The National tribune., 1903-08-06
9th NATIONAL
ENCAMPMENT.
Preparations Being Made by the
Pacific Coast Citizens to Enter
tain GAR. Visitors.
'IoNAL TRIBUNE.

San Francisco. Cal. July 80, 1908.
If any Eastern or Middle West States
comrades have seen daily press reports
that have appeared to the effect that
question of feeding the vast influx -ol
strangers expected here during the Ma
tional Encampment is being seriously con
sdered by the San Francisco manage
ment. it is authoritatiyeiy desired that such
statement. be reckoned as a fiash-ln-the'
pan report. very like, as Shakspere puts
it, the flash outbreak of a fiery-minded re
= porter in war times. and therefore worthy
of belief only as false alarm. So, there,
fore. it is Furthermore wished on the part
of the mana cement that no comrade COM
ing to the Encampment shall burden him.
self with Il haversack packed with
week rations. and to content himself Win
> the managementS assurance. that there
will here be a-plenty and to spare OF all
good things ever thought of by war vet
eran as quite agreeable to have in such
receptacles as canteens and haversacks.
The Executive Committees final ar
rangemen.s for the entertainment of the
veterans during Encampment week were
ratified at last Saturdays meeting OF the
Supervising Delegates from the various
Grand Army Posts of this city and the
neghboring cities across the bay. Oakland.
Alameda and Berkeley. The Mechanics
Pavilion. where the principal entertain
ments of the week are to be held. will be
ornamented with Old Glory in profusion,
shields. corps badges and 10 portraits of
the most famous war Generals and heroes,
each fully seven feet in hight.
On Tuesday night Aug. IS, general
reception will be given to the Grand Army,
Woman's Relief Corps, Ladies of the
Grand Army. Veterans of the Spanish
War. Veterans of the Mexican War and
all kindred societies by the Governor. May
or. Department Commander and the chief
officers of the other organizations. There
will be music by a large orchestra, and
10.T50 seats will be provided for the visit
ors. On the following night there will be
a concert of 500 voices and an orchestra
of 10 pieces But the event of the week
is reserved for Friday night, Aug. q. when
the great Campfire is to be held at the pa
yilion. with the Old-faShiOned army fare
of beans. hardtack and black coffee, with
a few California dainties sandwiched in.
Provision will be made for 5000 guests to
be seated: all the rest will have to take
their meal standing. The plates and cups
have been especially ordered for the oc-
casion. and will be suitably engraved.
commemorative of the event. and will be
presented to the veterans as souvenir Of
the San Francisco Encampment.
An entertainment quite novel in connec-
ton with Encampment programs will be
the Nationa, game of baseball by Grand
Army teams. This feature has been in
corporated as result of the following let
ter received from A. w. Keeny, Assistant
Adjutant- General, Department of Georgia,
G. A. r.:
'We expect to come to the National En-
campment with delegation. We have or
ganized a baseball club of veterans, who
will play against any Post or Department
who will accept our challenge. Our cha!-
Ienge is open to any club composed of old
Union soldiers. We are coming to have a
good time and to SEE the sights"
The challenge has been accepted by San
Francisco Association of Veteran, Noiun-
teer, Firemen (retired), and Cot ID. j.
Burns. Il veteran of the civil war. has been
chosen Captain of the team. Some of the
members are .the oldest living baseball
players, and are still spry and active, their
ages running from the lightweight and
most useful catcher, Comrade William F.
Miller, who is 80 years old and weighs 210
pounds, to so years of age. Not one
weighs under 200 pounds; the ball twirler,
Comrade James Aiken. 65 years Of age,
being a 265-pounder. The team was or
ganized about II years ago. and has play
OF its members being attributed to training
acquired while fighting fires. The Cap
tain and this team of nine comrades will
weigh in at upward of one ton, their ages
running from 81 to so years. In speaking
of their eligibility to play the Georgia
team. the Captain said: MY team of old
soldiers have each seen active service. Col
A. Andrews, proprietor of the Diamond
Palace, on Montgomery street, jewelry
Il tps he hat
ought to let The National Tribune read
ers know is a San Francisco site worth
seeing, veteran also of the Mexican War
wants to play shortstop.. He is 10 years
old, and might be little short of wind il
obliged to make home run. As a matter
of fact Andrews admits that wind is the
only article he is short of. My good left
fielder. Capt. Robert Cleary, also a Mex.
ican War veteran, is also a great sprinter
We shall challenge the Georgia team to p
footrace, single-handed, or weigh in half
ton, equal numbers, any distance from
100 yards to half q mile, or to Milpitas
and back by way of San Jose to give
the Georgians chance to see a speck OF
California outdoor life. We shall ruu
them for peanuts, gold brick or anything
else that these veterans coming all the way
from Georgia might want to take back
with them to remember California. No
pool-selling will be admissible"
The grand street triumphal archway
hinted at in this correspondence last week
as being a contemplated feature at next
months Encampment in this city is now
an assured fact, and its erection has be
gun. Having witnessed a goodly number
Of street pageants incidental to Grand
Army Encampments, and other great as
sOciatiOn events, feel safe in saying thai
the sight in this line now being construct
ed here in honor of the 9th National En-
campment, will be considered by all blue
coated boys who behold it as 1.-The boss,
and well worth a long trip to see. SaI
Francisco has achieved in recent years
high reputation as convention city
and one feature which has added much tc
its fame in this regard has been the lavish
ness of its street decorations upon these
gala occasions. In no other city have noe
tural electric displays been brought to sucl
standard of magnifcence. When the Cal
ifornia Volunteers. who were the first t
land in the Philippines. returned, whel
the Epworth Leaguers the Mystic Shrin
ers, and the knights of Pythias were here
Market street shown in electric glory. Th,
electric Court of Honor under which ou
late lamented comrade, President McKin
ley, rode in May. 1901, and the electric
canopy passed under in May, last year, b.
President Roosevelt outstripped all be
To- l,,s t..Y. - =