The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-24
old SOLDIERS OF
\ C0NFEDERACY
GATHER
At New Orleans in Annual Re.
union of Men Who Wore
the Gray.
A..ociatea pres. 10 The Exe.lns Tine.


New Orleans. La. April 24.-The
Crescent City has hung the latchstring
on the outside and put the big pot in
the little one. Nearly one hundred
thousand visitors within her gates and
more arriving on every train; 10000
veteran soldiers of the Confederacy
as her especial charge and hundreds
more on their way from Georgia. Ala
bama. Florida. Texas, Carolina, Vir-
ginia. Arkansas, Oklahoma and other
parts of the South; bands of men clad
in gray parading through the streets.
the crash of bands and the cheers of
thousands who line the thoroughfares;
that is the situation in New Orleans
asday. on the eve of the sixteenth an
nual reunion of the United Confeder-
ate Veterans.
Never in the history of this city of
conventions and carnivals have such
the reception and entertainment of
people from abroad as have been made
for this occasion. The great mass of
morrow morning, and the railroads
be here by the time the convention
UpCuS AOOA lOudS hlC
loud in their praise of the local ar
engagements and it is conceded that the
present reunion will be one Of the
ganization. The convention of the
and several auxiliary bodies will help
to greatly swell the attendance.
Canal street. ST Charles street and
other main thoroughfares are bril-
liant in flags and bunting, all the side
streets are decorated and SO are all
the public buildings and many of the
residences in the city. The old stars
and Bars" form, AS a matter of course,
the prominent feature in the scheme
of decorations. but the STARS and
Stripes" are also seen on every hand.
In preparing for the gathering New
Orleans was compelled to erect a new
hall or auditorium. A building was
needed that would seat 10000 or more,
and there is no building of that size
here. One, therefore. had to be erected.
and this called for the expenditure of
some $25.000. The place chosen for
the auditorium. after much discussion.
was a vacant square recently purchas-
ed by the city and including the head
quarters of Andrew Jackson. Located
three blocks south of Canal street. in
the very heart Of the city. the site of
the auditorium is opposite the St.
Charles hotel. which is the headquar-
ters of the reunion. Near by is the
old and historic Ryan hotel building.
which is being used as barracks to
accommodate many of the visiting
veterans.
The parade of the veterans will take
place on the last day of the reunion
and will be the climax of the celebra-
ton. In Louisiana and Mississippi
the public schools will give holiday
and thousands of school children will
pour into the city from neighboring
towns to witness what thew will prob
ably never have a chance to see again
the veterans who are left of the
famous armies of Virginia and Tennes-
see, led by the surviving commanders,
the old flag, the old uniform. and to
hear Dixie" and the old Confederate
yell for the last time.
In addition to the business of the
United Confederate Veterans and of
the kindred organizations which meet
here. there is distinct and growing
social side to the reunion. The Gus
tom of appointing young women, usu-
ally daughters of Confederate soldiers,
to act as sponsors for the several
states has SO spread that not only
every state, but every division, brigade
and regiment. in fact, nearly every
local camp. appoints a sponsor and
maids of honor. There will be, in
honor of these fair visitors, receptions
by the hundreds and social festivities
OF all kinds. including several grand
balls. The opening ball tomorrow
night will be led by General Stephen
ID. Lee and Mrs. Gem Braxton Bragg
The United Confederate Veterans
association was organized in New Or
leans, and two national reunions have
been held here, SO that the city knows
a great deal about the organization
Previously the Confederate veterans
were broken up into a dozen different
bodies. most of them purely local. A
convention or reunion was impossible,
as we'll as any cooperation in the
aims and purposes all the veterans had
at heart. To the late General John B.
Gordon. commander-in-ch and Geo.
Norman, adjutant-general, of the
new organization, it's success was
largely due.
The United Confederate Veterans
have steadily grown in strength, in
spite of the large number of veterans
dying each year. Efforts have been
made to organize camps in every town
and district of the South. There are
now 1000 of these camps, and as far