Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-05
MANY NON-VETERANS
Great Crowd to Accompany
the Grand Army.
A RAILROAD ESTIMATE
ENCAMPMENT TRAFFIC WILL
EQUAL THAT OF 1892.
Union Men Subscribe for Confederate
HomeThe Civilian Escort
Committee Meetings.
A RAILROAD ESTIMATE

''Our advices indicate that the proper
tionate representation of veterans will ex-
coed the representation of ten years ago.
and that the proportion of non-menbers of
the Grand Army will be greatly in excess
of what 1t was at the last Washington en-
Campment. In other words, the railroads
will have all they can do to handle the
crowd which Will reach Washington next
month. and the city will have all 1t can do
to take care of it."
The speaker was Mr. W. s. Bronson, as
sistant general passenger agent of the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, and he was
explaining the conclusions reached by rail-
road men as to the forthcoming reunion Of
the Grand Army of the Republic.
1T is very likely" he went on, that the
attendance of G. A. R men reached it's
height In 1S92-that is, the number of vet
Grams who attended the encampment ex-
ceeded the number at any other encamp-
ment of which / have any knowledge. But
The Aumber of veterans has decreased deci-
maliy since that time Every encampment
apparently registers the death of 1900 or
10000 members of the Grand Army. So 1t
Is Impossible that this second reunion In
Washington could bring to the capital the
number of men who came here ten years
ago.
''On the other hand, the general interest
IN the encampment, as reported to us by
1872 If there were the same number to
come We should haul more veterans this
year than We did then, l know. But the
posts are cut in two. Our contract hauls,'
as far as posts are concerned, represent a
much smaller numb than those of ten
years back. But, as / said in the begin
ming, think they represent much greater
proportion of the present strength of the
order than the hauls of ten years ago.
Whole Country Interested.
Now. in estimating a crowd like this
you must remember there is great deal of
extra hauling. With every veteran, gen
orally speaking, come two or three other
persons. Ten years ago the proportion was.
perhaps, three TO one-not any more, GER
tainiy. But this October the ratio will be
about five or six to one. For every veteran
who comes We shall carry five or six other
passengers. The total will thus reach a
figure of great interest TO the railroads. II
means the hauling and care Of hundreds of
thousands
Il should dislike to give any figures.
Even railroads have no way of calculating
a great crowd TO the dot. Still there axe
indications that the haul will be all We can
handle, all We could possibly care for in the
few days before the encampment begins.
We rest that prediction on the number CT
queries We get as to rates stop-over priv
neges, accommodations and similar sub
jects: on the number Of contract hauis'
made with posts; on the interest shown i'll
the papers, and on the general advertising
given the gathering.
Why. out in the west and middle west
every little newspaper is filled with copy
about the encampment. There are adver-
tisenents in every issue. Every station
along the great lines west of the Ohio river
Is placarded with G. A. r. posters. And
the promise of through traffic has never
been so well founded before. / suppose
this same interest prevails all over. But
my knowledge ends with the city of Gin
cinnaIi, and | feel l can say for our line
that We shall have all the hauling for the
encampment We had for the q. A. r. Ie-
union Of 1892 -