The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-05-23
Wednesday, May Is, 1906.


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REUNION.
cefumbia's Doors Open to the Old
confeds--Neyes to be Forgotten.
Last Wednesday was the opening
day for the reunion after every pre-
peration had besn made for the COM
fort and entertainment of the old
soldiers by the city and the citizens
OF Columbia,
Mayor Gibbs made quite an ex-
tended address of welcome as we'll as
others of the city. He said in con-
clusion-my friends, in behalf of the
city of Columbia, permit me to again
bid you welcome to cur city, and to
say to you, We want you TO enjoy
every hour of your stay IN this city.
and If you see not what you went,
ask for il, and it will be the erdesvor
Of our people to oblige you in every
Legitimate way.
'.Again I say to you welcome, and
may the good God who watches
above us keep you many years under
the protective care of His bounty and
goodness.
Seen. T. W. Carwile said that be
expected this to be the grsndest re-
union ever held and shat his selection
of Columbis as the place for the
gathering was now justified. "From
the hearty way in which this city has
gone into the preparations feel sure
that every veteran will enjoy himself
and every effort will be made to make
the visitors welcome"
The reunion is fully what was
promised it would be. The city is
crowded as on the biggest day of fair
week, and the town is all hustle and
hurry and full of noise and band
music and spelling fakirs and country
cousins and social fuctions and speech.
making and various forms of conven-
ton hurrahs and hand-shaking poll
tioiaps aud other usual demonstrations
and stunts which characterize such
occasions.
But the best part about the whole
business is the fact that sticks out
through everything that the old vets
themselves, the battle SCARED, griz-
zely old heroes, who proved them
selves the wonders OF the world in the
fighting line, bot who have not been
very successful many of them in
business way, who are being enter
tanned aud fed and qusrtered free
are having the time of their lives.
Many OF them have nothing to
spend, but this has made no differ
snce in the way they have been treat
cd. None has gone away hungry nor
been neglected in the matter of quar-
ters. The weather has been perfect
and tent life has not upset q one 90
far as can be learned. The free din.
ing room on Main street is crowded
for each meal, but none are turned
away, and the free beer and lunch
counter open constantly in the vacant
lot across the street from the Y NJ.
G. a. building is doing land ofice
business, If there is no cash taken in.
The feature of today's session of
the reunion convention was the visit
to the reunion tent of about 5000
children from the city schools. As
the children passed along the streets
in double file dressed in white and
red the old vets not attending the
convention gathered to see them pass,
and such hurrahing aud rebs! yelling
have not been heard since real war
times. The visit of the children filed
up the tent and great crowds stood
aS the flaps who could not get in.
The singing and reciting Of the chill
dren were we'll done and aroused
great enthusiasm. Many of the old
vets were overcome with emotion and
wept as they heartily cheered. Eva
Dunning, beautiful little girl, led
the singing, and did it wsll. There
were number of Confederate songs,