Show VIsIT OF GENMERRIAM Department Commander Here for a Couple of Days WILL INSPECT FORT DOUGLAS J Gen Merriam Being Commander of the Departments of Colorado and Missouri Has Much Ground t I CoverHe Will Spend Much of Today To-day at the Post and Leave in the Evening for Fort Russell The General Talks of Conditions in the Coeur dAlcne Country BrigGen H C Mcrrlam U S A commanding the Departments of Colorado Colo-rado and Missouri and his aid Capt J B Bennett of time Sixteenth infantry arrived from Denver yesterday afternoon after-noon from the East and registered at the Kenyon The General is on a tour of Inspection of Forts Douglas and D A Russell after which he and Capt i1ic lip I r I ria MajGen H C Merriam Bennett will return to headquarters at Denver The General rested for the remainder re-mainder of the afternoon o the hotel I und early in the evening went out with his aid to Sal lair I Gen Merriam will visit Fort Douglas at 9 a m today when he will receive the usual BrigadierGenerals salute of eleven guns which will he fred by the detachment of troops stationed at the post Then the soldiers will turn out for parade and inspection and the buildings and entire surroundings of the fort will be carefully examined This will reaulre most of the day and Gen Menlam and his aid expect to leave for Fort D A Russell on the evening train I Owing to the drain of officers abroad I Gen Merriam has two departments to I care for necessitating considerable traveling In response to questions yesterday yes-terday Gen Merriam said Owing to the constant withdrawal of troops to the Philippines and to China there are only about 3000 soldiers In the Department Depart-ment Colorado and the same number num-ber In Department of Missouri The latest addition to the Department of Colorado is from troops of the Fifth cavalry to posts In Arizona But at present the commands arc constantly changing depleted commands with sick or abouttobedlschargcd soldiers c ming m-ing In to b6 filled up later with recruits re-cruits and fresh commands going out When asked what he thought of the present situation at Wardner Gen I Merriam said r the soldiers were removed now I do not think there I would be a revival of any organized attempt I at-tempt at rioting or resistance to law I and order but there would undoubtedly I be attempts at individual assassination of persons unpopular with the lawless element The trouble In the case of Mine Superintendent McDonald whose murder was attempted not long ago Js that he was formerly friendly tp the Miners union and his withdrawal from sympathetic relations with them made him In their eyes 0 traitor Gen Merriam spoke very highly of the Governor of Idaho as n determined man who knew what his duties und obligations were and had the backbone to stand by i his convictions and his conviction In this case was that law and order must be preserved and it was Gen Merriam said that but one company of the Seventh Infantry was i at Wardner at present He expressed surprise at the action of the Pocatello Democratic convention In turning GOY Steuncnlierg down and refusing to seat the lawandorder delegation from Sho Shone county and believed a mistake had been made Gen Merriam has an honorable and enviable record in American military I history He entered the Civil war in 1SC2 Captain of tho Twentieth Maine infantry and in ISC I by conspicuous gallantry had become Lieutenant Colonel of the Eightyfifth United States colored infantry He was made Major of the TbirtyelRhtn Infantry In 1SGG became Colonel of the Seventh infantry in-fantry in 1SS3 and BrigadierGeneral in 1897 He was made MajorGeneral of volunteers In 1S9S Gen Merriam was during the Spanish wart in command of the Department of the Including In-cluding California was In command at San Francisco when the first volunteers wore sent out and on his shoulders rested the weighty responsibilities attendant at-tendant on the transfer of all those soldiers l across the sea Many veterans of the Civil war and other friends will hasten today to pay their respects to Gen Merriam erram |