Fisherman & Farmer

A MONSTER PARADE.

Nearly 50,000 G. A. R. Men in Line in Detroit, Mich.

The National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic and the celebration of its silver anniversary formally opened in Detroit, Mich., with the grand parade.

Special trains bringing state delegations from all parts of the country poured into the city throughout the night and early morning. Others brought visitors not officially identified with the encampment by the tens of thousands, and at ten o'clock that morning the streets in the center of the city were almost impassable.

The head of the procession moved at eleven o'clock, and both in numbers and equipment the parade was one of the most magnificent ever made by the Grand Army.

Most of the veterans wore very handsome uniforms, and there was no end of naval features. Between 30,000 and 40,000 men were in the parade.

Enthusiastically the "vets" marched beneath the four great triumphal arches that had been erected, now and again breaking out into a cheer, the applause being carried along the line until it seemed to end in a distant murmur.

There were forty-seven divisions in the parade, and it took two and a third hours for the first four to pass a given spot.

Estimates of men who galloped along the line and through the formation streets after the column had moved placed the men in line at nearly 50,000. It was noticeable that there were more crippled and otherwise disabled veterans than have been at any previous encampment, many more gray heads and enfeebled frames. Every division was replete with interesting features.

The Philadelphia contingent, nearly 500 strong, carried umbrellas, each one painted to represent a portion of the battle of Gettysburg. Sault Ste. Marie Post was also represented by a brigade, each umbrella being so painted that when combined they represented Lake Superior and the City of the Sea.

A striking feature of the Michigan division was the fact that numbers of old battle flags were carried by the men who bore them during the war.

Still another umbrella brigade was that of George H. Thomas Post No. 5, of Chicago. Their umbrellas were painted to represent a monster flag of the United States, covering the entire post and extending nearly two squares. The Ohio division was very large and presented an imposing appearance.

Among those upon the reviewing stand were General Veazey, Commander in Chief; General Miles, of the Regular Army; ex-Governor Oglesby, of Illinois; Governors Fifer, of Illinois; Campbell, of Ohio; Peck, of Wisconsin; General Lucius Fairchild, of Wisconsin; Governor Winans, of Michigan; Mrs. John A. Logan and over a hundred others.