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Fatigue Of The Journey Kills Nebraska Veteran
K. V.
Tillden of Antelope County Dies at the Grand Army Encampment
It
Is Estimated 100,000 People Have Arrived at Minneapolis and More Coming
Minneapolis,
Minnesota, August 13— The rush of visitors
to this city for the annual encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic
continues unabated and the present prospect is that the meeting will be one of
the most successful ever held by the Grand Army.
According to the estimates of railroad men fully
100,000 people have so far arrived and dozens of trains
running in two and three sections are still
on the way.
E
V. Tilden of Antelope
County, Nebraska, an old soldier, died today of fatigue induced by the
journey from his home.
Minneapolis has risen to the occasion of the encampment in magnificent
fashion and it is difficult to mention anything that could be done for the
entertainment and comfort of her visitors which has not already been provided. Numerous committees have been appointed to
receive the veterans at the depots and a man has but to mention who he is and declare
his desires. At nearly every corner in
the business section of the city is situated an "information booth.” A feature of the thoughtfulness that underlies
the entire work done by the locals entertainment committee is found in the
numerous benches that are stretched along both sides of all the down town
streets. They are rough affairs fashioned crudely
out of unplaned planks but they
afford a resting place of tens
of thousands of wearied pedestrians.
No feature of the encampment
has been so productive of comfort
and satisfaction.
The
city itself is decorated as though every man had made it his personal businesses
to see that Minneapolis looked her bravest and best. Flags and bunting are numerous everywhere
from roofs to sidewalks and banners are swung in endless profusion across the
streets. The decorations, lavish as they
now seem, are still in progress and they will be increased until the morning of
"Wednesday, when all the business houses of the city will close in honor
of the great parade.
The
contest for national commander is growing warmer although no great amount of
electioneering has so far been done. The
friends of Captain P. H Coney of Kansas are making what is outwardly the most aggressive
campaign and claim to be fairly confident of the election of their man. Other candidates whose names are being
strongly pushed are R. B Brown of Zanesville, 0hio and Charles G. Burton of Missouri. There is no
contest worth mentioning for any of the minor offices.
A
meeting of the executive committee of the Grand Army of the Republic will held
today to determine matters of routine relative to the business meeting of the
encampment, which, commences on Thursday morning.
It
is expected that considerable debate will result over the recent law passed by
congress driving the canteen out of the old soldiers' homes.
Commander-in-Chief Tanner is in favor of the
passage of a resolution deprecating the purpose of this law, but a strong
element in the organization is against such action.
Another
feature that may crop up in the
old fight over the proposed erection by the women of the south of a statue of
Henry Wirz, notorious for his atrocities while in command
at Andersonville prison. This matter came up in 1901 and has been more
or less alive ever since. All members of
the Grand Army are vehemently opposed to the erection of a statue to Wirz, who
was hanged for his crimes, but many of them declare that in their opinion the intention
to erect the statue is not serious and as the matter now stands not worth the
consideration which some are disposed to give it .
The several features of the encampment, which
are numbered by the hundred, commended today with regimental reunion and a
reception given by Governor Johnson at the new capital in St. Paul to the visiting veterans. A grand patriotic concert was the evening feature
in this city.
The
program for tomorrow consists largely of receptions and business meetings by
the numerous affiliated societies and reunions of various regiments.
Omaha World Herald – August 14, 1906
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