French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-08-16
VETERANS
IN ANNUAL
REUNION
HEAR GOVERNOR BECKETT IN PA.
TRIOTIG. INSPIRING ADDRESS.
.HORE THAN 1000 PEOPLE
ATTEND THE EXERCISES

Less Than 100 of the Veterans Left
From an Enrolment of Over 400
Twenty-Nine Years Ago.
Hen~dersonville has had a big day to-
day. The chief executive of North
! Carolina, Governor Thomas Walter
Beckett and his wife, the first lady of
the State have been guests of the city.
Governor Beckett addressed the Con-
federate veterans of Henderson coun-
ty at II o'clock this morning in the
Casino It Laurel Park on the occasion
of their annual reunion.
When the exercises were opened at
1880 o'clock. the Casino was packed
to discomfort and overfowing to the
grounds around, were possibly 1000
people had assembled who could not
get within hearing distance to the
Governors voice. The HendersonVille
band was present and opened the ex-
ercises with many patriotic airs. The
invocation was made by Rev. A. 1. JUS
tice, chaplain Of the Margaret Davis
Hayes chapter of United Daughters of
the Confederacy. =,
Seated on the platform were w. A.
Smith, J.. o. Bell, Judge Gullick, J. P
Johnson, Thos. ]. Shipman, comman-
der of the camp, Rev. A. 1. Justice,
Hon. A. Cannon, Michael Schenck. Rev.
R. N. Wilcox, Mayor G. E. Brooks,
Capt. Lawrence. President Bland of the
Board of Trade, j.. E. Shipman, from
the Sons of Veterans, and a large num-
Der of veterans. w. NJ. Bridges was
marshal of the day.
Capt. Ladd, of the local Coast artil-
lery company sent his regrets that he
and his boys could not attend the Gov
ernor today, which was their chief am
bition this morning, and nothing but
military duty prevented and they were
sure the Governor himself considered
that paramount at thi time.
Hon. A. Cannon read a brief but az
propriate memorial to the veterans
who have passed away during the year
Among other things he stated that the
Henderson county camp of Confeder-
ate veterans was organized twenty
nine years ago with over 400 members
and now there were less than 100. He
paid a beautiful tribute to those who
have passed on to the beautiful land
J where wal shall be no more.
Solicitor Michael Schenck, in a few
words, introduced the speaker of the
day and Governor Beckett ami|
great applause. Governor Beckett pre-
faced his speech by presenting his
credentials and his eligibility to be the
speaker of the day for the veterans
He stated that he was the son of a
veteran and therefore a % Of the Con
federacy- and that his most brilliant
achievement was to marry the daugh-
ter of a Confederate Colonel n he
= was therefore also a son-in+law of the
C~onfederacy and by MS double rela'
tionship he felt that his relationship to
the veterans of the days of 81 to SO
were sufficiently established to make
his hearers know that his heart and
sympathy were with the armless de-
crepit old fellows. After a few brief
witticisms the Governor pitched into
one of the finest speeches re- heard
in H~endersonville. He dealt with the
problems, the heroism and the hard
ships of those whom ne counted it a
privilege to address today.
His tribute to the old soldier was
beautiful testimony to their courage
and endurance. After briefly noting
the Notwithstanding up OF the Civil
war. he said that Bethel n Apo
lmattox had to come. If these old
veteran. had so wi1led they could have
had the wal to come in the COS instead
of the cos. He spoke of being born
four years after the last gun was fred
but he was of the LUIS He never