Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-09-14
Vans Letter from Denver.
Denver, Colorado, Sept.9, 1905.

Denver, Colorado, Sept.9, 1905.
Editor Journal: The Extra soourn-
ers arrived in this beautiful city,
Tuesday evening, nine hours late, after
most fatiguing journey. On boarding
the train of ten coaches at Atlantic,
we found every seat occupied and
dozens OF people standing in the aisle,
we fell into line and holding on
to the backs Of seats managed to
sustain our equilibrium until we
reached Walnut when through the
continued solicitations of the stand
patters we were ushered into an
ancient coach with stiff back seats and
were at last seated which seats we
continued to hold onto for the rest of
the journey. An additional coach was
added late in the evening and in the
middle of the night still another. The
train was drawn by two engines and
by actual count 652 men and women
were aboard not counting the children.
We found the Union depot crammed
full of people and it was almost i'm
possible to wend our way into
buildings but managed to do so and
by sheer good luck came face to face
with niece who ha2 been on the
watch for us almost constantly since
IL A. NJ. when the train should have
arrived; but with difficulty crowding
our way through the crowd toward
the place OF exit we were soon aboard
a street car and several blocks away
from the excitement and busy turmoil
witnessed at the depot. After good
nights rest we were up in the MORN
ing and after hearty breakfast were
ready for the grandest feature of the
| w 10 Of rL
RS. and hundreds of other old
soldiers who do not belong to the
order but many we are informed
united themselves with the organiza.
tion while here. The day was an ideal
one with cool breeze from the
mountains. By reports from the
headquarters of the different states
stationed in the city as reported by
the Denver papers there were 125OO
veterans in line and it is estimated
that at least l250O0 persons witnessed
the parade. There were fifty bands
and eighty drum corps in line and the
length of the parade was seven miles.
1t took 3:O5 hours to pass a given
point yet the people waited patiently
until the last formation had passed.
The whole length of the line on
either side of the streets was crowded
with sightseers from four to six persons
deep while hundreds viewed the
parade from windows and housetops.
The length ofiine of march was two
aud cgg. half miles. The largest
coma.nandery In line was Kansas with
5000 men and the smallest was Florida
with but 8. Every body residing in
the city was there seemingly besides
the $4,000 visitors the railroads brought
IN. There wasn't q hitch in the whole
days program and the G. A. RS
enjoyed the march immensely as was
testified to by their glad countenances
and their answering huzzas when
cheered as they constantly went by
the dense procession which lined the
walks on either side. We read in the
history of the Civil War of the
pennsylvania Bucktails" noted for
their midnight raids upon the enemy.
There were only four of these venerable
and noted fighters in line, their hats
ornamented with bucks tail, from
which circumstance the regiment
derived its name. We noticed several
colored men in line, men who had
run away from their masters and
taken up arms to free their country OF
the cnrse of slavery. They carried
canes of real cane surmounted with
cotton balls and rice stalks. One old
Veteran from Missouri held aloft a
placard attached to his bayonet with
this truthful assertion in large letters
u NEVER STOLE A CHICKEN IN
Nj LIFE" which caused roars of
merriment as he marched along. One
man minus aleg was in the procession
and with the aid of his crutch seemed
to be making as good a march as his
more fortunate brethren. The "Shiloh
Survivors" were there 500 strong
nearly every state in the Union being
represented, Our Iowa had more than
5000 men in line and three bands and
among them we noticed the only rep
resentative from our town, Col. j. 3.
Connrardy, valiantly keeping step and
pace, handkerchief In hand which he
used frequently in hopping his per-
spring brow, but he made the march
all right. The ambulances were
only needed in three instances and
these not directly traceable to the
results of marching but to chronic
troubles the nature of which should
have caused them to hesitate before
undertaking the march. The mem.
bers of the old drum corps, made up
of men who had served their country
in the capacity of drummers and
fifers gave forth several old soul
moving strains, much better than any
band (and there were some fine ones)
in the line of march. We felt it was
good to be there and never while
reason maintains its sway will we
cease to remember the great lesson
learned this day, the lesson OF patriot
ism which will always exist in free
America. Peace Congress or no Peace
Congress, Americans will fight when
honor beckons. AS nv letter is now
longer than intended, will close and
perhaps if this is not dumped where
it more than possibly belongs viz. into
the waste basket, | may possibly try
and give you feeble account of the
Thursday program and other matters
as they may come to my mind
Hellyer.
Got Off Cheap.
He may well think, he has got off