Evening star., 1938-07-05
LAST GETTYSBURG
RETREAT |SBEGUN
Tourists Gone, Veterans of
: '64 Leaving Great Battle
Town to Memories.
BY BLAIR BOLLES,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

etan Correspondent OF The star
GETTYSBURG, Pa. July 5-The
hst retreat from Gettysburg began
oday. The 1850 heroes of the Civil
Var boarded special trains to take
'hem back to the 48 States from their
dnal reunion here. The 5000 soldiers
:amped on the battlefield south of
he town prepared to return to their
Army posts The tourists were gone.
The Pennsylvania State police dis
oersed. and the pitchmen knocked
down their stands. The only persons
Itaying indefinitely are in the Adams
County Jail, whose population stayed
vt q record high in the wake of the
reunion.
Once more. now probably forever,
settysburg-scene of the Civil Wars
most tasnAEe Sattle. July /, and 3,
1853. Hie setting for Abraham Lin
oln's most celebrated speech. July
{. 1864; the meeting ground for the
Civil War fighters 5Oth reunion in
1918 and for their 75th-is a quiet
little market place in Dutch Pennsyl-
vania. Its great moments are all
memories. The veterans, whose ages
average "a, probably won't live to see
the Tooth anniversary of the momen-
tous battle.
Gov. Earle Awaited.
The managers of the celebration of
the 18th anniversary waited this
morning for Gov. George H. Earle
Of Pennsylvania to arrive by airplane
from New York City in time to say
blue and gray and then return to
Harrisburg. the State Capital, from
the tent here which since last Friday
has been the headquarters of the
Pennsylvania Government. Mr.. Earle
had to 60 North ,early yesterday on
business, but loyal citizens of Gettys-
burg wanted it known that the temp
orary capital Is still on their college
campus
Almost at the same time the Gov
ernor left for New York. Washingtons
three representatives at the encamp-
ment went home. Brig. Gen. Emmett
NJ. Waller Robert Wilson and Peter
Smith bade an early good-by yester-
day to their comrades in the tents
on the Confederate veterans side of
Mummasburg road, dividing the
Southern and Northern camps just as
long ago it divided Southern and
Northern armed foes. and in separate
ears headed for the District.
The veterans leave behind them two
records: That of being the con-
tinent's greatest and most tireless
raconteurs and of being the most
vigorous, healthy group Of old gentle
men this side of the fountain of
youth. For a week the doughty war
riors have been telling their stories
to every hearer, and they needed no
ancient mariners firm grip and steely
CLINT to capture an audience. The
visitors to Gettysburg have just as
much fun in listening as the old men
find IN telling their tales. In the
hotels. on the sidewalks and at their
camps. the "reminiscences have been
flowing without stopping.
Refute Mortality Tables.
AS for their health. not single one
died during the encampment, al
though the normal expectancy of
death was nine. This morning the
camp hospital contained only 10
Northerners and IA Southerners, and
but three Of these SO were listed as
serious" Those who are i'll will re-
main IN the Army field hospital, set
up in the old Dorm Building on the
Gettysburg College campus, until they
are well enough to be returned to
duty" as the Army calls discharging
. patient.
Fireworks fired fAom the top of Oak
Hill, a few yards from the Eternal
Light Peace Monument (Which actual
ly for practical purposes is lit only
IL hours day. dedicated Sunday be-
fore vast throng by President
Roosevelt. closed the celebration last
night. Only few thousand persons
gathered in the Gettysburg College
Stadium to watch the rockets and
the flares. The last attraction which
drew large crowd was the afternoon
show put on by the Army half way up
Seminary Ridge, where Gen. Lee
ranged his troops in 1868.
Pay to Sleep in Truck.
Everybody with room to spare in
his house rented it to one or more
visitors. A truck owner parked his
vehicle on lawn and sold sleeping
space inside for ST a head. A few
minutes before midnight Sunday the
towns eight restaurants were out of
food, and at the height of the cele-
bration a meal of soup. lima beans
and ice cream cost 81. All along
Carlisle street and Chambersburg
street, the main thoroughfares, hawk
ers. souvenir sellers, hot dog mer-
chants, peanut vendors, and wander
ing minstrels were set up for business
in booths for. which the town extracted
. tax Of IS a day each.
The shell game fourished and the
men peddling Gettysburg anniversary
50-cent pieces for S2.65 each did a
large business. Mr.. Tim Murphy, the
first decorator of Gettysburg, sold
every square foot of the thousands
Of square feet Of flags and bunting
which decorate the whole town. He
plans now to retire on his celebration
profits and move to California, maybe.
The celebration attracted crooks,
hoo, and the population of the Adams
County Jail here rose last night to
32-the largest since Sheriff B. w.
Spence took Office two years ago.
More than score of the prisoners,