The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-23
Lively Youngsters at Marion Were
There to See, Not to Hear, ga Real,
Live Governor"
TRIP OF FAIR COMMISSION
RESOURCES OF THRIVING; CITIES IN
SPECTED BY THE MEMBERS.
Informal Reception Ueld at Marion
Visit to the Soldiers HOme-In-
cidents of the Day.

Governor Durbin and nine members of
the Indiana worlds fair commission made
a trip through the gas belt and spent sew
eral hours yesterday in the city which in
the boom days Of but few years since was
heralded to the country by enterprising
promoters as Marvellous Marion, the queen
city of the gas belt" The commission held
a brief business session. the Governor was
welcomed by many Of the prominent citi-
zens and late in the afternoon the school
children Of the city were assembled at the
new Carnegie. library building to hear
short address by the chief executive. One
OF the pleasantest features of the trip was
a visit at the Marion Soldiers Home.
A. c. Alexander. of Marion, the assistant
secretary of the commission, arranged the
trip and was the host. The party left In
dianapolis at o'clock in the morning on
the Martha via the Union Traction COM
panys line. The members of the commits
sion leaving Indianapolis We're Henry w.
Marshall. of Lafayette, vice president;
John w. Cockrum. of Oakland City, secre-
tary: Senator W. III. O'Brien. of Lawrence
burg; Senator Fremont Goodwine, of Will
Transport; w. w. Wicks, of Bloomington;
w. w. Stevens, OF Salem. and Nelson A.
Gladding, of Indianapolis. At Anderson,
where a stop of a few minutes was made,
the party was joined & by By, D; w kinsey. Of
II. E. Jennings. his guest. Representative
Glen d. Kimball. of Marion. met the Mar
tha at that point. AT Paramount Senator
G.. c. Lyons and Representative John Min
nicis joined the party.
F'LEETING GLIMPSES.
1t had been the original plan to spend a
little time in each of the cities passed
through, but the car was delayed, and in
order to reach Marion on schedule time it
was necessary to abandon this plan, and
the members of the commission were given
but a fieeting glimpse of the business and
industrial development of the gas belt
towns.
The car arrived at the Marion Soldiers
Home, three miles south of the city, at II 30
o'clock Maj George W. Steele. member OF
the board of managers OF the national
homes. and Governor j. II. Chapman and
other officials OF the Marion institution re-
ceived the party at the station. prepared 10
utilize every minute OF the stop in showing
the visitors the attractions and interesting
features Of the home. Carriages were first
taken for a drive around the grounds, and
then the mess hall was visited. The i'm
mense dining room, where 1,0s2 veterans are
seated and served at one time, and the
kitchen, where the food for the $500 men,
bers of the home is prepared, We're inspect
ed. While the guests were in the hall the
tables were prepared for the noon meal, and
at II o'clock the doors were thrown open,
the bugler sounded the "soupy- -soupy-soup''
call. and the members who compose the
first table filed in. The famous Home
Band gave a short concert In the hall in
honor OF Governor Durbin and the other vis-
itors.
. Later the visitors were shown over one
of the old barracks that is occupied and
a new one just completed for the aged men,
bers, and were guests of Governor and Mrs.
Chapman for few minutes at the execu-
tive mansion. Just an hour was spent at
the home and a great deal OF interest was
had never seen the institution before and
all were impressed with its beauty, magni-
tude. the perfection OF its management and
the courtesy and hospitality OF Governor
Chapman and other officials. Major Steele
CONTINUED ON PAGE ., COL II