The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-07-10
Said Other Than Veterans TraV.
e|ed at Expense Of State.
GRAND ARMY MEN AROUSED
Charged That Outsiders MonopoIized
Some of the Best Places on
the Train de Luxe.


Of facts fair play at this time will not
permit of any criticism bearing on the
men in charge of Minnesota's end OF
the Gettysburg celebration or the
method of selecting those who at
tended at the expense of grateful
public; still it is not out of place to
mention the fact that criticism is in
the making and those who feel
aggrieved will be on the job when the
time comes to pay the bill. Who
made the trip, who did not and why
outsiders monopolized some of the best
places on the train de luxe will be
burning subjects at more than one
gathering of Civil war survivors for
some time to come. Already there is
a growl, and it is increasing in vol
ume AS you possibly remember the
last legislature appropriated $4,000
for the transportation to the Gettys-
burg battlefield and the return of all
living members of the First Mime
in that memorable conflict. To the
list was added medal men, department
commanders of the G.. A. r., drum
corps and others. The governor and
his staff were included and it was this
latter addition that came near putting
the whole thing out of business. Only
by the hardest kind of a fight was the
appropriation gotten through the
house with the governors staff in
|cluded. How those in charge of the
excursion to Gettysburg, including
Governor Eberhart and others with
by persons who never smelled powder
or saw scrap more lively than dog
fight with requests to be taken care
of is only known to those named.
Every mail brought them and they
appeared in person. The greatest care,
lit is claimed, was taken in arranging
the list of those entitled to participate
in the legislative appropriation, but
there are now persons unkind enough
to say that a number of ringers" got
by and they will scan the bill when it
comes up for settlement by the state
auditor. Another story is that several
members Of the staff took their wives,
and another that member of the
governors staff, unable to go on &C.
count of business, substituted his bet
ter half. One member of the First,
peeved because he was overlooked,
passed the hat and a grateful commu-
nifty sent him at it's expense And so
the story runs.
When the Gettysburg special left
for the famous battle-ground it con-
sisted of two trains of thirteen cars
veteran had berth and sustenance
from the time he started until he re-
turned. The same provision was made
in the case of the governors staff
and others entitled to participate in
the appropriation under the terms of
the bill If there were any ringers
they were not known to sSsse in
charge. However such might BE- taken
from the fact that a number were
aboard the train who paid their way
and who appeared in the published list
as making the trip. It is a pity that
every Civil war veteran in the state
could not have been the guest of the
state on this occasion and also that
provision was not made for those
physically incapacitated, but who could
have made the trip had attendants
been provided. 1t naturally makes
the others feel a bit sore, and so you
can readily see what is in store for
those who engineered the trip and
named those who should participate.
The men who will dispense the money
expect kicks, but l gather from their
talk that the bill will be paid without
question when it is handed in by the
celebration committee. They are all
men of honor and integrity.
\ !. \
Several laws passed by the last leg.
islature have become effective, among
them what is known as the five-sixths
jury bill. Under it's terms ten men
can return a verdict when the jury
has been in conference twelve hours
or longer The new act is supposed to
sound the death knell of disagree
ments. Another law of interest to
farmers of the state is that relating
to the sale of seeds. Seed packages
under the act must be branded as to
contents, including full history as to
growth, age and whether they have
been tested as to purity. Still other
laws which became effective are pro-
hibition of the public drinking cup,
compulsory filing of chattel mort
cages with the register of deeds and
the abandonment of directed verdicts.
+ !.
Unless the insurgent members of
the Modern Woodmen who were re-
sponsible for the passage of a bill
last spring permitting them to organ
ize new association can overcome
the recent rulings of Attorney Gen.
eral Smith regarding the act the move