Middletown transcript., 1907-09-21
A VISIT TO COLORADO SPRINGS

Mr.. EDIToR:-I see that you have
promised your readers an account Of my
trip to Colorado Springs to attend the
annual reunion of the old 10 P. v. G.
held this year at the home of our Com
mander General William ]. Palmer,
stGlenn Eyrie." about six miles from
Colorado Springs. You know that we
took the trip at the invitation of the
General and solely and wholly at his
expense. Owing to an accident it was
impossible for him to come to Philadel-
phia, so he asked us to come to him and
hold the reunion at his castle, and gen.
erously proposed that as the trip was
made to please him it should be at his
expense, and promised that ii should not
cost us cent from the time we stepped
on the cars at Philadelphia till We stepped
off the cars again at Philadelphia on the
termination of the trip.
There were plenty OF men in the army
who loved their ColoneIs and there were
plenty of Colonels who loved their men
but only one that / ever heard Of that
loved bis comrades enough to take out
of bis pocket seventy thousand dollars TO
pay for a trip, that they might come to
see him, not only to comfort, but even
in luxury. We-that is, the survivors of
the Regiment in Philadelphia and vicin-
ity-assembled at the headquarters Of the
Grand Army Of the Republic in ,Philadel-
phia, 9th and Chestnut streets. There
was large crowd to see us off, comrades
who could not go, ladies, wives and
daughters of the comrades who were
going, officers Of regiments, who wanted
to see the regiment that their Colonel
thought enough of 10 spend so much
money on, citizens and reporters, lady
reporters at that.
We left there at $50 P. NJ, marched to
the Public Buildings where We posed for
picture, then on to Bread Street Station
where We found special train Of Eve
Pullman cars, two dining cars and bag
gage car. We found the Pullmans very
comfortable, they we're the large sixteen
section cars, two OF US in each section.
that is, tbirty-two (S2) in car con-
siderably larger than the ordinary pas
senger coach to which think they allow
sixty (60) passengers, SO you see We had
plenty of room. each pair of US had two
seats, one to sit on and one to put our
coats or packages on, as well as plenty of
room 70 stretch out our limbs in comfort.
Our special train started out at 4.30 P. NJ,
and about o'clock We had very fine
dinner, just after We had passed Lancas-
ter, Pa, and let me say hereethas fully
believe what have heard stated, that
the dining car service on these roads is
the finest in the world, much finer than
any hotel. In our case they did their
best for several reasons they said-they
wanted to please the General, they
wanted to please US and they considered
that it would be quite an advertising
scheme, as we came from twenty-five
different states and would naturally when
we got home tell those We talked with
of our handsome treatment by the rail-
road officials OF the different routes. The
General told them 10 spare no expense in
making his boys comfortable, and they
said the service they gave Us was as good
as money could procure-they could do
no better. About II o'clock or as much
earlier or later as each couple desired, the
porter Uf the Pullman made up our beds
and we turned in but did not succeed
in doing much in the sleeping line, too
much noise and iarring and tendency
on going round curve to turn you over
onto your nose. Went through Pitts
bnrgh about 2 A. NJ, and took on two
more Pullman cars with about seventy
(7O) more comrades. Sunday, August
18th, got up about 5.45 A. NJ, just as We
got to Newark, Ohio, then on to Column
bus, Ohio. Did not get my breakfast till
about $50 A. M. luncheon about 2
p. NJ, and dinner in Union Depot,
Chicago, ILL.,, about P. NJ, very hot
and uncomfortable. As we were 10 stop
over here awhile my mate and took
walk to get some fresh air and cool off
preparatory to oar nights ride iell in
with an old Psnnsylvanian was glad
Of ci.ance 10 talk with men from bis
old state. Got off on our start for Denver
at 8 P, NJ, found our bertLs already
made up 90 turned in 81 once. Monday,
August 10th, all hands reported great