The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-12
A STRENUOUS WEEK.
WASHINGTON ON A STRAIN WHICH
COMES To A WELCOME END.

Entertaining the Grand Army and
bility of Cold weather, and a Coal
Famine, Added to Reports of the
Presidents Serious Illness, Com
bine to Make the Period One Of
Anxiety.
Washington. Oct. u.-This has been
a strenuous week at the national CAPT.
tai. The threatened coal famine, the
sensational and conflicting reports con-
corning President Roosevelt's physical
condition and the presence of some
thing like 100000 visitors. to participate
in the thirty-sixth annual encampment
of the G. A. r. has been a severe strain
upon the officials and civilians of
Washington alike. Existing conditions
rendered il almost impossible for prac-
teal and conservative people to throw
much genuine enthusiasm into the fes-
Invites of Grand Army week. Fortu-
nately for the visitors, the weather was
ideal and the natural facilities and at
fractions here are such that there is no
lack of continuous entertainment for
SIIdIlRGIS III Ill& ts3ttgI = capital
Now that the encampment is all over
and everybody seems to have had
fairly good time, it is with no lack of
patriotism or public spirit that those
who so ably managed the affair, from
a local standpoint, eXclaim: THANK
goodness, il is all over and our guests
are gone" There was no lack of gem
erous hospitality on the part of the
citizens, and there was nothing in evil
dence to indicate that the visitors were
not welcome, for the local arrange
ments We're elaborate and complete
from beginning to end.
Way down under the surface a ma
jority of the thinking people of Wash
ington were seriously considering the
hardships staring them in the face, un-
less the pending coal strike is speedily
settled. 1t was very much like trying to
smile and look pleasant with ones
house full of out-of-town relatives, and
a limited supply of provisions in store,
without stock to draw upon for love
or money. The citizens of Washington
looked at their empty coal bins, and
shuddered as they realized that the
coal supply of the city was being rap
idly depleted by the extra demands
made upon it by 100000 visitors.
Fortunately for all concerned, Prov
idence and the Weather Bureau COM
bined to give the veterans and their
friends a full week of ideal October
weather. The days were warm and the
evenings sufficiently mild to enable la
dies to walk or ride to numerous places
of entertainment bareheaded. There Is
so much that is interesting for the Wis
itors to Washington to see, that not
one-tenth of the veterans and those
who came with them participated ac-
lively in the official functions in con-
nection with the encampment. 1t was
to a large extent a sightseeing eXcur-
sion to Washington and contiguous ter
ritory, while the proceedings of the en-
caTnpment were but a secondary con-
sideration. The names of distinguished
soldiers were missing from the roll of
officers and speakers at the various
camp fires, and new names and faces
appeared.
In addition to the serious apprehen-
sion growing out of the coal strike,
there has been a suppressed feeling of
anxiety here regarding the Presidents
actual condition. The balmy weather
enabled him to show himself to the
visitors and the citizens of Washing
ton, in his carriage last Wednesday,
thus quieting some of the sensational
reports circulated in New York. to the
effect that the President is a victim of
a We'll defined case of blood poison.
The cautious statements made by those
in attendance upon him, and the APP
parent slowness of his recovery, slim
uiated anxiety and to a certain extent,
encouraged designing or over suspi-
cious persons to originate and circulate
all kinds of alarming and disquieting
reports claimed to have been secretly
obtained from the sick room. Day
and night during the past ten days,
inquiries of the most startling and I'M
warranted nature have been telegraph
ed here from New York and other parts
of the country, intimating that the
doctors in attendance upon the Pres
ident, might be deceiving the public
as to the true extent of his injury. 1t
has been demonstrated by the Presi-
dents personal appearance in public
during the past few days, that such re-
ports were absolutely groundless, and
excepting a slight pallor, the result
of two weeks confinement, President
Roosevelt looks the picture of good
health.
One of the most gratifying features
of the encampment was the entire alb
sence of anything which savored of
sectionalism. At the meetings and
camp fires, war stories were told and
condolences exchanged, but there SEEM
ed to be no place on any of the pro-
grammes for bloody shirt" wavers.
such as frequent break into such gath
erings. Comrades from Georgia, South
Carolina and Florida, although not
numerous, were in evidence at the dis
tribution of grand offices. Col. James
M. Avrill of Georgia, and Col. David
L. Way of Florida were rival candi-
dates for the office of junior vice com
mander, the third place on the national
ticket. Col. Avrir with a spirit of
"get-there" so characteristic of Geor-
gians, carried off the prize and had
the distinction of polling the largest
vote of any of the grand officers
elected.
Another incident which attracted GEN
eral attention and comment. was the
almost continuous playing Of Dixie. i"
and Marching Through Georgia." by
the bands and drum corps during the
parades. These two airs might be
heard the first thing in the morning
ana the last thing at night. while the
veterans were in Washington. The