A special train over the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad left the city at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon with 500 or more excursionists bound for Davenport, Ia., to attend the annual convention of the German Veteran Societies of the United States, which will be in session all next week, The societies attending from this city are the Deutscher Krieger Nerein, the Deutscher Veteranen Verein, the Militar Verein, and the Krieger Kamaradschaft.

The association is composed exclusively of those who fought in at least one battle in the Prussian-Danish war of 1864, the Austro-Prussian war of 1866, or the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.

The veterans were accompanied by a number of ladies and children, besides a number of prominent German-American Citizens. Meinke's and Weager's military brass bands will furnish music for the Chicago contigent