November -1, 1000.
TUB 1 L LUST li AT 101) 11 10 IS.
History of Nebraska's
National Cemetery
It Is sin (itioiualy In the history of na
tional cemeteries that tin- cemetery at
Fort MrPherson, Nob., Is so little known
lo thu citizens of the state whli'h Is thus
honored. Yet for years .Memorial day has
been here most earefnlly observed. The
cemetery Is reached from .Maxwell, u rail
road station 27f miles west from Omaha,
with a slx-mllu carriage drive through the
most pirtui esiine section of Nebraska. The
North Platte river, rising In Wyoming, the
South l'latle In Colorado, unite their waters
Just below the town of North Platte, divide
after a short Junction and run In distinct
Itannels about thirty miles, reunite and
How as the North Platte river to the .Mis-
herded a few rods distant from the picket
fence which then enclosed the ground.-
The cavalry horse of the commanding olll
cer broke from the herd Inclosure and
dashed to the cemetery fence and In an ex
cited manner threw his head over the pick
ets several times, then bounded away to
the herd ami reiunud with the whole
"command" leaping and snorting, and
halted only at the pickets opposite the
llrlng line; then by sudden movement thu
entire number gave a bound and would
have scaled the fence but for the timely
arrival of their keepers. They had scented
the fray, and. all riderless as they were
by strange instinct obeyed what was to
NATIONAL CHMICTUHY T TOUT M PlIKItSON
sourl. Within this thirty mile area is
Muxwill. lly larrlage to the National cem
el cry the North Platte Is spanned by a
driving bridge nlnety-slx rods long Two
miles across the meadow laud the South
Platte Is reached and crossed by a bridge
1 US rods long. Several smaller bridges
span the subdivided waters which encircle
forty or more small islands of the two
rivers.
The governuunt reservation of Fort .Mc
Pherson was originally four miles square.
Much of this has been opened to .sollle
nent. The fort was long occupied by the
Fifth United States cavalry. There now
remain 12S acres, lying in a most romantic
spot on the south bank of the South liatlu
river in an amphitheater at the base of hills
which skirt the horizon. The old fort Is
dismantled ami tenaniless. The olllcers'
mess house still stands winduwiess, voice
less, refusing to give up Its secrets. "Tar
gel 11111" is still a landmark of strange
memoiles. The cemetery ground Is a
square of live acres, Inclosed with a brick
wall of graceful design, sixteen feet high,
with columns every twenty feet. The en
trance Is gualded by granite pillars and
heavy Iron gates. Outside the Inclosure are
commodii.us barns for government car
riages and horsts, an Ice house ami other
pretentious furnishings, a splendid garden,
etc. One hundred yards to the west Is a
well, with massive tank, and the water Is
conveyed by pipes to the hydrant within
the enclosure, which furnishes pare wutu
for domestic and ground uses. Filtering
the eastern gateway, a graveled drive
leads to the "port"r's lodge," or superin
tendent's residence. This Is a three-story
brick building, with ample verandas, su
purinteudent's olllce, where visitors regis
tor, and the government business Is trans
acted. The family section Is modern and
inviting. Midway the central avenuo is
the Hag mound, twtnty-four feel in cir
cumference and six feet In height, ureon
and lovely with trailing lnes, It ts
ascended by a lllght of steps and here at
sunrise thu regulatou Hag, 12x21, is Hung
to the winds of heaven, to cast Its pro
tecting care over the SIM graves of the sol
diers of the civil war and one solitary
Philippine grave.
The lliirlul Section.
The burial section, after the order of all
national cemeteries, presents a level sur
face. F.ach grave Is Indicated by the con
ventional headstone, ono foot high, ten
inches wide and four Inches thick, and
bears the number and name of the de
ceased. Marble blocks six inches square,
four In height, define tho grnves of 319 of
tho great army of tho "unknown," whllo
here and there a monument, has been
erected by friends or comrades,
These, mnrblo block.?. In serried lino.
Few nnmes record, no deeds dellno
"Unknown" or numbered, nono's the need
They died! There Is no higher deed
And dying, sot tho captive freo.
This, this, tho price of liberty.
Slightly remote from the ling mound Is
the octagonal rostrum, built after tho na
tional design of stone nnd iron, with
unlquu decorations, vino-clad nnd ling
wreathed,
Tho following Incident is told of the
burial of C. L. Hequonibourg, chaplain of
ihe Fifth cavalry, which was stationed a'
the fort In the early dnys. The body had
been lowered to Its resting place ami mlu
ute guns were being 11 red across the grave
The horses of the Fifth cavnlry were
them the a 1 1 lo n.itili ami rushed to the
front '"
Another grave of special note is No. li.'ifi,
t timer of the northwest avenue. Thu mar
ble headstone bears the name "Spotted
Horse." Spotted Horse was chlet of tho
Pawnees ami served the government as a
loyal scoul in thu Indian frontier troubles.
He died at Fort Kearney and by Instruc
tion of tho War department was Interred
with his comrades In arms.
A notable monument has been erected lo
the memory of twenty-eight enlisted men
of Company (',, Sixth Infantry, killed In ac
tion near Fort Laramie, Wyo. the (.rattan
massacre, August in, Is.M.
On fume's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And glory guards with solemn lound
The bivouac of the Juad.
Kill- Stiltlici'M Wlio Die In - !.
Ily act of congress, lSOli. authority is
vested in the president, as commander-in-chief
of tho American army, "to purchase
cemetery grounds and cause them to be
enclosed, to be used as a national cemetery
for the soldiers who shall die In the service
of the cone try."
In IMifi tho secretary of war Is "author
ized and required to take Immediate meas
ures to preserve from desecration the
graves of the soldiers of (he United States
who fell In battle or died of disease In the
Held and in hospital during the war of the
rebelllin and to secure suitable burial
places in whlih they may be properly In
terred and to have the grounds em lose!
so that thu resting places of tho honored
dead ma) be kept sacred forecr."
The congressional act of 1m7 dellues the
general plan of all cemeteries. "L'.iih
grave to be marked with a small head
stone or block, with the number of the
grave (and name of deceased, if known)
iiiMiihcd thereon, which number shall cor
icspoud with the number in the quarter
master geueial's registry of burials, kept in
the superintendent's olhcu of the respective
cemeteries, which shall set forth the
name, rank, compnu.v, legimciit and dale
of death of the olllccr or soldier, or, If uu
known, It shall bo so recorded."
Thus the recoul of cory soldier become.-,
perpetual and forms an integral part ol
American history. Section 2 of the same
act directs thai a suitable building be
erected within thu inclosure, in which shall
reside a superintendent, "selected from en
listed men of the army, disabled in serv
ice." Such Is the general plan. How far
reaching and ample Its provisions Is numb
ft st in thu following to date list of n.i
tti nal cemeteries, divided Into llrs I. second,
third and fourth classes. Arkansas, ;t,
M.ibama, I ; California, 1; Cusier hulllcllcld,
1. District of Columbia, 2; Florida, 2.
dcorgin, a, Indian Territory, 1, Iowa, 1,
Indiana, 2, Kentucky, .; Kansas, 2; Louisi
ana, I, .Maryland, I, Mississippi, I; .Mis
souri, il, North Carolina, I; New York, 2;
New Jersey, II; New Mexico, 1; Pennsyl
vania, 2, South Carolina, 2; Texas, 2; Ten
nessee, 7; Virginia, 10; Old .Mexico, 1.
The greater number of these have been
located in proximlly to old baldellelds.
suih as A ut li'l a in. Ccltyshtirg, etc. The
old trenches of death at Andersonv llle are
now grass-grown and guarded.
It will be remembered when tleueral Cus
ttr and his gallant baud met Sitting Hull
and his braves thu entire command fell
before tho savages. The (ieueral Custer
cemetery embraces the soil drenched with
the blood of thai Ill-fated band, whose
bodies are there Interred.
Lnder act of 1S7II, general orders 17. ua
ilonal cemeteries, "was established In the
City of Mexico, Old Mexico, a national com
tiiry for the Interment of the remains ol
olllcers and soldiers of the United Stales
and of citizens of the United States win.
ft 11 In battle or tiled In and around said
city."
These cemeteries are maintained by per
muncnt congressional appropriation, an
nual estimates being submitted by the sev
eral superintendents.
What possible feature of American civili
zation gives higher Index of Ihe strength
of thu republic than this provision for tho
perputual euro of thu sacred dust of those
by whose death the nation's unity is es
lablishcd?
Queer
American Pictorial Monthly. "Queer.
Isn't 117"
"What's queer?"
"Thut night falls."
"Yus."
"Hut It doesn't break."
"Tho day breaks."
"Yes."
"Hut It doesn'l fall."
"No." jAJ
"Queer, isn't it?"
Ami he was gone.
In China
Detroit Journal: Today thu plenipoten
tiaries entered the throne room together.
"Tho powers," they said, "submit col
lectively a note!"
"An oat?" giggled (he emperor, being of
wtak mind.
Things looked black for a while, until
the empress dowager's ready tact came to
the rescue.
it's a matter of horse s use. in any
evtnt'"' interposed she, with a blight smile
Director of the Mint
George E.
Roberts
The polhilltlcH that open up iiiiau oui
American Institutions to young men of
pluck and etieiny. who are willing in p,i
the price for hiiccchu by haid weiU, ate
forcibly Illustrated In the life of ticoige
K. Unbelts, who has been dlrecioi of I be
mint since lMiv Mr. liohcrt Is ,i native of
Iowa, lie was born In Dclawaic . tuiutv
August P.i, Im'm. In his early .vuuth be began
serving an upprotitlt oidilp In the olllce of Hie
Fori Dodge Mcxncngt r and learned the
printer's tiade. thoioiighly imiKit t tug all
the details of a newKpaper olll.'e Ills thrift
and hmdlicKH abllltv are shown In the fact
that at the age of 21 he bought .m interest
ill the olllce and a year later be nuc role
great .is to be almost inconceivable. None
of us fully appreciate II, for the events
of loda.v so soon efface Ihe Impressions of
esierua.v that we caiinoi now realle the
alarm, paralvsls and distress of the situa
tion four years ago. We have almost
forgolien that In August, 1MU5. you could
scarcely borrow money on any terms. Not
a bank In Iowa was lending money. Not
a dollar could be had on a llrst-elasH farm
mortgage. Knlorpiisu was dead. Capi
tal was in hiding. Men of wealth, Instead
of pursuing the natural Impulse to em
ploy and Increase II, were possessed of
but one Idea, and that was lo keep from
losing what they bail. Prosperity was
OFFICKKS' Ql AUTFItS T FOItT MPIIFHKON
owner lie was. eletltd wialt pnnitr for
Iowa b a Joint ballol of I lit- g m r.il as
sembly when unl.v 21 eurs of age
Director Itobei'ts has been chaltman of ihe
republican central lommliiee of the Tenth
Congressional district for twelve jears and
has bt en acilvely Interested in all of Senator
Dolllver's political contests as proprietor of
Ills Inline paper ami as an Intimate friend.
He attained a national reputation as a
writer on llnaiitial legislation when he wrote
"Coin at School In Finance" In iv.'." as a
icply lo "Coin's Financial School." In
IM'i! he wrote the pamphlet, "Iowa and the
Silver Question," In which the Inteiests of
llle Iowa farmer in relation lo the silver
question were pari Iculaiiy considered. II
was widely circulated during the piesl
dcullal campaign of thai vcar. In lS'.i; bo
wiolo "Hlmelallism In Fiance" ami "Money,
Wages and Prices" lor the National Sound
Money league. In January, iv.is, he was ap
pointed diicclor of Ihe mint bv President
McKluley. This appointment was made at
ihe Instance of Sccietary Huge, who be
came acquainted with Mr. Itoberts llnoiigh
his writings. The Iowa delegation in con
gress knew nothing of the selection until
asked If it would be agrei able lo lliem, ami
Mr. Itoberts bad no knowledge or it until
the place was tendered him.
I'reselll I 'l mi neiii I loud i I Inn.
When asked for an i pn -mi of Ills
opinion on Ihe llnam nil oielu ion of ihe
I nited Slates today he said
'The contrast between llnam lal ton
dun ns now ami four veins ago are ho
ST l Di: NTS LIIIKAUY IN CUIOKIHTON I MVKItSITY, OMAHA
impossible under ton li lomllUoiis (iood
nines come from the lull t mploj iiient ol
all the wealth prodiu lug faitors of so
titty. The output of alt the comforts of
modern life Is vasil greater in modern
times than In thu past, from the fact that
our labor Is rclulorccd ami made more
cllctiho by accumulated capital. Umlci
modern Industrial condlt Ions capital and
labor wotk together, and when either
ceases to work Ihe other Is Idle ami earn
lug nothing. Under the threats of Mr
llryan and the Chicago platform In lS'.ni
capital was lightened, lost all Interest In
earnings ami looked only lor sclf-prcscrvn
Hon. Millions and millions went to
Kuropo for security and practically every
body wlio had anything prefericd to hide
il or sil down on II unlit the situation
changed. The result, naturally, was that
all kinds of property were ulmosl unsal
able, for when nobody wants to buy there
Is no pili e tor anything, ami wngu-ciiruc rs
were out of eiiiiln mi'iil by thousands.
"Mr. llryan and his followers pointed lo
this condition, due to their own alarming
proposals, as proof of tho evil liilluencu
of the gold standard Tho low price of
grain was caused b the gold standard,
livery business failure, every factory shut
down, every man out of employment wau
pointed to as one of ihe logical and neces
sary lesulth or the gold standard. Such
tendencies, he said, must inevitably con
tinue ami conditions must get constantly
worse so long as the gold standard was
maintained. llryan staked his reputation,
Ills standing as an economist and states
man, iipi.n Hint proposition. Hu waa
renting and aggravating the very condi
tions lie described. lie was like a man
who sets lire in Ins house and then com
plains thai he has no place to sleep. Out
of Dial condition of chaos and alarm the
'i.iilitry begun to emerge soon lifter the
cleiiloii or McKluley. Naturally, time
was required lo accomplish a general re
vival of Industry. Modern Industry is so
i ouiplex and its various divisions so le
pimltui upon each oilier that when all
are pn. si rate no one can spring suddenly
Into full activity alone. Flrsl there must
be coiilldeiice In a belter time coming and
with that capital begins, cautiously, to
prepare for it; then, as capital mplos
Ichor, ihe various industries begin to act
and react upon each other, raipporling and
stimulating each oilier, until all reach
I heir highest activity, which is when the
productive forces ol society are all la
a Hon, perfectly balanced, engaged In sup
pl Ing each other.
Vlone.v CuiiifH Out ol lliiliiiu,
' Mr. llryan showed his Ignorance of this
natural recuperation ami again slaked his
icpiitailou on Ills fallacies by sneering com
ments upon conditions at that lime. Classing
Iowa on his return to Nebraska, shortly
aftt r election, he said he was hurrying home
to keep from being ellgullcd by the wave of
pioHpcrity thai was rolling over the country.
That was tho foolish hoasifulncss of a man
who did not dream that ho could be In error.
nd yet, before President McKlnley's mi
ll Inlhtrutlon was six months old there were
Mibstnuiial evidences of returning prosperity
tvirywhere. Tho first result was an
a' iimlaiice of money to loan. It came out or
hiding to earn something again. Iloforo
Ihe end of lsii" the Union Pat lllc rcorgaulza
iioii was aeiompllshed on a basis which gave
the govt riimciil every dollar of IIh ( latins,
(Continued on Page Five.)
