Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-02
1000 TO MEET
IN GREAT PARADE
Nine Veterans of Mexican War to
Make Their Last Public
Appearance
LAST OF MEN WHO WON STATE
Cav Decorations Will Mark Line
of Big Pageant in San
Francisco
LAST OF MEN WHO WON STATE
1sneriaI to The Herald

Especial to The Heraid)
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1.-The
parade which will be the feature Of
Admission day, September 9, and the
most impressive event in the entire
three days program during the fes-
tival will without doubt be the most
elaborate and colorful procession ever
seen in San Francisco. With more
than 10000 people in costume march-
ing to the inspiring strains of seventy
five military bands and with more
than one hundred floats and features
in line, the parade will be revelation,
not only to those who have seen the
former celebrations of Californta's ma
tai day, but to the bulk of those who
declared that the Portola pageant
would never be outdone as spectacle.
Beneath the waving of the flags, the
fiuttering of the colors and the blare
of the scores of crashing bands there
lies a deeper significance and in this
riot of music and color they will not
see the dramatic side of the parade
which can never be repeated in some
of its phases. The veterans of the
P'exican war by when California was
acquired will be seen In line for the
last time in an Admission day cele-
bration in San Francisco There Will
b nine of those grand old warriors in
the parade and the average age will
be S4 years. In striking contrast 10
this little band, riding in their car
riages in the place of honor, will be
the companies of Boy Scouts and CO.
1umbia Park Boys, both in military
formation and with their own bands
Their average age will be 10 years.
SHERMAN ACCEPTS
With the letter of Major A. Sher-
man accepting the invitation OF the
Admission day festival committee to
participate in the parade there comes
a breath of romance from the days
of the Spanish occupation-not, how
ever. the period of 'the splendid idle
forties," but rather the swashbuck-
ling days of the fighting frontier.
Then the boundaries of the United
States were marked out of blood and
iron and the destiny of the Paclfic
lay in the hands of men who gambled
with their lives.
ON the Ietterhead of the Associated
Veterans of the Mexican war which
bears the acceptance of Major Sher-
man on behalf of his organization, the
majesty of history is conveyed by the
black lines that cross out the roll or
distinguished dead. William II. Hill
ton, secretary; Ferdinand Meyers,
treasurer: L. Sellinger, marshal; Isaac
M. Baker, Col. John L. Bromley-all
have been mustered out since that let
terhead was printed. The average
age of the survivors is "a years.
LAST APPEARANCE
The survivors who made their first
appearance in California in the smoke
of battle that finally cleared to re-
veal the Stars and Stripes waving
over the sovereign state of California
will make their last public appearance
as an organization when they march
in line on Admission day during the
festival which commentaries their
historic achievements Responding
to the invitation of the festival COM
mittee to participate in the parade,
Major Sherman responded in the fol-
lowing letter:
Your kind invitation to myself per-
sonally to participate with you in the
celebration of the siXtieth anniver-
sary of the admission of California to
the Union on September is received
and with thanks accepted, with the
proviso that it includes my comrades
ALSO as a society, and provision made
for carriages for us in the parade on
that day, and we are assigned our
proper place of seniority in the line.
1t will be the last appearance of the
men who acquired California and
helped to create the state.
"One-half of the first constitutional
convention which met at Monterey on
September /, 1S49, were veterans of the
Mexican war, one of whom the late
Major General Henry w. Halleck, U.
S. A., was the founder, and for the
first year the president Of this, now the
only organization of veterans of the
Mexican war in existence.
AT MONTEREY
zone of our number, General Thomas
C. Ketcham, was a lieutenant in Col.
Stevens regiment of the First New
York Volunteers, who arrived in MON
terey, Cal, in 1847, with a detachment
of recruits. He is the president of
the Sloat Monument association, and
aided largely toward the erection and
completion Of the monument, in the
base Of which both the Native Sons
and Daughters are next to our So
ciety, resting one-half each on the
. corner stone of the state Of California,
one end of which clso bears the in
scription Pioneers
"Thus these four are historically
grouped together in the base of the
Sloat monument at Monterey, of which
I was the author and builder, assist
ed by other contributors.
"As the ages of our members range
from rs to 81 years, the average age
being 81, while I am 81 and past, ii
will be the last time you will have
Che opportunity to accord to us the
recognition and courtesy which graft
tude owes to those who seoured for
you your birthplace and home, in this
the paradise of earth, the fairest land
beneath the sun. Respectfully yours,
EDWIN II. SHERMAN.
president Associated Veterans OF
the Mexican War; secretary Of the
G!oat Monument association of the
state of California"