The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-31
Two Thousand Who Struggled for the lost
Cause" on Many Hard Fought Field Gather
in Reunion at AsheviIIe.
AS A BRIDE ADORNED
Lovely in FestaI Robes With IeWeIed
Hands 0utstretched in Greeting, the
Fair Mountain City Welcomes the
Old Heroes in Gray and Throws
Wide the Doors OF Home and Heart,
Bidding Them Enter In.

Especial to News and Observer.)
Asheville, N. c., Aug. 30.-Asheville
is tonight in the hands of the Confe1-
crates. The vanguard of the invading
army reached the city yesterday after
noon, and with the arrival tonight OF
the veterans special from Raleigh
there are now within the gates Of thu
city something in the neighborhood of
two thousand of the States heroes Of
the Lost Cause
1t is great gathering, and not
only are the ex-Confederates from the
old North State here in great num-
| bers but hundreds of comrades from
many other Southern States have come
| to join in the reunion.
| In addition to the veterans there are
fully four thousand visitors here. thus
augmenting the crowd to an enormous
| size.
Every train into the city today has
! been crowded. The train from the
Murphy branch this afternoon was run
in two sections and more than thou7
sand tickets were taken up. Train
No II from the east was run in three
sections, each section bringing over
seven hundred passengers, while the
trains from the south were equally
crowded and the veterans special
added still more to the crowd.
Asheville is taking care OF the crows
| in fine style notwithstand ding the fact
that several hundred more veterans
than were expected have come. They
have been provided with homes and
are being entertained in a handsome
manner.
Il ,,1 Cfnvs
The city is lavishly decorated in the
cOlorS of the Confederacy. From every
business house the Stars and Bars
are waving; the public buildings are
draped in red and white: hundreds If
tags bearing the picture of General
Robert l.. Lee. adorn the show win
dows of the merchants. while pinned
to the breasts of the thronginG multi
tudes are badges and emblemS that re-
call the days of '6I-'65,
The most conspicuous of these
badges is the one bearing an imprint
of the Vance monument of this city,
With Confederate battle flag on
either side and streamers with these
inscriptions: First at Bethel, farthest
at Gettysburg and last at Appomat-
tox.
Owing to the extra trains run into
the city this evening bringing huns
dredS and hundreds of visitors and
the veterans the Committx- ON Ar
rangements experienced some little
trouble in providing comfortable quar-
ters for all the corners. The Reunion
committee assisted by citizens com
mittee has systemized the work, how
ever and tonight homes ana sleeping
quarters are being provided for all.
The city is flied with visitors who
have taken advantage of the cheap re-
union tickets.
1t is estimated that double the num-
Der of veterans expected have come,
The taking care of the old soldiers =
in the hands of able commi-~ee ant,
they win be comfortably looked after.
AT 10 o'clock tonight the public
square, the streets and the street cart
are thronged with vis tors. Two sec
tions of a train from the east arrived
about 8 o'clock bringing 500 peop'A
each. 1t is estimated that over 5000
veterans have already arrived.
Instructions have been issued to the
police officers of the city not to arr
rest any veterans should any. of them
drink too freely and become intoxi.
Gated. The officers have instructions
in these instances to simply escort tho
old soldiers to their podging places.
Programme of To-Day
Tonight at the grand opera house
under the auspices of the local chap
ter, Daughters of the Confederacy.
Tomorrow morning the veterans will
go trolley riding over the city, visit
ing the many places of interest here1
abouts and at 10 o'clock there will be
a general assembling on the court
house grounds to hear speeches by
General Stephen ID. Lee, General Ju-
liam S. Carr, Dr. j. William Jones,
and others At this time there will be
transacted the necessary business In
cIuding the election of brigade and
division commanders for ghe ensuing
year. At II o'clock adjournment will
be had for dinner and at o'clock the
veterans will reassemble for the pa
rade The parade will be formed or
the court house grounds, proceed to
the government building where the
soldiers will pass in review and turn
ing will proceed back up Patton
avenue, down South Main street for
two blocks where carriages and
wagons will be in waiting to convey
the veterans to Biltmore and over the
estate of George W. Vanderbilt.