The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-08-24

most immoral nature, but when the war
was over they came bach, two millions
of them land counting the southern army
to which this also applies, three mlllions)
and without making ripple on the sur
face of the social, domestic or business
life they took their places as good citi.
zens of this great republic, land all the
better for the war experiences they had
gone through. The passing of the SOL
dier to the citizen was the greatest victory
of the civil war, and all foreign nations
gazed with wonder at the spectacle.
Some soldiers lost their limbs, some
lost their lives, and everyone respects
the empty sleeve and scatters flowers on
the graves Of the dead, but some los,
that which is more than money, perhaps
more than limb, perhaps more than life
itself. They lost character. By this we
do not mean that they became criminals,
but that they contracted habits that pre-.
vented them from becoming the men OF
citizens they otherwise might have been,
if subjected to other influences at the
most critical time Of life. When you see
some old "shiftless" veteran, give him al
least this little need of charity. Perhaps
he lost his character while doing his duty
as soldier.
| The records are indefinite as to how
many ofthe old vets are still alive. There
are perhaps about $50. 900, out of a tota
of two and half million. It is forty-one
years since the war closed and the boy
of twenty-one who was discharged by
Treason of the close of the war;" is nov
sixty-two years of age. 1t is easy there
fore to see that few of the men who
marched in last weeks review were les.
than sixty-five and those that marched
were presumably of the younger ane
therefore Test preserved of thee. A. r
Ihe u. A. K. OF the western states are
younger on an average than the eastern
men. When the war ended, the olde
men of the army went back to thei
wives and former occupations; tn.
younger ones. the boys, had left no plac,
vacant except school, and they turned t.
the west and formed large part of tn.
early settlers OF Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska
Minnesota and other then new states ane
territories.
North Dakota, which was settled Z
considerable number of years after the
war, has but few ofthe old soldiers, anc
these are mostly Immigrants for the sec
ond time from other western states, but
a very large percentage Of them all were
present at the Minneapolis encampment.
More-by this method Of computation
than any other state. 1t also had the
oldest veteran, comrade from Wahpe-
ton, aged 81, who marched in the pro.
cession and who is remarkably well
preserved.
The number Of spectators at Mime
apolis was very great ); how many is
largely matter of guess work, but the
whole line Of march on both sides for a
distance Of two miles was packed. Here
land there were viewing stands holding
hundreds ofpeople, while the windows
and roofs. porches and fire escapes were
also filled. At certain points there were
thousands Of people in sight to the mar
chers. The spectators were very enthus-
iastic and held their places for about four
hours while the procession filed past,
and apparently were Just as iull OF en-
|thusiasm and cheers at the last as at the
The veterans did not march four hours,
that would be impossible. When the
marching body arrived at ! certain point
they trok e ranks. oneA osganization after
The other while q the Inning Of the
march q sthe sante time. other Sorearisa-
lions wsys king tseirs5 sssi med places 81 .
Il, M H. 4 Si or y on TOOK ti,eir
|pac fl ihs -. o y tats III 4 soiorrarlis,at..
|tions md thns Min, ~ b = 1sI ~ lie
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