The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-04-24
HISTORY OF
CANDY POST
WRITTEN BY LATE NEWTON CLARk
Read al Recent Meeting OF Organ zatiO1
OF Grand Army BY s. 7. Blythe
MANY Answered Last Roll

a history Of Candy Post. q. A. r.. as
prepared by the late Newton CLARK.
was recently read TO the organization
10y 5. +. Blythe, one Of the early
members Of the organization.
Candy Post No. Is. Grand Army of
the Republic. was mustered in on the
22ud day of May. 1856, by F. II.
Lamb. Department Commander of
Oregon. and is the Oldest fraternal
organization of Hood River. except the
A. o. Z. W.
OF the charter members Il were
mustered in Of which number four are
still members Of the Post. being j. A.
Wilson, Joseph Frazier. C. H. Stran-
ahan and Newton CLARK Three others
have severed their membership but are
still living abroad. The remainder
have answered their last roll call and
passed on. The persistency Of the
cfarter members IN staying with the
order is the same old spirit which led
them TO enlist for three years or more
during the war.
The first officers elected were
Newton Clark, Commander; o. l..
Stranahan, Senior Vice Commander
John A. Wilson, Junior Vice: DR.. ?.
q. Barrett, surgeon; Rev. j. W. Ell
bridge, Chaplain, d, &. Hill. Quarter
master; A. II. Jewett, Officer of the
Day; Russell Pealer, Officer of the
Guard
Comrade Geo. p. Cfowell was ap.
pointed Adjutant. In this position he
acted long, faithfully and we'll, until
stress of business affairs demanded his
time elsewhere The old AdJutant's
book with its clear and full minutes
for 10 long years show with what ac-
curaey be discharged his official duties,
and with Wnat satisfaction the Post
regarded his most creditable efficiency.
The number of members who have
signed our roll is III. Number died,
g. Number of members So at pres
ent, but many reside at distance, and
if we can get dozen together it is
regarded as a big crowd. We recall
but one now who has died in the Sol
diers Home. Comrade Russell Pealer
was most kindly cared for at that place
for seven long years previous to his
death.
Comrades O. l.. Stranahan, J, A.
Wilson. J W. Eldrdge and Geo. F.
CroWell were appointed committee
to draft set of bylaws, which were
adopted in full and are presumably in
force yet, though no one knows what
they are, the Post having become
law unto Itself now. without any
regard to past traditions or precedents,
but the time OF meeting was fixed upon
as the second Saturday of each month.
Our first memorial service was held
at the hill school grounds near Frank
ton, and the first memorial sermon was
preached by Rev. j. W. Eldridge, the
Post Chaplain. The grave we decked
that year was the only ex-soldler's
grave in the valley, that of Comrade
Isaac Howe, who died before our or
ganizaton was formed.
On December :, 1888, formation of
Woman's Relief Corps was considered
and it was realized that with the
advent of the ladies' increased facilities
of speech, as we'll as social enjoyment,
would become necessary and the by
laws were amended by adding another
meeting IN the month so that we would
meet on the second and fourth Satur-
DAYS, the same as now. The Post
voted to advance the necessary funds
to institute the Corps. On March Is,
1889, campfire and picnic was held
and the names Of all the ladies who
desire to form Corps were taken and
an application for Corps was filled
out and together with the required fee
was ordered forwarded to the institute
ing officer with request to have the
Corps organized on our next meeting
night of April l3, 1889.
! The next month we held our first
| Joint memorial service with the Relief
Corps and in July we received from
them a check for $l5, followed later by
an invitation to a fine supper and we
have been good friends ever since. In
February of 1897 the Post and Corps
celebrated for the first time the ami
versary of Lincoln's birthday, now a
legal holiday, SO that they anticipated
what should be done Is years before
| the legis lature aWOke to their patriotic
duty.
Our oldest comrade Of the Post is j.
l.. Frazier and the youngest is I. d.
| Tweedy From motives of delicacy
and out of respect for their feelings,
the age Of either one is not given, it
being considered sufficient to say of
each one that he reached the age of
majority some time ago and presumably
the age of discretion also. but he IS
very likely minority in his household
yet.
While our records are not very eX-
plicit, it il thought that OILY two of
our number who were unfortunate
enough to suffer captivity. and the pri
vations of a rebel prison pen are Com
rades John Wilson ard j. W. Rigby
who had experiences Of that kind last
ing several months, but never got 80
they enjoyed southern hospitality dis.
pensed in that manner.
During our Is years Of existence as
a Post we never have failed to be rep
resented at the state encampment, and
although weak in numbers we have
received honorable recognition 10y that
body. Comrades Blythe and Newton
Clark were elevated to the highest
position in its gift by being elected as
Department. Comrade Blythe in the
face of strong opposition from wor-
thy opponent representing one of the
strongest and most influential Posts in
the state. He has for years been APP
pointed and reappointed as our Post
Adiutant and is complmentd by the
Assistant Adjutant General as one of
the most prompt, correct and efficient
Adjutants in the state. all of which
we mention with the fervent hope that
no one will ever tell him we said so.
The Post has also been most FORUM
ate in being blessed with an auxiliary
in shape of Relief Corps, such AS is
a source Of strength and success to any
Post with which it is connected. The
untiring industry, loyalty and patriot
ism Of this one, and Of the W. K. G..
generally, are the glory and pride Of
the Grand Army of the Republic.
Long may they wave,
All Of which is respectfully submit
ted in +. c. and h.,
Newton Clark.