The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-11-19
VETERANS GATHER
B. R. Palmer Post Holds a ROuS-
ing Camp Fire
AT THE OPERA HOUSE
Commander NJ. W. Bates of Duluth
and a Member of His Staff De-
liver Addresses

B. r. Palmer post, G. A. R., held a
rousing campfire at the opera house
last Saturday night, at which the
speakers were Commander M. w.
Bates, Of Duluth, and Gen R. F. Cat
terson, of Minneapolis, a member of
the staff of Gen. Bates. The affair
was open to the public and there was
a fair attendance.
On the stage with the speakers
sat Commander Byron, w. Carr, of
8. r. Palmer post, and Comrades Jas.
V Norris and Harry Parker. A mix
ed quartet, consisting of Mrs. Geo.
Fish, soprano; Miss Clara Carr, al
to: DR.. H F. Hennemann, tenor; A.
+. Strebel, bass, sang three selections,
namely, Columbia, the Gem of the
OCcdH, 1uo OldI OpduSlcu Dduuci,
and America" 1t was good to listen
to Mrs. Fish once more. She has not
sung in public for some time, and
her appearance at this function was
warmly welcomed. Her rendering of
the solo in THE. Star Spangled Ban
ner," was exceptionally fine. The
entire quartet sang we'll and added
much to the interest of the program.
Comrade Norris, at the request of
Commander Carr, whom Mr.. Norris
asserted was ''too modest to make a
speech" introduced the speakers with
few appropriate words.
General Bates spoke first. He warm
lv commeAded the work of the Wo-
mans Relief Corps and spoke in COM
plimentary terms of the comparatively
young order of Daughters of Veter-
ais. He referred to the fact that the
members of the G. A. r. are growing
old, but asserted that no old soldier
was any older than he felt. eve are
dwelling in the Beulah land" remark
ed the speaker, from where we can
see our passage over the river. There
was never a time when there is
more for us to do than the present.
AS long as there is single mem
Der of the Grand Army left, there will
be something for us to do. There is
practically no recruiting ground for
our order. The members are passing
on to the eternal camping ground at
the rate of sixty day
Gen. Bates urged his comrades the
importance of seeing 70 it that every
old soldier enrolls in the G. A. r..
He also emphasized the great impor-
tance of educating the young and ris-
ing generation in patriotism, and in
perpetuating the ideas of the Grand
Army of the Republic. He told of
what he had accomplished at Duluth,
where the public school children ION
each memorial day join in the par
ade. He insisted that there should be
flag floating from the top of every
school building in Minnesota, and one
in each school room. He believed the
legislature should pass a law requiring
each school building to float the
stars and stripes.
Gen. Bates said that the saving of
tie Union was the work of the Civil
war; the abolition of slavery was
simply an incident in the struggle.
Waxing eloquent on this point, the
speaker asserted: 1--WE shot states
rights to death in the sixties and
the sentiment was applauded to the
echo. The speaker praised the bray-
cry of the confederate generals, but
objected to placing the bust of Gen.
r. e. Lee in the Hall of Fame, be-
cause that great soldier fought to
destroy the Union. This sentiment
also met with approval. Gen. Bates
emphasized the fact that to the eff
forts of the veterans of the sixties,