The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-06-18
\ c-r1RrINC c~C\-E n THE CON-
NENT1DN OF VETERANS.
.NISSBL ANCHARDS "DIXIE'



tr:o:ic Demonstration
The next reunion Il the Confederate
Veterans will be held in New Orleans
and how that city was chosen is told in
q telegram from Louisville. Ky.. dated
June IS:
With ,OOO ConftdcratcS standing on
chairs and waving their hats or their
handkerchiefS. with the banners Of the
Coniedcracy in the hands of the sup
pOrters of that cause waving in every
part of the vast auditorium. with a
slender young woman standing flr
above the turmoil and singing. as she
had never sung BEFORE the words OF
"'Way Down South in Dixie,' the fight
for Tie next reunion CT the COnfeIer
ate Veterans was won by New Orleans
this afternoon.
1t all happened in few moments. al
tliONSH IL Sttli1N ill i4Otil " lIloSo "llt
were interested The Louisiana delega-
ton to the reunion believed that they
had enough votes pledged to bring the
next reunion to New Orleans. But
they knew that they were dealing with
n1en who were actuated solely by senti-
nnent They knew that it took but one
little thing to sway such an assem-
blage General Booth invited the vet
Grams. He made no mention Of what
such a gathering would do for the city
in which it was held. He simply said
that the people of New Orleans and of
all Louisiana wanted the soldiers of
the Confederacy to come to them once
more As he took his seat, the great
band on the stage began to play Dixie y
THE REBEL YELL.
Instantly the famous rebel yell rose
from every section of the house. Men
stood on their chairs and waved their
i1andkerchiefs and hats As the noise
subsidized the full rich voice of Molie
c. Blanchard, the girl the Louisiana
veterans had selected as their sponsor,
could be heard through the great build
ing. Silence. with the exception of the
girls voice. followed the tumult of a
moment before
The band continued to play the song.
but failed to make the proper time.
Miss Blanchard. with a Confederate
banner in her hand. leaned far out over
the high balcony and herself directed
the band as she sang stanza after STAN
"a, the band joining in each time with
the chorus She finished the song. and
stood there in the balcony waving the
flag. As she closed great shout went
up from the thousands of Confeder-
ates.
General Stephen D. Lee raped in
vain for order. Climbing on a chair a
gray-haired veteran in the center of
the house made himself heard above the
yelling
Il move that we unanimously de-
eide to go to New Orleans" he shouted
at the top of his voice.
He could say no more, for his mo-
ton was greeted with a storm of ap-
proval. Then Nashville began to fight
for the convention The girl in the
balcony remained standing. while the
Tennessee city told why the reunion
should come to them. When all had
finished, her beautiful voice. this time,
without the band, was heard singing
MY Old Kentucky Home
KENTUCKY LINED UP.
The Kentucky delegation was there
in full force, and if there was any
doubt as to how they would stand, it
was swept away at that instant. Many
joined in the chorus, and it was real
lied that the next reunion would go to
the Crescent City. and that for the sec
ond time in the past few months Nash
vile had lost the fight for a big con-
vention. As Miss Blanchard heard the
vote called for on the question of the
next convention city, she leaned out
over the balcony and again waved the
banner. The vote was a rising one,
and seemed to be almost unanimous for
New Orleans
Then someone proposed three cheers
for "the girl from Louisiana" and they
were given with a right good will
1t was then that pandelnonium again
broke loose in the convention hall. Miss
Blanchard and her maids, accompanied
by the entire delegation, descended from
the balcony and appeared on the stage
AS soon as she was recognized, the
veterans from every part of the build
ing made rush for the stage and
crowded about the girl who had stirred