The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, May 27, 1898, Image 6

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    MEMORIAL DAY.
The mist of battles has rolled away :
Peace , glorious peace Is ours to-day ;
And added stars In our banner glow :
The 'dear old * flag "of the'long ago- !
We thlrc ct the founders of this blest
land.
Our grandslres brave In stern com
mand.
And listen still as the vet'rans tell
Of victories won , though the foe fought
well ;
Of retrieved disasters , of great defeat.
The onward march and the forced re
treat.
Then turn where our childhood's heroes
rest ,
While gentle fancies soothe the breast.
Then whrle we place on each soldier's
plot.
On each hallowed grave , the forget-me-
not ;
Thankful to God for the courage shown
By those we were proud to call our
own ,
That Right , triumphant , may closer bind
The tics of royalty all mankind ;
With the Inward prayer : May all wars
. cease.
And men be skilled with the skill of
peace.
George Bancroft Griffith In Woman's
Magazine.
"Good morning , Aunt Ruth. You
eee I'm on hand bright and early for
iny lilacs. Aren't we going to have a
beautiful day ? " said Antoinette , cheer
ily , seeming to have caught the con
tagion of the bright May morning.
"I am so glad it is pleasant , for I
well remember how rainy it was last
Decoration day. I'm sorry the lilacs
are a little backward this year ; still
I think we shall find enough for a fair
showing. Did you bring a basket ? "
"I did. The self-same one that has
done service for the last three years.
Ralph is coming for me about 11 o'
clock. "
With that they started for the gar
den.
den.Miss
Miss Bosworth , "Aunt Ruth , " as she
was more familiarly known was one
of the oldest inhabitants of Pleasant-
ville , a sleepy little town nestling
among the Berkshire hills , its quiet
undisturbed save by the buzz of the
sawmill , and , In summer , the busy
hive of workers at the canning fac
tory.
Everybody knew Aunt Ruth , and
none knew her but to love her. She
was one of those elderly women shall
we say rare ? who had preserved a
sweet , happy nature , free from disa
greeable habits both of speech and
manner. Although over 60 years old ,
she still possessed that blessed faculty
or adaptability which made her a cov
eted companion of both young and old.
Children were attracted by her cookie
jar and a fund of delightful stories ,
while those o maturer years were
charmed with her personality and her
entertaining conversation , which ever
sparkled with subtle humor , despite an
unmistakable undercurrent of sadness ,
which at times betrayed itself in her
face.
Antoinette Rathbun was particularly
fond of Aunt Ruth , and many happy
hours they spent together , reading or
discussing the various questions of the
day.
Antoinette was just now In a most
beatific state of mind. That which
makes the world go round had touched
her life an imparted to it fresh en
thusiasm and delight , and this Decora
tion day morning she seemed unusual
ly happy.
-After all , Aunt Ruth , " she said ,
"there is no season of the year quite
so beautiful to me as the springtime ,
when everything seems fairly bursting
With life and delighting in life. "
"Ah , my dear , it Is because you arc
just now in the springtime of life your
self. You seem to me very like that
little shrub yonder , the buds just peep
ing out which shall so soon unfold into
the perfect flower. So do I see in you
the possibilities of a byautiful and no
ble womanhood. But haven't we
enough lilacs ? The sunMs so warm ! "
"Yes , indeed , we have and I don't
care to rob you even for a good cause.
I am relying upon the girls for a good
ly supply. "
"It's your Sunday-school class , isn't
It ? "
"Yes , " answered Antoinette. "Aunt
Ruth , won't you go with us ? That
would make our party complete. Do
say yes. "
"No , I would rather go alone. I am
glad , though , that you are interesting
your class in this way , for it seems to
me that children in these days have too
little patriotic spirit , and too little ap
preciation of the-cost of liberty. The
decoration of the soldiers' graves
means little more to them than a half
holiday from school and a happy time
gathering flowers. After all , I guess
it is better so. Let them have all the
sunshine possible ; the shadows come
soon enough to all of us. "
"Aunt Ruthj" said Antoinette , ten
derly , "I've wanted to ask you some
thing for a long time , but I don't know
that I ought. "
"Certainly you may. What is it ? "
"Will you tell me whose grave you
visit so much , and on which you al
ways 'put such lovely flowers Decora
tion day ? "
"You will be surprised , my dear ,
when I tell you that I don't know. It
is an unknown grave , but all I needed
to know was that he was a soldier.
When did you say Ralph was com
ing ? "
"Not till 11. "
"Then come into the sitting-room
where it is cool and let me tell you a
bit of my own life. Somehow I feel
just like it this morning. "
They laid down their flowers and en
joyed the restfulness of the cozy room.
"I'm going to lie down , " said Aunt
Ruth , "and you bring the hassock and
sit right beside me and let me tell you
what is in my heart.
"When you came in this morning
so happy and light-hearted my
thoughts flew back thirty years , when
I was about your age , and had just as
much to make me happy as you have
now. I was engaged to a noble man ,
and , strangely enough , his namq was
Ralph , too. He was a lawyer , and his
fine mind gave promise of a brilliant
career. We were to have been married
in the spring of ' 63 , but when the war
broke out his country's call appealed
to his noblest manhood. He didn't say
much at first , but I knew that the only
obstacle in the way of his enlisting wa < ?
the pain it would give me. He was
perfectly well and strong , an added
reason for his going. Ah , well do I
remember the night we settled it ! How
earnestly and tenderly he talked about
it ! In a few days he was gone. It
took more , courage than I then thought
to make that sacrifice , but my sense of
duty to country would not allow me to
"THE BLOODY ANGLE. "
withhold the word. He joined the
Fiftieth New York Volunteer Engi
neers , Company G , and at first had an
easy time. The letters were bright and
chuery and full of enthusiasm , so that
af'.tr a time I grew less anxious and
more and more glad that he went. But
there came a day when the regular
letter failed , and a week passed ; and
another , and another , and finally
one came In an unfamiliar hand
and told the story I so much
feared. They thought he was
killed in the battle , of Gettysburg , in
the desperate charge at the "Bloody
Angle , " where so many brave men on
both sides gave up their lives , but dili
gent search brought nothing more def
inite. I sometimes wonder how I have
lived through all these long thirty
years , but you know we poor mortals
can endure more than we think. I
have much that Is pleasant to look
back upon , and much in the future to
dream of. And now about that lonely
grave. He was a soldier , too , and
there was no one to care for him , so
I love to place my flowers there , and
cannot help feeling that perhaps anoth
er is doing the same for * iph. "
A whistle interrupted the story and
Antoinette stooped to kiss the dear old
lady , and'in a moment was gone.
Late that afternoon , after Antoinet
te's class had gone and the cemetery
was quite deserted , Ralph and Antoin
ette lingered at a little distance from
that grave , quite unobserved by Aunt
Ruth , and watched her arrange the
flowers.
"Do you know , " said Ralph , "I never
saw anything more pathetic. The men
who enlisted and fought with courage
and fearlessness were indeed brave he
roes , but not an atom more heroic than
the women who gave their husbands
and sons and lovers to die for their
country , and'have'lived on , year "after
year , bravely and cheerfully hiding
their loneliness and heartache behind
a happy face. All honor to them ! "
The memory of tlio Dead.
There are few influences so hallowed
to the living as the memory of the
AT GRANT'S TOMB.
dead. They make good men better ;
sometimes they make bad men good.
it is a grateful and beneficent cus
tom which hfs been established of de
voting one ttay in tLe year especially to
the commemoration of the virtues of
the dead. Their memory comes to us ,
bidden or unbidden. It comes with the
morning light ; it comes with the even
ing shades ; it comes in the stillness of
the night. Whenever It comes it is ;
always welcome and precious. Indeed ,
"one of our chief companionships , which
we cultivate and enjoy more almost
than any other , is the recollection of
thope we have loved and lost.
In the formal appropriation of Mem
orial day , however , to the decoration c *
graves , there is a manifest , outward
sign of respect which is seemly and ia
keeping with our ever-present feeling
of affection fcr those who have gone
be't'ore us. Many improve it by car
rying flowers to the spot where their
loved ones He ; all improve it by re
calling in more vivid fancy the forms
and qualities of the sleepers we sigh
in vain for the power to awaken. New
York Ledger. .
American Jlose-t for Kngland.
Rosegrower L. M. Nee of Madison ,
N. J. , has solved the problem of pack
ing American beauties. Some time ar.o
he had an order for a huge bunch of
this variety from a lady who wished to
tr.i'.e them to Europe with her. In
packing roses Mr. Nee inserts each of
the long stems into a potato , and on
their arrival after the voyage they
were found to be as fresh as if they
vcre just taken from the greenhouse.
Iu a letter the lady said the flowers
kept well for a number of days after
her arrival , and their beauty was.
greatly admired by her English trie-nil.
CUT IN HAIL OF SHOT.
BRAVE SEAMEN FROM AMERI
CAN SHIPS DID DARING AT
CIENFUECOS , CUBA.
Spaniards Shoot from llaslcod Batteries
and Klflo Fits Upon tno Haudful of
Bluejackets Ordorrd to Sever tlio
Wires Leading Into the City.
Amid a perfect storm of shot from
Spanish rifles and batteries the Amer
ican forces cut the cables at Clenfue-
gos Wednesday morning , May 11.
Four determined boat crews , under
command of Lieutenant Winslow and
Ensign Magruder , from the cruiser
Marblehead and the gunboat Nashville ,
put out from the ships , the coast hav
ing previously been shelled. The work
of the volunteers was perilous , and one
was killed while bravely doing his du
ty , six others being seriously wounded.
The man instantly killed was Patrick
Reagan. None of the ships was dam
aged to any extent. The cruiser Mar
blehead , the gunboat Nashville and the
auxiliary cruiser Windoin drew up 1,000
yards from shore with their guns
manned for desperate duty.
One cable had already been cut and
the work was In progress on the other
when the Spaniards In rifle pits and a
battery in an old lighthouse , standing
out in the bay , opened fire. The war
ships poured in a thunderous volley ,
their great guns belching forth mass
ive shells Into the swarms of the ene
my. The crews of the boats calmly
proceeded with their desperate work ,
notwithstanding the fact that a num
ber had fallen , and finished it , return
ing to the ships through a blinding
smoke and a heavy fire.
More than 1,000 infantrymen on shore
kept up a continuous fire and the bul
lets from the machine guns struck the
warships a hundred times , but did no
great damage. Commander Maynard
of the gunboat Nashville was slightly
wounded "by a rifle bullet that before
striking him passed through the arm
of an ensign , whose name is unknown.
Lieutenant Winslow was shot in the
hand , making three officers wounded
in all. After the Spaniards had been
driven from the rifle pits many of them
took refuge in the lighthouse fortress ,
tected by the terrific return fire of the
warships , work was continued and the
cable cut.
The Spaniards had by this time suf
fered severe loss. Their shots from
the lighthouse struck the warships sev
eral times , and , although they did not
do much damage , the flro aroused the
determination of the American officers
to exterminate the fort. Thereafter ,
for the moment , the fire of the war
ships was concentrated upon the light
house and the improvised fort was
blown to pieces. As there were great
numbers of Spaniards In and behind
the fort at the time there is no doubt
that many of them were killed. The
Marblehead and the NashTills used
their heaviest guns , as well as their
small rapid-fire guns , and hundreds of
shots were thrown Into the Spanish
troops.
The Marblehead was struck scores of
times by bullets from machine guns
and the Nashville suffered to about the
same extent. The WIndom also .had
many marks cf the fray. Her shell
blowing up the lishthouse and scatter
ing the Spaniards in all directions end
ed the battle.
The cable which was cut at Cicnfue-
gos extended from that city to Santiago
de Cuba. It does not sever cable com
munication with Cuba , as there IB an
other line In operation between San
tiago de Cuba and Kingston , Jamaica.
The severed cable is owned by the Cu
ba Submarine company. The one op
erating to Kingston i3 owned by the
West India Panama company. Ths lat
ter is the cnly line not in control of
the United States government. The
cable from Havana to Key West is
controlled by United States officials. It
was a shot from the four-inch gun of
the Windom which knocked over the
lighthouse. In command of that gun
division was Lieutenant Crisp , and
Cooper was the gunner who fired the
shot. The Spanish loss is estimated at
400.
400.The
The lighthouse was demolished , the
arsenal destroyed and the batteries on
shore silenced. The town was set on
fire by shells from the American fleet.
Called It Farnltaro Medicine.
"The secret of never wanting new
things is to keep the old ones well
mended , " said a wise housekeeper , as
she exhibited the shelf where she kept
GARTERS ARE GAYER.
In Their
Startling
Than Evar Before , and
Brilliancy.
New York Sun : Garters are gayer
No woman dreams
before.
than ever
bands to keep
elastic
of wearing plain WO
nowadays. Indeed ,
' stockings
'her
up
colored
many
garters are now made so
hosiery
fashionable
that the rival the
startling bril
it comes to
itself when '
atout as ;
liancy. A garter can come '
woman's
making a
marring or
near
accessory to
happiness as any trifling
long
her toilet. Women generally ,
band which
elastic
ago , gave up the
the
telow or above
held the stocking up
knee. Health culturists first told them
that It was injurious , preventing perfect
the sex clung to
fect circulation , but
and beautiful
it with its bejeiveled buckles
tiful rows of ribbon. Then the cul-
turlsts told them that the round gar
ter would spoil the shape of the leg ,
and they dropped it like a hot cake
and adopted the suspender garter or
stocking supporter , as it is cftened
newest supporters are
called. The
made of very broad and fancy silk elas
tic in brilliant Scotch plaids cr Roman
stripes , or else plain elastic covered
with ribbons that would shame Jos
eph's coat , put on full. The catches
and side buckles are of 'White metal ,
silver , silver gilded and pure gold , and
some of them are studden with pre
cious and semi-precious gems. One
style fastens around the waist of tha
wearer by means of a satin bDlt match
ing in color the predominating color
of the elastic ; the other fastens at the
side of the corset with catch pins. Beth
methods are unsatisfactory. The waist
band is warm In summer , and de
stroys the lines about the waist. It
is , indeed , Impossible for a woman In
clined to be stout. The other , if of
such a length as to keep the stocking
up properly , pulls on the corset and
gives tha wearer a most uncomfort
able , tired feeling toward the end of
the day. All of these drawbacks have
a tendency to make a woman conclude
that after all her great grandmother
was right in declaring that the most
satisfactory garter in the world was
a string torn from a selvedge edge of
a piece of flannel1 and wrapped just
loose enough for comfort and tight
enough for convenience about the
stocking above or below the knee. A
SCENE OF THE FIGHT OVER THE CUTTING OF THE CABL'ES , MAY 11.
upon which the flre of the warships
had been centered. A four-inch shell
Crom the Windom tore this structure
to pieces , killing many and burying
sthers in the ruins. The Spanish loss
Is known to have been very heavy , the
warships firing hundreds of shells
right into their midst.
The United States cruiser Marble-
icad , the gunboat Nashville and the
auxiliary cruiser Windom steamed up
: o the harbor of Clenfuegos early Wed-
icsday morning with orders to cut the
ble connecting Havana with Santla-
jo de Cuba. This task was accoin-
3lished , but only after a terrific fight
jetween the warships and several
housand Spanish troops , which lined
; he shore and lay concealed behind im-
jrovised breastworks.
Soon after the arrival of the war-
ihips off Clenfuegos four boats were
aunched and proceeded in shore for
ho purpose of grappling for the cable
n order to cut it. The warships lay
o about 1,000 yards or mere off the
larbor.
It was observed that the Spanish1"
roops had assembled ashore , but it
vas not known that heavy guns had
icen pieced in a masked battery and
hat the old lighthouse , far out on a
leek of land , had been transformed
nto a formidable fort.
The small boats proceeded cautiously
.nd for more than an hour worked un-
aolested on the cable. Suddenly , just
s the work was about completed , the
here battery fired a shell at the boats ,
t was followed by ethers , and the
Ipanish Infantry opened fire then with
heir rii s. Then , like a flash , the
Iarblcl/-nd sent a shell inland , and
c-llowei * it with a perfect shower of
hot. The Nashville was quick to fo-
c.w Eiilt , and the little Windom cut
DOFP with her four-pour.dr3.
In the meanwhile Spanish bullets
ell > n every direction around 'the
mall boats. Though the attack had
crce suddenly and fierc. Iy the blue-
icl-ets WETO not dismayed , and , pro-
what she called "furniture medicine. "
There were tins cf different colors of
paints and enamel , brushes cf several
sizes , a bottle of liquid gilt , some good
glue , and remnants cf all the different
kinds of wall paper. A handsome six-
leaved Japanese screen had been bad
ly mutilated by a careless housemaid ,
so that two of its panels were unsight
ly. She patched the gashes carefully
with court plaster , and with a box of
water colors and the liquid gilt BO con
cealed the patches that it was as geodES
ES new. A somewhat top-heavy but
sturdy little boy made a seat of the
handsome Chinese porcelain umbrel
la jar , when down came both boy and
jar , the latter in a dozen pieces. It
was net therefor discarded , but piecing
it with the greatest care with cement ,
a brush was dipped in liquid gilt and
covered all the cracks , which , from
their sig-zag directions , really added to
its oriental appearance. Short Skits.
Tvro Xatnral Foes.
V "atcr will extinguish fire because
the water forms a coating orer
the fuel , which keeps it from the air ,
and the conversion of water into
steam dravrs off the heat from the
burning fuel. A little water makes
a fire fiercer , while a large quantity of
water puts it cut. The explanation
is chat water is composed of oxygen
and hydrogen. When , therefore , tha
fire can decompose the water into its
simple elements it serves as fuel to tha
flames.
Refreshments In Scotland.
In the course of the arguments be
fore the house of lords in a case in
which the necessity for additional re-
frcaliment accommodation at Oban
station arcse Lord Watson , himself a
Scotchman , interposed and remarked
that refreshments in that part of Scot
land bad cnly one meaning and that
j
woman who will Invent a really artis
tic and , at the same tic-e , comfortable
stocking supporter will strike a Klon
dike.
Pressure of the Soa.
There are spots in the ocean where
the water Is five miles deep. If it ia
true that the pressure of the water on
any body in the water is one pound
to the square inch for
every two feet
of the depth anything at the bottom of
one of the "five-mile holes" would1
have a pressure about it of 13,200 feet
to every square Inch. There is nothing
of human manufacture
that would resist -
sist such a pressure. That it exists
there is no doubt. It Is known that
the pressure on a well-corked glass
bottle at the depth of 300 feet is so
great that the water will force its way
through the pores of the glass. It is
also said that pieces of wood have been
weighted and sunk in the sea to such
a depth that the tissues have become
so condensed that the wood has lost
its buoyancy and would never float
again. It could not bo even made to
burn when dry.
The Czar at Home.
Alexander III. , the late czar of Rus
sia , was said to be an autocrat
even in
the bosom of his family.
Nicholas II. . t
however , Is the very
reverse. He re
gards his consort as a good comrade
and when in urgent cases ministers
seek an audience late In the evening
he Is invariably to be found in her company -
pany , chatting and laughing without
restraint. The czar is generally
occu
pied at his desk , while the czarina bus
ies herself with
embroidery
work. Im
mediately a minister enters she rises
as If to retire , but more often than
,
otherwise the czar informs her that
Ehe is not one too many.
French Doctors r.
Cut Off.
One of the provisions cf thet Frsnch
; de forbids a doctor to inherit
erty left him by a deceased patie'nt. prop