Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1897 — PAGEANT OF PEACE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PAGEANT OF PEACE.

FIFTY THOUSANDOLD SOLDIERS PASS IN REVIEW. President McKinley Leads the Veteran* in the Grand Array Parade at Buffalo—Martial Columns Are Cheered by Half a Million. Touch Elbows Again. Nearly 50,000 war-worn veterans, with the President of the United States at their bead, made the triumphal march of the Grand Army of the Republic in Buffalo Wednesday. For more than six hours the grizzled but undaunted remnants of the armies of the republic poured through the streets in lines of undulating blue, amid the martini crash of bands and the frenzied huzzas of a patriotic populace. Nearly half a million spectators watched the glorious pageant and bombarded the marching legions with the roar of their ceaseless cheering. For two hours President McKinley stood in the reviewing stand, with Com-mander-in-Chief Clarkson ami Gov. Frank 8. Black of New York at his side, and acknowledged the greetings of the battle-scarred hosts passing before him. The President was deluged with cheers and songs, shouts and flowers, and through all the riot of noise and adulation bowed and smiled and moved his comrades to renewed ecstasies of enthusiasm. Buffalo wps in fitting mood and garb for the inspiring spectacle. Its people, re-en-forced by 2<IO,(MMJ from outside, choked the walks and lawns from the brick walls to the wire stretched along the line of march at the curbstone. They filled 10,000 windows ami roofs, packed a score of big stands, took to the trees in flocks and squeezed into every nook that afforded a view of the procession. The martial columns moved for miles between two solid, shouting walls of humanity, such a living mass as had never been seen before in the Empire State outside the metropolis. The city was swathed in red, white and blue. Public and private buildings were smothered in the Stars and Stripes. The trudging battalions were hemmed in on both sides with fluttering flags, and floating streamers hung from every window and pmnacle. The decorations were on a lavish scale ami included many gorgeous designs. Noble arches spanned the

streets to typify the triumph of the army in blue. A living shield of 2,000 children stirred the hearts of the veterans to responsive cheers by singing “Marching Through Georgia,” . “Rally Round the Flag” and other songs of happy memory. A band of pretty maidens in tri-colored costumes strewed the pathway of the President with flowers and ferns, and were rewarded with his kindliest smiles. Paeans of Joy at I very Step. Through such scenes, with the glories of the flag on every hand and paeans of joy at every step, moved this pageant of peace, this relic of war. The heavens, too, smiled benignantly. The day was perfect. A shower during the night freshened the atmosphere. During the parade the sun shone brilliantly, but there was a pleasant breeze, and the weather was not uncomfortably hot. The myriad of proud banners glinted in old Sol’s rays in their brightest luster, and the faded, tattered battle flags, many of them furled to save their wasting remnants; were kissed into new radiance and glory. The day was ushered in with a sunrise salute of forty-five guns. At 8 o’clock

Main street was choked. An hour later drums were beating and a hundred bands were playing, echoing and jarring each ’ other’s accents. Mounted officers were dashing hither and thither, giving their 1 sharp orders. Sabers and burnished 7 shieldsflashed in the sunlight. There was everywhere what seemed to the civilian’s -eye confusion and consternation, but not so to the stuidy old soldiers in the blue 1 ' coats. It was all orderly and beautiful 1 to them. They loved it. It was a taste ' of the old life. It was shortly after 10 o’clock when a squad of mounted police left the terrace, 1 a square in the business part of the city, and the crowd announced the beginning of the parade with shouts of “Here they come.” It was nearly 5 o’clock when the last weary veterans trudged by the reviewing stand, two miles from the terrace. The line of march was up Main street to Chippewa, thence to. Delaware avenue, and north on that aristocratic thoroughfare, lined with the homes of the old families of the city. The column turn-

ed west in North street, passing beautiful residences of a later generation, nnd marched through the circle to disband in the parks of the lake shore. President McKinley rode at the head of the parade as far as the reviewing stand, which was at the end of the twomile march. Two hundred young women scattered along the route, attired in gowns of red, white and blue, scattered flowers before his carriage. When the President, standing on the reviewing stand, caught sight of the tattered war flags of the armies of Illinois he put down his hat and clapped his hands, exploding a demonstration which rolled down the line like the booming of cannon. The whole route was over smooth asphalt pavements, the first march of the kind, Gen. Alger said, he had ever beheld. The President's reviewing stand

was at the intersection of North street and Richmond avenue. Approaching the stand the army moved west in North street. Double rows of trees, whose branches met overhead, made a green canopy above the last half-mile of the march. It looked as if the army wits coming out of a fairy-book forest. To the west, the situation was the same. The foliage heightened the colors of the flattering flags as the army wound past the stand. Railroad officials say that 300,000 is a low estimate of the number of visitors in

Buffalo. The police arrangements were admirable. Persons having grand stand tickets found their seats readily, and the 500,000 persons who wanted to see the parade were kept well in hand. Receptions of the Evening. Despite the fact that President McKinley was exceedingly weary, he met the local committee at night just after dinner, and accompanied by Gov. Black, went to Music Hall to meet the general public. The strain of the day was, however, too much for flesh and blood, and after he had greeted about 3,000 persons individually he was compelled to leave the hall. Fully 20,000 persons blocked the streets in the vicinity of the hall and expressed their disappointment at not being permitted to shake the President’s hand. Leaving Music Hall, the President was driven to the Buffalo Club, where he received the Loyal Legion. At 10:45 he went to the Niagara Hotel for the night.

THOUSANDS OF VETERANS IN LINE.

MAIN STREET ILLUMINATED ARCH.

TYPES OF OLD SOLDIERS.