The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-08
WITH THE C. A. R.
Veterans Are Enjoying Their
Camp Fires Today.
Exercises This Afternoon Held
at VinewOOd Park.
BIG PARADE TONIGHT.
Novel Departure in the Usual
Order of Things.
Promise to Move Promptly at
7:3O O'clock.
BIG PARADE TONIGHT.
TOnight's Parade.

ions. The first division Will De colAposset
of the Kansas National Guards, un6el
command of Gen. Charles P. Drew, VIII
his official staff. forming on jackson street
right resting on Second , =.
The second division will be composed OF
the uniformed civic organizations OF th'
city and visiting camps and VIII be com 6I
Quincy street, right resting on Seco1au, "a
posts of the Grand Army of the city. Ano
all visiting comrades desiring TO partIGl-
PATE IN tniS DaTadde T15 Col RS Wm Peterson
forming on Quincy street, right resuhs Oh
The fourth division will be made uo OF
floral floats arranged by the ladies OF the the
9. A R., W r. G. Red Men; hlntotn 14i
to participate with this division in the pa
rade. This division will be under com com
nland of Col. Jonathan d. Norton, FORMING
, on Kansas ave. right resting on Second
All floats and decorated carriages report
ing this fourth division viii be a division
composed of automobiles in charge OF Cap
tain George w. Hackney.
The parade will be formed at 4:lo and
move promptly at 1:S0 o'clock, south on
Kansas avenue to Tenth street, counter
street east to Quincy and south to the
Auditorium, where the parade will be dis
missed
Today is really the opening of the
twenty-sixth annual encampment of the
G. A R. of Kansas though yesterday
was devoted to the primary work and
Grams and their auxiliary organizations
at the auditorium last night. For three
days the trains entering Topeka have
emptied themselves of uniformed vet
Grams as we'll as their wives, sons and
daughters.
Those in charge of the registration
bureau at the Copeland hotel estimate
that there are 5,.OV old soldiers in the
city this week and 5000 visitors, in
cluding the members of the W. r. c..
Ladies of the G. A r. and Sons of Vet
Grams. The weather for the past two
days has been far from satisfactory and
the moisture and lowness of the tenn
perature have been conclusive to the
rheumatic aches and pains incident to
war service and increasing age.
As the sun arose this morning it was
greeted by a clear sky and tempera-
ture several degrees above that Of prev
ious mornings and the indications are
that the day will be an ideal one for
the exercises and the big parade this
evening. Today will be the big day OF
the reunion and early this morning the
streets were bright with the uniforms
and badges of the old veterans, many
of whom were up for the sunrise gun.
The one supreme topic of conversation
since the veterans began to arrive Mon
day evening has been the parade this
evening. 1t will be an innovation as in
the past the parade, which will always
be the feature of gatherings, has been
held in the heat of midday When the
marches have been long. not infre-
uuently the line traVerSed has been
marked by those who were unable to
withstand the heat, and were compell-
ed to drop out.
Such will not be the case at this re-
union for instead of the heat of mid
day and the whiting temperature ac-
companyiag. the parade will form and
march under the glare of thousands of
electric lights which will make the
scene as light as day Then the route
l. -1rTr- ftn ~ T1a
rade is from Second street to Tenth
avenue and a counter march of four
blocks on Kansas avenue, then east one
block to Quincy street and south to the
Auditorium.
This encampment with the scenes in
c;6ent is much the same as others of
recent years. Perhaps the heads and
boards are more nearly white than at
similar gatherings, the shoulders slight
ly more stopped and the steps more
faltering, but the same spirit prevails
as the members again live over the
stirring scenes of war times.
Stories which never grow old with
the telling are related of the personal
experiences of the old veterans with
the Johnnies down south or of the
scenes before VickSburg or of battles
fought and won. Scattered among the
veterans are those who have left an
arm or a leg on some battle field and
1t is they who now remind the younger
generation of the terrors of war.
Last night the bunk mates and COM
rades of the same companies and regi-
rnents sat about the open crate fires at
the Copeland hotel listening to the
swapping of the sparks from the back
log and again lived the days from 81
to '65
Topeka belongs to the veterans to-
day and will as long as they care to
partake of its hospitalities. Thousands
of flags and hundreds of bolts of tri-
colored bunting decorations are afioat
in the breeze as emblems of the well
come which the city assures them.
Tonight Kansas avenue will be ablaze
with electric and gas lights as it has
never been before and it is in this
glare that the march will take place
There are many breaks in the ranks
of a year ago which will never be
filled and the thought must come to
many of those who will keep step to
the stirring music this evening that
before another reunion day rolls
around the draft of death will further
6eplete their ranks. They must real
plainly for the grim reaper, but there
IS no evidence that their minds are
entertaining a thought of this kind.
The occasion is a joyous one for
them and one given over to thanksgiv-
inEs and hope of many more Of a like
nature. 1t is true that comrades So
and-so have failed to respond to the
roll call at this reunion, who for years
past have never missed a gathering
OF the kind They know and realize
the meaning of the silence when
these names are called and know that
but shortly when their name is called
a silence must follow. These are
probably their innermost thoughts
which come to them after they have
returned to their own f1resides but to-
day all Is cheerfulness and the shad-