The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-23
vETERANSATD DALLAS
TOWN is CROWDED WITH OLD
CONFEDER ATEs.
REUNION UNDER FULL SWAY.
GEN. GORDON GAVE CROWD A
GLAD SURPRISE.


Not BE There, Was Quite Dramatic.
His Speech Was CharacteristicnIIy
EIOqucnt-The Veterans Welcomed
by Mayor CabelI for Dallas and
Mr.. Gerald for Texas-AbOut 125,-
900 Visitors in the CITY, Only "A Mi
nority of whom Are Veterans.
Dallas, Tex. April 22.-With the Con-
federate reunion officially twelve hours
DID, and unofficially considerably old
err, it is estimated tonight that there
are 125, 900 visitors in Dallas, From
early this morning until late tonight
the streets were thronged and it is
said by men in a position to base close
calculations that there were $4,000 Wis
itors at the camp in the fair grounds
alone.
THE crowd is too large to COM
mand,' said Col. Slaughter to an AS
ISOLATED Press representative to-day.
Thousands who have no right to do
so are sleeping at the camp and eat
ing at the mess tables. Some of the
old veterans had to fight for their
places, but they seemed to be as ca
pable of a tussle as they were years
ago. We will have affairs better in
hand tomorrow.
An additional influx of visitors is
expected tomorrow, the attraction
being the Kaliph's parade.
Tonight the younger element and
many of the veterans rounded out the
days pleasures with ball at the
camp. The function was given by
the Sons of Veterans and an immense
crowds-too great for comfort-was
present.
While thousands of visitors did not
leave the business section of the city,
Camp Johnston, two miles distant,
where the opening exercises were held,
was crowded to the limit. Delegation
after delegation from the four corners
of the country reported, and were as
signed to their divisions in the vast
city of tents.
The great mess shed, seating 10000
was opened at 10 o'clock. An army
of cooks and walters worked like beav-
ers while the veterans. with a hunger
born Ola night in the. open, did their
best imam able manner to keep the
cooks busy.
Gordon Was Absent.
The convention was compelled to
open with Gen. Gordon, the command
erin chief absent.
Hon. John NJ. Allen, the orator of
the day, was not present when the con-
vention began. Gov. SayerS and Hon.
G.. B. Gerald, however, appeared at
the last moment and were vociferously
cheered.
Among those on the stage were Judge
John H. Reagan, the only surviving
member. of the Davis cabinet; w. L.
Cabell, Gen. Stephen d. Lee, a cousin
of r. E. Lee; Gov. Heard of Louisiana,
Mayor Capdevielle of New Orleans,
Col. Lee Crandall, who was on stone
wall" Jacksons staff; Miss Lucy Lee
Hill of Chicago, the sponsor in chief,
and Miss Virginia Paddock of Fort
Worth, Tex, the chief maid of honor.
When the convention opened, the
veterans, many of them comparing
the bounteous plenty of their break
fasts with the starvation they were
often called upon to endure during the
war, were in high good humor. The
building, seating 5000 people, was
filled to the topmoSt row soon after the
convention was called to order by Gen.
K. M. VanZandt, president of the Tex
as Re'0nion Association. From pillar
and rposi hung bunting and flags and
pictures of old Confederate chieftains
The crowds were composed not alone of
veterans, but of their sons and wives
and daughters. Maids of honor, and
sponsors, some-notably those from
Louisiana-in brass buttons and. Con-
federate gray, but the majority IN cool
white-lent an abr of ornamentation
to the scene.
Following the opening of the meet
ing by Gen. VanZandt, Chaplain
Young of Texas delivered a touching
invocation.
Gov. Joseph D. Sayers, on behalf of
the state of Texas, then welcomed the
visitors to the state. He was followed
by Ben E. Cabell Mayor of Dallas,
who gave the veterans the freedom
of the city.
Mayor Cabells Welcome.
Hon. Ben E. Cabell, Mayor of Dali
las. said:
Honorable Commander and Mem
bers of the United Confederate Vet
Grams Association: Words possess not
the power to express the welcome we
would extend to you. Within our Dor
ders dwell the children of yourselves
and of your comrades in arms. Taught
by the glorious examples furnished in
your unparalleled record of courage and
patriotism, we individually vie with
each other in our devotion to your
heroic association. Actuated by a love
akin to idolatry with one voice we
babe you come, and from the youngest
tot to the aged member of every house,
hold feelings of pleasurable anticipa-
ton have gone out to every nook and
corner of Dixie land.
"Since your coming was announced
in our midst there is not a threshold
here where aught but glad welcome
awaits you. Proud of the hostoric
record bequeathed to us by you and
your comrades, who have gone before,
we would demonstrate our appreciation
and devotion to your most noble band
by opening our homes, our arms and
our hearts for your incoming We
would have you feel that though you
have many of you Travelled far, you are
yet very near and in the very midst
of the strongest affections of the sun
lit land of the South. 1 beg to assure
you that nowhere in the land that
challenges the admiration of the world
for it's devotion to your beloved assoc
citation can be found hearts more loy-
ally devoted than those whose guests
YOU are to-day. We are grateful for
this opportunity to show our children
our unchanged and Interchangeable de-
votion to the heroes whose deeds of
valor fill the brightest pages of our
country's history
ITO all that make up this grand as
semblage, the people OF Dallas, along
every street, from the stores and shops,
CONTINUED on Fifth Page.)