Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-04
MANY WILL ATTEND
Every State Will Send Delegation
to G. a. r. Encampment
ulTUllWANS PREPARING TO GO
Big National Meeting of Old Soldiers
Will Commence October 5 and lndi-i
cations Are for Largest Attendance
in Years-Many Side Features.

Already, although September has
only begun, several Ottumwa people,
members OF the Grand Army and 9TH
ers as well, have announced their in
tention of going to Washington at the
time of the annual national encamp
ment of the Grand Army of the ne
public, which commences in the ma
tons capital city October 5. All over
the country, even in the far west, ar
rangements are being made for send
ing large delegations, and the encamp-
ment this year promises to draw a
bigger attendance than any for sever
al years past.
Three announcements necessary to
the final preparations for the forth
coming encampment of the Grand Ar
my of the Republic in Washington
have been made in the capital city dur
ing the past fortnight under the most
favorable auspices.
The first of these is an official invi-
tation issued to the veterans of the
civil war by the board of district COM
missioners, which thus adds to the
general invitation of the Business
Mems association the form and force
of municipal approval. The second is
the general statement of passenger
tariffs issued by the several trunk line
associations, announcing the most adj
vantageous excursion rates, which
have ever been offered. The third is
a statement of the principal features
of the encampment program, agreed
upon by the commander-in-chief of the
G. A. r., Gen. Eli Torrance, and the
officers of the local executive commit
tee.
The text of the open letter from
the district commissioners has been
widely quoted. In it's entirety, howev-
: er, and coupled with the eloquent and
confident acceptance of Gen. Torrance
1t presents the case of the District of
Columbia in a peculiarly attractive
form.
Invited by District Government.
THE commissioners of the District
of Columbia, it begins, have the hon
or to invite the Grand Army of the
Republic to hold its thirty-siXth ma
tional encampment in Washington,
District of Columbia, in October next.
The commissioners are aware that you
have been invited TO Washington for
this occasion by representative COM
lnittee of our citizens which mas ma.
and has secured by popular subscrip
ton "a sum Of money which, they are
assured, is adequate for that purpose
They feel, however, that the time has
como when you should receive an Off
cial invitation from the government OF
the District of Columbia, and they take
great pleasure in Offering it to you.
q They feel that no argument is re-
~ ind nf
war 10 come to the national capital.
They have a deeper interest in it than
other citizens. because they offered
their lives for its defense. 1t is still
the national capital, because their val
or was victorious, and because their
devotion ccnsecrated it. In preserv.
Ing the Union they preserved its CAPT
tai. The sacrifices made for it, the
sentiment aroused for it, stopped for
ever. the talk of removing it from the
District of Columbia. Its development
and establishment as the national
capital was the natural consequence
of the civil war. and it's attractiveness
constantly increasing, is largely due
to the men who won that war.
1--WE who live in the national CAPT.
tai fully appreciate the peculiar debt
which we owe to you over and above
our share in the national obligation
and We feel that you know this and
will be drawn by it. For we have
freshly in mind the experience of ter
years ago, when your national encamp
ment was held here, with a larger at
tendance and greater success thar
on any other occasion. Those who
We're hosts and those who were guests
will never be able to forget the inspir
ing and delightful incidents of thai
visit, nor the deep, significant senti
ment back of them all.
The national capital has advanced
in every way in ten years. 1t is thai
much more attractive, but it's spirit oil
hospitality is unchanged. 1t invites
the Grand Army of the Republic to re
visit Washington with the same cordi
atty, and promises similar expert
ence.s'
The Encampment Program.
How the veterans who have beer
thus cordially asked to become the
cltys guests are to be entertained is
manifest from glance at the follow
ing program which has now been for
mally approved by the national officers