The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-01
VETERANS IN TOLEDO
ENcAMPMENT or GRAND ARMY OF
 THE REPUBLIC.
Fife and Drum Corps, Brass Bands, Ar irving Delegations sad Squads of sightseers Blocked the
 streets.

Toledo, O.. Aug. 31--What with me marvellous illumination of the down town streets, the Venetian knight on the river, are the public reception by | the local committee and Commander-in- I Chief Burton and numerous other at- I fractions marking the formal opening | of thA forty~second encampment of the 1 Grand Army of the Republic, the down town streets tonight were well nigh | impossible.
 Fife and drum corps. brass bands. ar- irving delegations and squads of sight seers. blocked the pavements from curb to curb. Street operators. side shows, catch devices and the like gathered the crowds and made 1t seem that the boundaries of the city had suddenly contracted and squeezed the whole pop- ulation into the compass of few blocks Sunday 1t seemed that the use of electricity and bunting could go no farther.
 Tonight. with the formal opening of the reunion, all their batteries of as- founding color conceptions were turn- cd loose.
 E. J. Freeman. with 100 army must cians got Into action today with his fife and drum experts and arriving del- ega tions marched from the railroad sta- tions to the puIsatfons of quick-stnps.
 The arrival of delegation of vetar- ans and their wives from Michigan and the manner in which they fell in be- hind one of the fife and drum corps. brought about a memorable scene. As the old pipers marched off at the head of the column nodding their heads In unison with the beat of the music, the Veterans. side hy side. with their white haired wives fell in behind. A cheer came from the crowd on the sidewalks. but it was a sob-choked cheer. for tears had sprung spontaneously from hundreds of eyes moved by the picture before them.
 There was no keeping accurate ac- count of arrivals. Headquarters offi- eials decided today they would hazard a guess that twenty or thirty thousand Veterans were in the city.
 A pair of steers horns stretching distance of seven feet and a lone star of electric bulbs in front of the Ma gara Hotel tonight marked the pres ence of happy party of Texas Veter- ans. Another Southern State whose representatives are enjoying themselves is Arkansas The Arkansas crowd is only four strong to date.
 Each passing hour serves to indicate clearly that there will be a pretty fight on the convention floor for the office of Commander In Chief The candidates are H. N. Nevius of New Jersey; L. T Dickson of Illinois; Former Governor Van Sant of Minnesota and General Adams of Nebraska. All have opened headquarters and are proselyting vigor- ously among the delegates.
 The Atlanta Ga. post wants the next eneampment to be held in the Georgia metropolis and has opened headquarters to educate other posts to that idea. Junior Vice Chief Will liam M Scott, citizen of Atlanta is among the active opponents of further cementing the friendship of the Blue and the Gray by bringing the Veterans in Blue to the Southland.
 Salt Lake City, Pittsburg, Kalama- zoo and Seattle are also among the as- pirants for the honor of entertaining the Grand Army men next.
 Tomorrow's program includes the dedication of the Fort Meigs monument at Perrysburg. twelve miles from the city. and the civic paarde, in which the veterans do not take part.