Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-10
IOWA At NCKSDURG
Charles F. Longley Talks About
the Monuments at the Mil.
itary Park.
This State Will Be Masnifi.
Gently Represented on the
Battlefield.
Progress Of the Work Outlined
Meeting Of the Iowa Com
mission.

mission.
Des Moines, Sept. 1O.-"Iowa will I'M
ooubtedly have a monument at Vicks-
burg of which the state can we'll be
sat in the headquarters of the State Ct.
A. r. at the capitol yesterday. Mr..
Longley in 1890 and 1891, and again in
1895, was assistant adjutant general of
the State G. A. r. department. Since
the commission in charge of the ma
tional military park at Nicksburg was
organized in 1899, he has been con-
5nected with that body, and has been on
duty at Vicksburg in Il clerical capaci-
ty. Mr. Longley, who is visiting old
friends and relatives in Iowa, talks en-
tertainingly of the progress made at
Vicksburg in the national park and of
conditions in the south.
IF the appropriation of $4,000 is
Judiciously expended by the Iowa COM
mission, as l have not the slightest
doubt it will be- continued Mr.. Long
ley. this state will be magnificently
military park. My idea would be to Sc
cure inexpensive markers to denote the
positions Of the different regiments and
to put about 100000 in a state monu-
ment, one that every one would feel re-
paid in going distance to see.
The people of Mississippi could
hardly understand that a state thou
sand miles away should appropriate
Sl5O.000 for monuments to be erected
iii state so far distant. And so when
they heard it had been done, they We're
highly gratified. have no doubt when
the commissioners come to Nicksburg
they will be given q reception that will
please them. You see. Mississippi is
poor. 1t would take years down there
to raise the revenues of a single year
in Iowa. They raise some cotton. but
there is no stock, no diversified inter-
ests. The carpet-bag government LETT
them hopelessly in debt at the close OF
the war, and they are just beginning to
get on their feet. Under these circum-
stances. a generous appropriation. such
as the one made by Iowa, seems the
more wonderful to them and it pleases
them.
1.-The constructive work ut the park
has been commenced and is going for
ward rapidly, with excellent prospects
of soon making the park accessible to
visitors. Confederate avenue, as 1t is
called, being the roadway which will
follow the confederate line OF defense
from the river above the city to the
river below it, about eight and one
half miles long, is ready for the work
OF the road builders. The first section
OF two and one half miles is under
contract and the graders have been
employed on it for some time. The re-
sig miles has been bid on and
the contract awarded by the commits
sioners, subject to the approval of the
secretary of war. The bids have also
been received for the steel bridges on
avenue. The engineers
are now surveying the lhe of Union
avenue. This is on the line of the main
parallel, erected about the city in 1863
in opposition to the confederate line of
defense.
II am glad to see that Croker post
has arranged to give Il smoker and
TO the confederates who
will be here at the time Of the Odd
Fellows meeting. 1t is a good thing
to give an entertainment of that kind.
If lot Of the boys from the north
should come south, you can bet the
boys down there would unlimber right |
away The boys at Vicksburg are all
ways ready to give hearty and cordial
to any of the men who fought
n the federal army. only hope at the
smoker planned by Croker post some |
If my old confederate friends from
will attend SO that I can
meet them, for want to tell You those
always, treat every feder-
II soldier that happens to be down their
way mighty cordially"
Industrially, Mr.. Longley says the en-
ire south is advancing rapidly. New |
are springing up everywhere,
md new capital is being invested. Mr.
.ongley does not believe there is any |
tendency for the white vot-
rs of the south to change their politics
rom democratic to republican.
The Iowa Vicksburg monument COM
mission is planning on holding meet
ng at Washington at the time Of the
encampment of the G. A. r. in
October. 1t will then visit the military
,arks at Gettysburg and other points
n the east. Shortly after the encamp-
nent it will visit the parks at Chicka-
nauga and Chattanooga and then go to
about November l. AT this
ime STEPS will probably be taken to-
ward obtaining designs for the state
monument and markers. Mr.. Longley
ays his visit hereNis in no way official
md not connected with the work of the
owa commission
INDIAN SCHOOLS