Mr.. Weller's idea to have
the executive committee select a building
whose appointments would be more in
keeping with the dignity Of the c. A. r.
One objection to the present building is the
dark, narrow stairway which leads to the
offices. This feature alone would cause the
greatest Inconvenience to the thousands of
veterans, many of them lamed or disabled.
who would wish to visit the national head
quarters during the reunion.
The correspondence work Of the com.
mttee on public comfort Is gradually in.
creasing and within two or tiifee weeks
Chairman Weller will add three additional
clerks to the force. great many requests
for quarters are being received by the com
mittee and it is kept busy ans weriug letters
from people from all parts of the United
States in regard to the Grand Army en-.
campment
The managers Of the Eastern railroads at
a meeting ia Chicago Tuesday decided on
a I-ceut mile rate to the Grand Army
encam pmeut. Tickets win be on sale Octo-
Der ?, 4, S and 8, aud return transportation
will be houored for passage up to and in
cIudiug October 49,
President Roosevelt and Secretary Root
are taking much interest in the proposed
laying of the cornerstone Of the memorial
bridge, which will be great feature at the
encampment. Several Grand Army of the
Republic posts have recently written to
the resident asking his counteuance in the
matter. Secretary Root has expressed the
most hearty Endorsement of the plan, aud
has quoted an extract from his annual
report Of 1899, in which he strongly
recommended the building Of the bridge
across the Potomac River.
The general secretary of the Stonecutters'
Association Of North America has sent a
communication TO the citizens committee
of the Grand Army Of the Republic, offering
to present a cornerstone beautifully
carved, any sized stone or any shape, with
whatever inscription the committee de-
sire for the cornerstone of the memorial
bridge TO be laid during the encampmeut in
October
The Survivors Association of the Fifth
Army Corps will meet with the committee
on resolutions at the Riggs House Monday
evening. They hope to effect an arrange
ment by which the two bodies will Join in
their work to make the reunion a success.