The Greeley tribune., 1906-06-28


beau ideal OF a soldier.
During the early part of the day
a few wagons from the different
ranches along the valley as we'll as
small representation from the Big
Thompson came into town, and in
every instance where families or
portions of such had united for the
/ purpose they invariably were pro-
vided with their own lunch baskets
containing the necessary supplies for
the occasion, being apprehensive
| lest we should not have been able to
provide for them. Our step-sister
town of Evans, Notwithstanding the
''onpleasantn feeling existing be-
| tween us at the time, sent small
delegation early in the forenoon, and
! in the evening we were favored by
an arrival from the same place of a
real brigadier- general and brevet
colonel, who came to assist in the
social illumination of the ball room.
Early in the forenoon might have
been seen embryonic candidates for
future. in The persons of marshais.
aide de camps and orderlies, mounted
''critter" back and buslly engaged
in directing the movements Of their
less fortunate or aspiring companions
in the direction of Island Grove
park, where the exercises were to
take place: and there beside the |
sparkling waters of the classic |
Poudre and beneath the sylvan shade
of the outrageous cottonwoods. |
we once again registered our declara-
tion Of fealty and devotion to Old
Glory and the state of our adoption.
General Lee delivered the Grafton
and recited 4 poem, Sheridan S
Ride to Winchester, and few of
the lesser lights made short speeches.
In the distribution of offices
that morning the writer was kindly
remembered by the grand marshal,
from whom he received a commits.
sion and although it was somewhat
of a sinecure, yet it was tiattering
alike to his vanity and patriotism.
MY duty was to assist occasionally in
strengthening out the tail feathers OF
that much lauded fowl bird, the
eagle, whenever they might have be-
come disarranged after experiencing
an attack of emotional patriotism.
1.-The exercises ended, we returned
again to the town, and upon my ar
rival l was surprised to find that the
pies, ike our flag, were still
there" the multitude" having
failed to materialize; but many of
our people had acquired valuable ex-
perience that day. Our society
people were anxiously looking for
ward to the evenings entertainment.
To many of them it would be the
initial date of their social career, to
be enabled to say in after years that
they had the honor and distinction
of having danced with General Lee.
This would have been equalled only |
by that of some old colonial dame,
who in the early days of the repub
lie, with patriotic pride and pow
dered periwig, would exultingly re-
fer to the time she danced with La
fayette; it was an honor indeed of
which she might we'll be proud
1.-THE building in which the great
social event took place was that now
known as the Exchange hotel and
has belonged to the Graham family
| for number Of years. 1t was in
course of construction at the time
and was partly enclosed, but the |
chief essentials of a ball room were
there-a good floor and accomplished
dancers. About ten O'Clock the ball |
opened, and as the writer was fortu-
nate in obtaining a position on the
standing committee - at one of the
apertures intended for a window, he
had an excellent opportunity o
watching the movements. He re-
grets his inability to photograph on
the mind of the reader the bril- lliancy
of that assemblage. Every gentle
man that occupied the floor at the
opening, with the exception of two
or three colonels who had received
their commissions that afternoon,
were generals, but l presume | need
not inform the reader that the one
above all others who seemed to WELD
the social scepter was General Lee.
1t was my privilege that night to
witness one of the most beautiful ex
hibitions of the poetry Of motion,
when the gallant general advanced
with his fair partner, Mrs. Light
foot, in the opening maneuver Of the
dancers. ~ Oh, my. l thought at
the time of other lands and other