The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-10
GEre GlsteLIiQenIe
''1 T n ii sEEIsrOs NJ THE MUSEUM.
Anldyl Of Decoration nay.
ny JAMES CUNNINGHAM, ia.


wasfully slain by an assassin while sittir
inhis box at Ford's theatre, on Tent
j street. in Washington City.
The Building to be hereafter foreyt
. famous as the scene Of this great TRACED
was at once bought by the Federal Go,
eminent, and was remodelled and fltte
up as . Medical Museum for the arm,
The first floor Is occupied by the Recor
and the Pension Division, aud here ii
tiled allthe records Of the various hosp
tails for sick and wounded which have bee
opened since the foundation Of the 20,
eminent. Over fifteen thousand volume
are here stored, and q strong army 4
clerks are employed to PROVE by thes
books the truth or falsity Of the allegation
In pension claims.
The second floor is used by clerks EN-
ploYed on the Medical history OF the Wa
and in the Surgical Division. This foo
Is largely occupied by the Medical Library
composed Of many thousand volumes o
rare and valuable medical works, and Il
said TO be the finest medical library In III,
world. The third floor Is used as tht
museum proper, and Is filled with many
thousand specimens, comprising all classel
Of injuries TO the human body from every
known weapon and missile. A large mum
Der OF skeletons are kept here In glass
cases. Scientifically artiCulated, each
specimen Is numbered and classified, and
9 full history OF the person 10 which Il
formerly belonged, Tor should rather
say oil whom 1t once formed part) Is en-.
tered in the catalogues which are open fol
reference and public examination, On
the right OF the Museum Hall are q mum.
Der OF rooms where the specimens are
prepared for exhibition. An iron door
opens from the first floor and q winding
stair leads you up through succession
Of sombre, lonesome rooms where
you sec skulls, skeleton limbs,
and old and grim looking officers, silently
on duty, the whole pervaded by strong
smell of chemicals, and the sound OF fall.
ing water made doubly horrible and sug.
gestiVe by the surroundings, have been
up once during the year / have been here,
but ! am not going up soon again. On
the left, In fine airy building adjoining
and connected with the Museum, is the
Chemical Laboratory and the rooms OF
the officers In charge, the whole being in
charge OF Dr.. Woodward, Lieutenant.
Colonel In the army anda. man Of varied
abilities and scholarly attainments, and a
thorough scientist in all that relates to
surgery. From my desk on the first floor,
II is possible to cast your eye up through
the ventilator to q skeleton case on the
second floor. Facing me and lookine
down on the busy hum beneath, stahtls
Q skeleton whose large bones and great
height tell 1t TO have been that Of q gigan.
TIC and powerful Man silent and gtim as
the Roman sentinel who stood eighteen
hundred years Ut his post Il the gates Of
Pompeii. othis'nameiess dead appears
to stand as thesp5esidihe genius Of the
life beheath, and y hRye felt d horrible fas.
cination draw my eyes toward him time
and again, and have imagined that the
wandering spirit perchance comes back
during the busy hum Of the day to It's un-
buried tenement TOT gaze upon the hopes
and teafs, the sorrows and Joys, of his
blind brethren, as blind indeed as his
gaunt skeleton which stands before them
TO laugh at their worldly schemes and
plans; 70 feel bitter pride in knowing
that TO him all things are known, and per.
chance 10 curse the fate which has placed
the seal OF silence upon his lips forever.
How, why or when 1t had come about,
need not be told here, but the shades OF
night had long fallen; the hour was late !:
only an occasional football could be heard
upon the silent street; the solitary light
at my elbow only served to make the
darkness Of the museum more impenetra-
BILE beyond its feeble rays. The ever vigil
liant Waterman OF the Government had
wandered away to other portions Of the
vast edifce; solitary and alone, tired and
faigued with porting over the almost illeg.
ible MSS which | had been copying, was
seriously debating in my mind as to
whether should cease my lahors and be.
take myself to the silent street andmy
sleeping family, when q slight, creaking
noise suddenly arrested my attention.
Mechanically / glanced toward the kele.
ton case. l saw the door open, beheld the
skeleton step out and deliberately walk
toward my desk, draw seat up and coolly
sit down before me.
Ny first sensation was one OF uncon-
trollable terror. tried TO fly, but found
myself rooted to the spot, The cold sweat
started from my forehead. Had It been
one OF the ordinary causes for alarm, my
long and varied experience In civil as well
as military life would have enabled me Ia
control the fear within me. This was,
however, foreign to all my experience, and
I could only gaze in silent horror at my
unwelcome visitor. Il lda ,43Hls5f.
The silence did not last long. He stretch,
ed forth his feshless hand and lifted shee,
OF manuscript | had Just completed. "a
fair round hand; q little nervous, such as
would have: written myself-long ago
long ago." he said; andI observed with
surprise that his voice was soft and pleas.
ing. Then turning to me, he said:
my dear sir, do not be alarmed. This
interview may be unpleasant to YOU, but
there is an old saying in your own land
that one who dies with an untold secret in
his heart shall wander through the realms
OF eternity in uneasy spirit until all the
persons concerned have crossed over the
line. That saying, my dear sir, Is true. ]
have watched you day in and day ont iol
this opportunity, which / knew would
come. I beg you To hear me, that my
soul may be OF rest. When leave yor
now, I leave you and all mankind for
ever"
My terror had left me. His soft ant
modulated voice had made deep i'm
preston upon my mind and awakened {
deep interest in what he was about TO tell
I said, you can proceed, but pray tell me
what does the future hold in store2 He
stopped me with q wave OF his hand
"Your future for eternityis in your OWE
hands. For a time II isiiI the hands OF thu
circumstances that surround you. Il have
no power TO reveal the future, The pas
rs written; from It's pages We can read;
shall read to you d page ft0ni my past.
l nodded assent and he continue ed. Yor
have been a soldier and 10 YOU what
have TO say may be Interesting, viii
trace my years OF memory back to tn,