The Washington herald., 1915-09-23

| The annual encampmcnt here next week
| of the Grand Army Of the Republic will
| be the last great gathering of veterans
| of the civil war. Each year Is claiming
! death toll of between $1,000 and i0.0Ot
old soldiers. and at this rate the survi-
| vors will be reduced to less than 100 by
the expiration of another decade.
OF the 2,2I3Sf5 soldiers who enlisted on
the Union side during the war only 396,
$40 now survive according to the annual
report of Gaylord NJ. Sa!zgaber. Commits
sioner of Pensions. made public yester-
day During the fiscal year 1915. 3. 22255t
veterans died In 1914 the number was
80 $50. Pensions aggrcgatinS Si.6li,6i3-
1913 so far have been paid on account
of civil war veterans and their widows
and children.
Finishing touches are heinz applied to
the old Census Bureau building at First
and streets northwest for the head
quarters OF the enCampmcnt. The build
ing is to be known as Camp Matthew
G. Emery and will he dedicated formally
next Monday morning. 4 large force of
men yesterday was at work dec-iting
the two large assembly halls and the
numerous smaller rooms.
The bic assembly hall at the east part
OF the building will seat 500 persons and
the platform is designed to hold 800. The
decorations of this hall are being made
under the direction Of G. II. Roster. The
general outfittinE of the building Is under
the direction of General Director Harry
Standiford and Assistant General Direc-
tor H. 4. johnson.
Eiremen on Watch.
Nearly n company of fircmen will he
on hand at headquarters both day and
nii:ht next week. under command Of
Capt. G. Il. I.anahan. of No. Engine
Company. The force will be under the
general supervision of Battalion Chief
Proctor. whose headquarters are at No.
| Truck. During the day there will be
nine firemen at the building at night
there will he twelve. A room has been
set aside for the fremen and cots will
he furnished within a day or two.
A ire alarm box has been installed
in the building aud arrangements have
been made to have a large number of
three-Gallon fire eXtinguishers on hand.
Three large chemical engines. carrying
10 gallons each. will be stationed in the
parking just outside the building.
The thirty-third national convention Of
the Woman's Relief Corps will be held
during the week at national headquarters
in the Raleigh Hotel Mary Y. Goundie.
Jennie Stretch. Evelyn SimmA. and Re-
bcCca Ritner will be tn" convention
color bearers.
Tree planting exercises at the Lincoln
Memorial grounds in Potomac Park will
lie held by the corps next Tuesday after
noon at 1:30 O'Clock. The first session
of the corps convention will be held at
o'clock on the afternoon OF next We'd
nesday in Metropolitan Methodist Epis
copal Church. Four-and-a- half and e
streets northwest.
The national president of the corps and
her staff will tender reception in honor
of David J. Palmer. commander-in-chief
of the G. A. r.. and his official staff
from to $50 O'Clock next Wednesday
night In the rotunda of the Capitol. Next
Thursday morning session of the corps
convention will be held in Metropolitan
NJ +. Church, commencing at $50
o'clock.
Senior Aide and Chief of STAFF Nora
b. Atkinson and members of the De-
partment w. r. c. Council and the re-
ception committee will be at head
quarters in the Hotel Raleigh next
Monday and Tuesday. Augusta z.
Palmer. department secretary. has re-
signed and Julia Mason Layton has
been appointed as her successor.
Cadets Will Aid.
Arrangements have been made to
have several hundred high school ca
dets assist at Camp Emery as ushers
and registration clerks. They will
work in shifts on alternate days. COM
mencing Friday. Cadets from Eastern
High School will serve as ushers at
the Lafayette Square grand stand on
the day of the parade. Cadets from