Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-14
FREMONT CREETS VETERANS
Oh issns Make Every Effort to Have the
Bnoampment a Pleasant One.
SOCIAL FEATURES TAKE UP FIRST DAY
Business session Comes This Morning
and Omcers for the Ensuing
Year Are TO BE
Elected.

Elected.
FREMONT, Neb. May 1S.--(Special.)-
Fremont is thronged with veterans Of the
SOS and the hospitality Of its citizens is
unbounded The members of the Grand
Army Of the Republic of the Women's Re
lief Corps and lodges Of the Grand Army
of the Republic began assembling yester-
day evening. and the hotels are taxed to
their utmost. Grizzled veterans with their
wealth of badges are manifest everywhere
and welcoming flags greet them from every
quarter.
Comrades have met and greeted each
other who have not met for a generation.
The encampment Is one OF the most largely
attended held in the state for many years.
The twenty-seventh annual encampment
OF the Nebraska department Grand Army
Of the Republic began last evening with
reception to the visitors by the citizens
OF Fremont at the Congregational church.
The organizations participating were the
Fremont Commercial club and Sons and
Daughters of the American Revolution.
! There was no attempt at carrying out
program. and the occasion was devoted to
the welcoming OF the visitors, both the
G. A. r.. w, r. c. and ladies Of the G. A.
I
the affair was a most cordial and delightful
| one.
This morning was given over largely to
the reception of delegates and meeting of
the committee on credentials and of other
courses of administration.
Formal Meeting in Afternoon.
The formal meeting Of the department
| encampment convened at 2 o'clock.
| Al
the Congregational church at $3.50 a. M.
Department President Mrs. Aimee ]. Ken
ny of Blair. presiding. The address of
welcome was delivered by Mrs. Minerva
Bushnell of Fremont.
| The Daughters of Veterans. Mrs. Estells
Edgecome of York department president.
met at $50 m. at the Sunday school
room OF the Congregational church. The
address of welcome was delivered by Miss
Emma Gay Of Fremont.
The ladies Of the Grand Army of the
Republic, Mrs. Pattie NJ. Vaughan, de-
partment president. met at $50 a. m. at
flremen's parlors, city hall The address
OF welcome was by Commander d. NJ,
Allen OF Mcpherson post Of Fremont
At the meeting Of the grand army en-
campment this afternoon at the Congre-
gational church. Department Commander
Calvin f. Steele Of Fairbury presided
Mayor George Walls Of Fremont delivered
an eloquent address of welcome which was
responded to by Department Commander
Steele
sI Commanders Report.
Department Commander Steele submitted
! his annual address at the assembling offthe
business session this afternoon. II showed
that on December 81, 1902, there were 536S
members and l39 posts of the Grand Army
In the state. The gain during the year up
to the date of their encampment was 6O2
members and loss of III. OF this loss 1S5
were by death, lesving but 7e by suspen-
sion. The present membership is 5,l54 and
2S2 posts in good standing The total loss
during the year was. therefore, 2O9 mem
bers.
1 The report pays a brilliant tribute to the
womans Relief corps. auxiliary of the
Grand Army OF the Republic. and to the
Ladies of the Grand Army If the Republic
and Daughters and Sons of Veterans, who
will later have to take up the work of the
Grand Army OF the Republic.
The Grand Army of the Republic posts OF
the state are specially enjoined to appro.
4 priately observe Memorial day. Special
tribute was paid to the memory of Past
Department Commander H. c. RUSSELL who
died July blast at Schuyler, Neb
There were at the close OF the year 1907
AIS veterans at the Grand Island home and
125 at the Milford home. The general gov
eminent pays 500 per capita per year for
supposedly one-half of the maintenance OF
the male inmates Of the state soldiers
homes. In the last two years the state has
received s60667.S5. Since the homes were
first established in 1887 the general govern
ment has paid into the state treasury OF
|
the homes do not receive ! cent of this
money.
The remainder OF Commander Steele's re-
port refers to the establishment of the Ma
tional sanitarium at Hot Springs, s. D.; Ia
the progress Of military instruction in the
public schools and to the legislation now in
force in twenty eight states relative to the
desecration Of the flag for advertising pur-
poses. Kansas and Idaho were among the
western states that still have no laws on
this subject.
The encampment took a recess at S this
afternoon until tomorrow morning when
the election OF officers will be the special
order OF business. The woman's Relief
corps this afternoon elected Mrs. Helen r
Cook of Lincoln president Mrs. Minerva
Bushnell Of Fremont senior vice president
Mrs. Clara Hall of Brownville Junior vic,
I pFcSiutht anu MISS Ella bfOOhS or lsincOlT
treasurer The remainder OF the officers
will be elected tomorrow.
Reception and Campfire.
This evening at o'clock a reception wa,
given by the Ladies of the Grand Army OF
the Republic at Firemen's hall.
The event of the day was the campfire
given at the opera house, at which the fol
lowing program was rendered:
Chorus by School Chldren-The Sol
! diers Farewell ian American hymn)
Directed by Miss Marllla Maxwell
Invocation ..:...................,
Rev. w. H. Buss
, Chorus Of School Children--Tenting To-
Directed by Miss Marilla Maxwell.
Address by Mrs. Addie Adams.
SOlo-rhe Blue and the Gray.
Mrs Marie Martin
J Address by General j. c. Black Of Chi
cdgO ...........-...s. ..s..sss...--.....s.....
, Elks' Quartet OF Omaha ...................
Address by Judge Lee Estelle OF Omaha
and Past Department Commander
> John Ehrhardt OF Stanton .............
Fremont Quartet-Misses Maud and
Leota Murrell Messrs. George A
L l..