The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-22
Grey Clad Heroes Report foI
Duty Many Hours Ahead
Of Time
CAMP WAS NOT READY BUT
ALL WAS SOON ARRANGED
City Is Sea of Flags and Bunting,
and Peculiar Feature Is White
Banner, Which Indicates
Room inside"
n ALIAS, Tex. April 21.-rne 18th

MA ALIAS, Tex, April a.-Tne 18th
- annual reunion of the united
MBw Confederate veterans. despite the
repeated announcement that it does not
begin until tomorrow. is under way 1t
began early today and gained strength
| and enthusiasm the day passed. II
was not officially recognized as the
twelfth annual reunion-that comes to-
morrow at 10 a. 1t was twenty hours
! In advance of the programme and 1t was
attended by many Inconvenience. but ID
was a reunion in full swing, nevertheless.
Tonight 1t is estimated that there are
| $1,000 visitors in the city, and TO quote
| Mayor Cabeil, 1T fairly makes the city
| limits bulge
| OF these 1t is said 1000 are kcen-eyed,
| strong-limbed men, who forty years ago
carried the stars ard bars in splendid
heroism en- many a glorious battlefield.
Sons of veterans, sponsors. maids OF
honor, sons. wives and daughters make
up the tctal mentioned. The unofficial
! opening of the reunion came about
through stress of numbers. Delegation
after delegation marched from the various
depots to the Fair Grounds, which have
been converted into magnificent camp,
cnly TO be met with the announcement
that tHe grounds were lot to be opened
until tomorrow. small army of work
! men were kept busy putting up tents and
E, clearing the grounds. and 1T WAS said that
i matters could not be put In shape until
/ tomorrow.
Colonel Slaughter, president of the
Texas Reunion Associs tion, told the vet
trsns that the first duty of a soldior was
-. had hear ff.AA cd
to report April q ard not before. 1--WE
are making extensive preparations to
+; care for you In a way you will remember
with pleasure" said he. "but were not
Now in the right shape to entertain COM
rsny."
/ Forced to Admit Them.
Later in the day 1t was found necessary
| to admit the veterans and thus the re-
| union got under way In spite of all ef-
forts to keep 1t within bounds laid down
| by those in charge. The greatest GOOD
| nature prevailed everywhere. There was
| not a single sign of conflict. The veterans
| admitted without reservation that the
| unpreparedness was to be expected uhoer
| the circumstances and the local commit
| tee abandoned red tape when the size OF
| the army of .'sooners' became apparent
| Tents went up as II by magic and by
early afternoon the fair grounds had be-
come a tented city sufficient to accomo-
date II. 900 men. Load after load OF cots
and blankets passed through the streets
to the cantonment and tonight IT was
said that the veterans who were once
again united were enjoying all camp ne
cessties and that tomorrow they would
be in possession of camp luxuries. Work
men tonight were still at work on the
grounds and putting the finishing touches
on the buildings which are to be used.
but there was no hindrance TO the singing
of the old soldiers, nor of the exchanging
of "reminiscences. The railway depots and
the hotels were the busiest places In Dali
las except the cantonment. At the sta
tions the platforms were crowded all day
and far into the night with increasing
guests and the people there to meet them
So nearly incessant was the arrival OF
the loads of human freight that the rail-
road officials found 1t necessary to clear
the yards of all fright cars. Consequent
ly freight destined for Dallas and other
Texas points Is scattered about the limits
| of the city, with a prospect OF staying
| there at least till Wednesday. Many trains
| were late but on the whole 1t is said that
| the immense traffic is being handled with
| a promptness remarkable under the cir
cumstances.
ProfusIon of Flags.
AS to decorations visitors declare that
| at no reunion has this feature been given
more attention. Not a building in the
downtown district is without its bunting
or flags. and the great majority have both
| In profusion Electric lights and portraits
| of the southern generals whose brilliance
| has given them place In the worlds
| history appear everywhere. The whole
| scheme of decoration was placed in the
hands of an expert who not only sur
| passed himself on individual structures
| but blended the whole mass III harmoni-
otis sea of f1uttering color.
Among the flags many houses ap-
pears a white one, this signifying that
inside lodgings are to be had. The idea
belongs to former Governor Barney"
Gibbs, who seized upon 1t when a fear
became prevalent that Dallas would not
be able to house her visitors. To hang
out the white flag came as an appeal to
civic pride of the citizens of Dallas. They
were urged to join in the attempt to show
that Dallas hospitality is equal to any
in the south with its reputation for hos
pitality.
Tonight a figurative standing room
only sign is out in many homes where
this emblem of hospitality is shown. and
by tomorrow night 1t is expected this
curious feature of the decoration will be
absent.
Ten thousand veterans are expected
and 30 900 others before the reunion shall
have passed into history. The streets are
q network of crowded, good-naturcd hui
manity. A huge shed at the cantonment
has been constructed for the messing"
VIII Feed $4,000.
1t Is planned to feed 1A0o0 there tomor-
row. II It could have been put In opera
tion today the vstsrans already In camp
would have had little to ask for. but 1t
| was found tmposGdble to hasten the work
| Of preparation, aad the old soldiers have
| to purchase Their meals at restaurants or
| at the innumsrable lunch counters, which
have sprung up In every available cor
nar.
| Tho convsnt1on Of the United Confed-
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(coutinued On Second Pans)