The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-05-12
LUNCH TO VETERANS
Ladies Wait on Old Soldiers
in Capitol Square.
Annual Meeting Of Wake County Vsterans--Old
Officers Re-electeG---Capt. Ihcmas'
Eloquent Address.

1t was q beautiful, almost pdthetlC
sight to see the old veterans enjoying
lunch on the grass in the Capital Square
and waited on by four ladies, members
of the Memorial Association.
1t has for years been the custom of the
ladies of the chapter here to give the
veterans of the county a lunch upon the
occasion of the annual meeting Of the
Wake County Veterans Association, AID
this time it was determined to give the
lunch in the Capitol Square, If permits
sion could be secured. Needless to say
the State officials did give the permits
sion. When did they ever refuse the
Daughters of the Confederacy anything
they asked for2
So all the old soldiers were invited 70
repair to the lawn as soon as the meet
ing was over. Accordingly at half past
one o'clock, they marched, about sixty
strong. from the Mayors office, where
the meeting was held, to the southeast
corner of the Capitol Square, where the
ladies had everything ready for them.
The lunch consisted of sandwiches,
cakes, fruits, pies, lemonade and other
varieties of good things. But best of ali
was the fact that four of the ladies were
present in person to wait upon the old
heroes. These ladies were Mrs. Garland
Jones, Mrs. T. B. Womack, Mrs. John W.
Hinsdale and Mrs. F. A. Olds. After the
dinner the old soldiers all branched off
in different directions and walked over
the city, some going out to the cemetery
and others to visit the inmates of the
Soldiers Home.
There was such an abundance of good
things to eat that each veteran took
bo~,o ~ood I,ooI - h;r loro1 o,o -
home.
At the annual meeting in the Mayors
office, which began at II o'clock yester-
day, nearly one hundred were present.
The meeting was called to order by
the secretary, Capt. n. w. West, and
officers were elected for the coming year.
This resulted in the reelection of Cap.
J. ]. Thomas, president, and Capt. N. w.
West as secretary. Mr.. Alex StrOnach
offered a resolution thanking the ladies
of Raleigh for their kindness in giving
an annual dinner to the old soldiers,
which they had done for the past eight
years. The resolution was unanimously
adopted with shouts Of thanks to the
ladies from many of the old soldiers.
Several old soldiers were present whose
names had never been enrolled in the as
ISOLATION, and they came forward and
dShou u nave luGlI udIlcS put Ou Tic
list as members.
Captain Thomas then addressed the
meeting. in part as follows: i
I'VE have arrived at another mile-post
on the voyage of life and we miss the
familiar faces and fellowship of many
who were with us a year ago. I. Wiley
Jones, W. G. Landlord, 1. c. King, j. R.
Barley, w. A. Gattis, M. H. Layton,
Hilliard Rogers, Daniel Beasley, w. e.
Kendrick, G. B. benson, P. c. Hardie, |.
T. Watts and D. H. Crawford, all haye
passed over the river to their eternal
camping ground. In the nature of things
we, too, will soon follow, so let our life
in every walk be such that we shall fear
no evil, when the summons comes to US.
In this ever%-recurring annual meeting
it is not alone so much a pleasure to
meet face to face and give the earnest,
hearty handshakes, but it Is to ommem
crate the deeds and lives of those who
laid down their lives for our Southern
homes and to keep their graves green. the
latter a s~elf-imposed duty, so willingly
and lovingly done, by the fair women Of
our land. l deem it useless and unneces-
sary to dwell upon the causes of the war
to our associations; its results and effects
are we'll known. To dwell upon such q
subject would be only threshing over ole
straw, while our annual gathering is to
commemorate the deeds Of those who
compose the army of the city Of the dead.
4 was very much in hopes that our
last Legislature would have passed d
law making good the deficit in pensions
as compared with former payments, but
the amount was scaled down, those nav
ing charge Of that fund thought it best
to pay all something, ather than to pay
full pension to some and nothing to
others. The amount Of money not being
sufficient to meet the demand. AS this
was the best to be done, we can lay no
blame to those in charge of the disburse-
ment of that fund. l take it, that our
good old State cannot do a better act OF
deed than to appropriate a sufficient sum
to reduce the wants Of those who are
without means or s~elfsupport, who are
struggling for a living, and also to in
crease the appropriation to the old Sol
diers' Home, commensurate with their
| wants and necessities.
The directors of the Soldiers Homo
should be aided by voluntary contribution
as we'll as aid from the State, their work
being a labor of love, without any COM
pensation whatever"