Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-18
GIVES ACCOUNT OF
VETERANS TRIP
George e. Bailey Tells of Re.
cent Annual Reunion of the
Grand Army of Republic.

George E. Bailey, we'll known Rock
Islander and a veteran of the Civil
war, has by request, written the fol-
lowing account of his recent trip to
California to attend the annual reun-
ion of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie:
Editor The Argus: have Just re-
turned from the Pacific coast and
while there found much to interest
me. Our Grand Army was royalty
entertained at Los Angeles. Our spe-
cial train of Is sleepers that left Chi
! cago Sept. 2, we boarded at Gales
burg and all went well until we ar
rived at Denver where we were held
up for eight hours and taken over the
city and finally landed at the Brown
Palace hotel and Toasted and tested
till we were hardly able to make our
train at midnight. At early dawn we
/ were whisked through the Royal
| Gorge and down to Glenwood Springs,
where every one on the train was
obliged to drink hot water, except
Knox, Sugden, Strate, DR.. Patten and
| Golden.
We were not disturbed again until
! Salt Lake was reached and there all
were marched to the great temple and
listened to the big organ. The five
hours stay rested us for the trip
across the big desert and up through
the Wasash mountains. That gave us
q view of that royal range, and on our
arrival at the foothills on the other
side we were again held up, and it
being near the noon hour, all were
taken out of the train and given a
grand lunch and supplied with 'bou-
quet that we had to carry in our arms
and basket of fruit that would
tempt the gods. The trip through the
Sacramento valley was fine and on
cur arrival in the evening at Oakland
We were met at the train and escorted
to big Grand Army hall and enter
tanned by Corporal Tanner, General
Elack, General Gilman, Commander
Irimble and others and finally trip
ped into the dining hall, where the
ladies had prepared grand dinner
for us and kept us busy until 1 a. m,
when we again boarded our train for
Los Angeles, and the trip down the
coast was sublime and all on board
were delighted. A short stop was
made at Santa Barbara, where the on
~ trouble we had was the wedding
CT DIR. Patten by the first priest that
invaded the coast. We arrived at our
destination at p. m, and at once fell
into the arms of the grand people of
Los Angeles. There has been so much
said of our meeting there 1t is not nee
essary for me TO say more. Our enter
tainment at Pasadena soldiers home,
Long Beach, and many other places
was all the people could do.
After few days stay in San Francisco
we bid DR.. Patten so-long and made
our way to Portland, Ore, and on our
way there had the pleasure of drink
ing from the fountain at Mt. Shasta,
the giver of all health. Our stay in
Portland was enlivened by Bert Sears,
Fred Bailey and family and other old
Rock Islanders. Bert Sears and l went
down the valley 80 miles to Hillsbor-
ough TO see his mother and brother,
DIR. Ben Sears, so well known here
in years gone by. l made another side
trip to the Columbia river to the great
apple country, Mt Hood. At Hood
river l found my brother and family,
and all in the midst of fruit harvest.
| closed my two weeks visit there by
taking a boat down the Columbia river
to Vancouver and Portland. We
shortly found our way to Olympia,
Wash, to meet our brother, William
Drips, working away on the Washing
ton standard machine as usual. A lit
tie experience on the salt water sound
taught us much about the great fisher
les of the west coast. A ride up the
sound to Tacoma and Seattle is re-
freshing.
Our stay with the boys was short
and after calling on our old friends,
/. P. Wilson's folks and bidding Mr..
and Mrs. Udall goodbye, whisked our
way through the Cascades by way of
the c., NJ & st. p. to Minneapolis
and there learned Of the death of our
| DTOtneT-ln-ldW, II. L. " du I1olh' III
Iowa. He had visited us shortly be-
fore starting on our trip. We arrived
home in time to vote, but it does
seem good to again be in this grand
valley of the Mississippi, after having
passed through the long time drouth
, of southern California and the snow
! capped mountain Of the high ranges.
Sincerely
, GEORGE Z. BAILEY.