The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-05-31
The Real Story Of lis Conception
Told In Print for the
First Time.
ADVERTISED IN QUEER WAY
Son of One OF the Founders I'm
Astoria Tells the story
Blue Book Gives His
Father Credit.

The son or one or the men wht
founded the Grand Army OF the Re,
public Is In Astoria. His name Is Ed.
ward Prior and he Is the manager oi
the Astorian's Job department His
father. Joseph NJ. Prior is given credit
In the blue book Of the organisation
for being one OF the direct founders,
and the manner In which the organixa-
ton that Is now power In the nation
was once started has never before
been made public.
In April. 1886, Joseph NJ. Prior was
the manager OF the Decatur lIil)
Tribune. He was very popular man
and eonsorted freely with the foremost
men In Illinois at that time. The ONCE
Of the Tribune was the gathering place
of those politicians who dominated
Illinois politics. The elder ogelsby
often went there. and other men
whose names are household words. not
only In Illinois but also in the nation
used to drop In at the Tribune office
on evenings to talk over the political
situation, which was very precarious at
that time
There were many old soldiers In De-
catur and their favorlte stamping
ground was the Office OF the Tribune.
And there, among disorderly heap
Of exchanges" and within sound Of
the printers making up the days pa
per. the Grand Army OF the Repuh-
lie was formed.
On the evening mentioned Colonel
NJ. r. Kanan and George 8. Durfee.
prominent merchant a man by the
name Of Calhoun and I. N. coltrin.
both newspaper men,and man named
Peddcord. a local banker, met as was
their wont. to talk over everything OF
interest. One Of The party, no one re-
members who. broached the subject ~
forming q lodge or organization OF
some kind, no one except soldiers be-
Ing eligible to membership. Joseph M.
Prior, who was a first lieutenant In
an Illinois infantry regiment. grew en-
thusIastic on the subject and It was
discussed until early In the morning.
In the end a temporary set OF bylaws
was written out. Then the founders
went below to the press room. put
three large wooden letters-G.-A.-R.--
on the proof press and printed about
so. Later they took the paste pot from
the office and journeyed about the
town, pasting the signs on dry goods
boxes and telephone poles In the
morning they were seen by the citizens
who. OF course, could not guess the
It Is said that II was thought
at the time that the letters denoted
some impending visit OF the Ku Klux
Klan, who were busy at the time In
Fighting wrongs and assumed wrongs.
After letting the public guess for a
dine the founders announced through
the columns Of the Tribune the real
OF the letters. A mass meet
ng followed, and the Grand Army of
he Republic was permanently
'ormed. From this humble beginning
rev the great @. A. r. Of the present
ime, a power In the land.
Edward Prior the son OF Joseph M.
PRIOR is, as has been said. in this
,flce. He loves the memory of his fa-
her and never tires OF telling of his
lie and the incidents connected there
With. And back In central Illinois
very man who passed through the
var, every old newspaper man and
veryone in the vicinity of Decatur
lho Is old enough to know will tell
ou il you ask after Joe Prior that
e was "one of the best men that Illi-
oils win have to answer for \