The Cordova daily times., 1921-07-28
RANKS OF GAR. THINNED DOWN
 IN PAST YEAR
lBy Associated Press)

Of 1920 will be counted among the missing as the ranks have been de- pleted to this extent through the last year.
 The total membership of the c. A. R. today is 93,155 while it's mem bership in 1920 was 1O3,25S.
 The total membership is scattered among 4445 posts in every state. Ohio, with 10,241, has the largest membership, with Pennsylvania sec. ond with 9,l22; New York, third, s. 795; Illinois, fourth, 6S6S; Indiana, fifth, 5949; Massachusetts, sixth, D.. 356 No other states have 5000 or more members.
 Property owned by all posts is valued at S2,O75,O27, including real estate worth sSO2,S41.
 Members in the old confederate states total approximately 2,200.
 The c. A R was organized in H.
 inois in the spring of 1866 Who its originatOrs were is a matter of tra- dition rather than record says the report made to the national encamp- mcnt in 1869 by N. r. Chipman, then adjutant general of the national or ganization.
 There can be no doubt that the late Colonel F. F. Stephenson, of Decatur, Ill.,, was one of the prime movers" says Chipman's report. Being recognized as such, he organ izod the first post at Dakota, H."
 By July 1866 there were 40 posts in Illinois, representatives of which met in convention and organized the state department Stephenson was by common consent the provisional crmmoudor.in.chiof. and posts were organized in other states. resulting in the first national encampmcut be ing held at Indianapolis, Nov. 20. l>G6 After the Indianapolis couyen- ton, Chipman records that posts seem to have sprung mp as if by magic in all parts of the north" but he adds there was no record of prog, .ress. Ten states were represented lat the Indianapolis encampment. 21 states in 1867; 24 in 1868; 37 in 1869. having 2O50 posts.
 At the 1869 encampment a mutual life insurance scheme was proposed. it being said then that the G. A R. had 2lO,OOO members. In 1867, it has been said that the state departments "clamed to represent a constituency of over 100000" But there is no au- thentic record of the number for the early years. the insurance proposal containing an estimate. it is thought and the G7 estimate being regarded as the uumber of union soldiers liv- ing in the jurisdiction of the state de- partments represented at the oonven- tion. For instance, the adjutant gen erals report at the 1870 enCampment, when there were go departments, says it is absolutely impossible for me to furnish anything like q cor rect report of the present member ship
 In 1890, however, reports taken as authentic state that the membership was 4O9, ,4S9, the highest mark record ed From 1878 to 1890, the growth was rapid, being from 1200O to S5,- 900 annually. Since 1890, the decline has been constant, except for a 5000 gain in 1906 said to be due to pros poets of favorable pension legislation Subsequent enrolment figures from the time the c. A. R. reached it's zenith to the present time follows:
 1891, 4Ol,7S1; 1892, 399,SSO; 1893, 397 7,223; 1894, 369.OS3; 1895. 357 ,639; 1896, 34O,6lO; 1897, 319 ,45G; 1898, 3O5 ,6O3; 1899, 2SI91S; 1900, '276.612; i 1901. 269,5O7; 1902, 263,5lO; 1903, 25G,51O; 1904, 24L34O; 1905. 232 .455; 1906. 5,S23; 1907 9,932; 1908, 225 ,l57; 1909, 22O6OO; 1910, 213,9O1; 1911, 2O3,41O; 1912, 191 1.346; 1913, 19O.227; 1914, 171,335; 1915. 59,S63; 1916, 149,O74; 1917, 135,931; 1918, 12O,916; 1919, 11O357; 1920, 1O3,25S.
 The 1920 national encampment voted to meet every year as long as single member survived.
 Brig. Gen. J. L. Clem, of the Army and Navy Club, Washington, D. C., claims himself the youngest G. A. R.. member. He i0 thought by G. A. R. officials here to be Il years old, having enlisted as a drummer boy at the age of Ii years. The question of who is the oldest member always