The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-19
"Hoot Mon

There were good many impressive things about
the Grand Army parade, but there two features
that particularly attracted my attention was i'm
pressed with. the actual showing of poverty among
those who marched and in emphatic contrast with that
the beautiful spirit Of cheerfuness that prevailed
among the old boys they trudged along The latter
was remarked upon at every point in the parade.
How can they be SO joly9'' asked in the
guest stand who evidently moved by the spectacle
of gaunt bent and aged men cutting eapers, fingng
up their hats and improvisng hornppes the streets
"Wel YOU see it is this way local philosopher
replied: These the who good fellows
Of the These good fellows who survived will live
to be hundred. Marching does not hurt such men:
Nothing but ngratitude could kill them and they stand
in danger Of that from the country"
The reply certainly has psychologist basis or our
doctors wrong in trying to keep their patients
in good spirits while they work the problem of
restoring the nerves and heart action to normal.
The point of poverty believe to be well taken
Men usually don their best when they 60 trip
like this. Yet hundreds and thousands of the
appeared in worn and threadbare clothing Not half
of them had the usual G. A. R. uniform In many in
stances their wives or daughters marching with them
were poorly clad, also, and when appears
in procession without making brave show she
must be poor, for it is axiom that a woman can
do much with little when it to adjoining her
self her children If the appearance of the in
wealth of the members of the G. A. R. then the whine
that the country being eaten up by pensioners will
have to be abandoned. There evidence that the
old soldiers doing more than holding soul and
body together out of the payments made by the
government.
For the benefit of the rising generation glad
that the old soldiers did appear poor in this worlds
goods. It draws sharply the distinction between
higher merit and the lower merit of merely making
money. There not in the line, however
shabby his clothing, however ungroomed his appear
ance, but had it in his power to transmit to his chill
drsn prouder and more enduring inheritance than
millionaires will to their offspring. The best
th1ng that could happen to a young American today
would be to have it brought forciby before him that
there are other things in the world besides money
There is patriotism for thing. What contrast
between these men who in their youth threw their
lives at the feet of the government mporing it to
take their all rather than let the union perish and
the rich who cannot endure the thought of obey
ing speed limit the road and who rebel against
obeyng little law which provides that they shall
pay fare like other citizens railroad train. What
would become of America in another conflict if such
ideals should in the meantime to control the
whole population:
The sentiment expressed by Mayor Jones that he
would rather have his children the Grand Army
parade than to read all the history that has been
written about the war Of the rebellion what
was In the hearts of the people as the procession
passed by. AS parade it did not amount to much.
The marching was not in STEP there gaudy
trappings splendid uniforms no evoutions It
was not march of the present. It the unroling
of the scroll of history. 1t was epilog of trans.
cendent drama spoken by the characters in the play.
mated.
, Congressman McCleary up from Mankato to
see the parade and stood in the street until it had all
passed Somebody said to him afterwards, ~ should
think you would have gotten seat somewhere -
"Well,' he replied, 81 thought of that and 1 sup
pose could have found one, but somehow it seemed
to as tho it was only right that should stand up
while those men were marching A man should think
about something worthy in the presence of such an
exposition of the patriotism of the past These men
heroes. They
were permitted to have part in the making of the
greatest single fact of modern history There is
states is the greatest fact in times. 1t has done
more for the human than any other thing
in modern times Those men and their comrades who
have passed on before them made it, and not merely
America, but the world them debt of graft
tude.'
And so the great parade passed by. It is said t.
be threatened with extinction by official action. II
must die in time by the fact of the inability
of the survivors of the to take part in it. The
statistics Of the enstments bear eloquent testimony
the matter of the prolongaton of the annual parade
1 The youngest of men who went into the army il
1861 are not far from so years of while the
age Of them considerably beyond that age. Mer
Of 60 or more do not rule take such violent
exercise marching four hours under burning sun
But when sees how they marched in Minneapolis
Wednesday he is almost convinced that they neet
stop But unquestionaby they must and whe1
they do the country will have lost sight, tx
memory still dear, one of the most unique pagean
the world has known-marching in review O.
the remnant of volunteer army which without hop
of personal reward and with recklessness of
interests did deeds Of daring unexampled the batt
fields Of the world, and who by their hard fgh
made nation which has since become the refuge O.
the oppressed from every Of the globe
n
Who's who in Minneapolis: (continued) Drown
Frederick Vaness, known in the recess of court a
Fred born in Michigan, next best state to Minnesota
in 1862 escaped from Michigan and after many hair
breadth adventures reached Shakopee where he bega
attending school to the intense surprise of the native
who thought he would 60 hunting run for office
inocuated with Methodsm at Hamline; did not take
made locomotives in st. Paul and did other heav.
lifting until IL when he fell in with the law as
regular job; it agrees with him. also taught in publ
schools recreation; appointed to the bench il
1905 by Governor Johnson; author Of football pre-
dictions out of print favorite author Blackstone
e sports hunting; clubs Minneapolis and Commercial
favorite character in history E. j. Westake.
-- ~ ~. James Gray.
WHAT TO TALK.
Talk happiness; the world is sad enough
Without your woes. No path is wholly rough