Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-12
G. A. R. Veterans Urged to W. :
Their Badges or Gran.
Army Buttons.
THE MEMBERSHIP
Order from the Department Head
quarters Emphasizes This as Duty
and Also Calls Attention to the Inn
portance of Recruiting and Reinstat-
ing Delinquent Members.
TO Times-Republlcan.

Special TO meS-Republfcan.
Des Moines, Dec. 12.-An effort is to
be made by the department officers of
the grand army of the republic to keep
the order up to it's present high stand
ard, and if possible to increase the
membership. In the latest order from
department headquarters sent out by
Commander Lind and Assistant Adult
ant General Newman, the officers who
are elected to post positions this month
are urged to provide themselves with
badges suitable to their positions, and
all the comrades are urged to secure
regard to the necessity and duty of in
creasing membership in the Grand
Army the order says:
"The department commander again
urges upon the posts the Importance of
recruiting and reinstating delinquent
members. There is opportunity for
earnest work in this direction, and it is
hoped that this important matter will
not be passed by unnoticed. 1t is sug-
gested and recommended that posts ap-
point a recruiting committee whose
duty 1t shall be to assist the officers OF
the post in securing new members and
looking up the delinquents. Here is
field for earnest and successful work,
and if entered upon in the true spirit
of comradeship, can not fail of good re-
suits and bring about a substantial in
crease in our membership. And why
not? For of all organizations the Grand
Army of the Republic stands for pat
riotism and country There are thou
sands of good comrades that have never
been in the G. A. r., and candidly be-
lieve there are hundreds of them that
if they were fully informed of the OBJ
jects and purposes of the G. A. r.
would join us. Therefore let there be
united effort to advance along the
whole line, and capture and bring into
| our ranks every honorable soldier, SAIL
/ or or marine who wore the blue. The
department has prepared circular
which it is hoped will assist comrades
in this effort. Copies will be sent posts
on application, or if names with post
office address are furnished these head
quarters, they will be mailed direct"
The date for the dedication Of the
Drake free library at Centeville has
been fixed for next Monday, and Gov
crnor Cummins is to be the principal
orator A special train will take load
of the friends of Ex-Governor Drake to
Centerville for the occasion.
The horticulturists have raised the
question again of their right to the
| rooms in the state capitol which are
how occupied by the adjutant general
for headquarters for the National
Guard. The fact is that the rooms were
set apart for the horticulturists at the
time the first assignment of rooms was
made long before any of the rooms were
finished. AT the same time the rooms
were set apart for the Agricultural So
ciety in the capitol. The decorations
were made appropriate. Over the door
posts in the agricultural rooms are
heads of cattle and horses and sheep.
Over the door posts In the rooms occu-
pied by the adjutant general are carv-s
ings of fruit and flowers. The wood for
the horticultural rooms was selected by
the horticultural society. 1t Is catalpa
wood and not visitor at the capitol in
a thousand would ever know it unless
told. The lumber was cut from trees
grown on the Muscatine flats planted
many years ago. But the fact has been
impressed on many persons in this con-
nection that the time will come when
the state will build secondary build
ing for some of the semi-public socie-
ties and the Agricultural Society. the
horticultural Society and many others
will be placed there.
Major William III. Fleming who has
lust gone to Washington to consider
the acceptance Of a position secured
for him by Secretary Shaw is one of
the familiar figures about the state
capitol who will be missed if he con-
cludes to remain. 1t was understood
when Gov. Shaw became secretary of
the treasury that one of the men he
most desired to provide for was Major
Fleming. but he would not offer him
anything unless it was very good Ma
jor Fleming is one of the most re-
markable men in handling statistics
the state has had. His memory is
his strong forte and he handles figures
and statistics with amazing ease. Sec
w,
other man. has appreciated Major
Fleming's ability. 1t is now nearly
20 years since Major Fleming went
into the office of the governor of Iowa
as a private secretary and he was more
familiar with the documentary history
of the state than any other about the
state capitol.
Some of the coal miners of this part
of the state are disposed to criticise
John P. Reese because he accepted
employment with the coal operators
las commissioner to represent the oper-
ators in the settlement of questions
which may arise between them and
the coal miners. To the miners it
looks like complete turn around for
Reese. He had been working SO long
on the other side and was SO much de-
pended on that they regarded him as
their own. But the fact is that as
president of the Mine Workers union