River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-05-27

A writer in an Eastern paper tells
of May-day visit to the tomb of Gen
eral Grant. The red-lined cape of the
sentinel who PAGES to and fro in silence
in front of the Grant tomb could be de
cried half mile away on the River
de drive yesterday. Although the
leaiiess trees bent and shivered before
the wintry blast, the sky was cloud
less and the sunlight made the wide
stretches Of water between the ice-iloes
ia the river sparkling with diamonds.
Despite the tipping air the tomb was
visited during the day by hundreds.
Although there were few carriages,
there was constant stream of people,
especially in the afternoon, vending
their way across the lots that lie. fence
less between the boulevard and the
Drive. 4 great many of them were
ladies, in fact nealy every male pilgrim
was accompanied by several of the fair
sex.
The park policemen now have lit
tie box to stand in Just south of the
tomb when the wind bowls down
through the tunnel over the river made
by I he towering cliffs on either side of
the north. and although they may not
hold converse with the regular soldiers
on guard, the one on patrol PAGES mp
and down with him at times lOr com
panv sake. All the guards were III per-
petual movement during the day, each
in his turn, for there was no comfort
for even "A park policeman in standing
still with the wind blowing great guns.
As the day wore on the cold increased,
despite the bright sunshine, vet the
visitors kept arriving in little groups
right along until nightfall.
The iron doors of the tomb were
open, but the heavy grating door, with
the huge letter GO in polished bronze,
was closed.
The tomb was Uttered with dead gar-
lands, but on the lid of the casket and
at its foot there were fresh plants, and
smilaX fell in loops from its sides 1t
was evident that some fond friend of
tine reycrcd dead had but recently
visited the tomb and made place for the
fresh w-saths and other floral tokens
amid those that bad withered and died.
The dead hero's wife and sons had
visited the tomb only few DAYS ago.
One of the visitors. an old lady who
was short-sighted, begged permission
to stand at the grating 50 that she
could gaze upon the casket, and after
some hesitation the guard allowed her
To go up near the gate. After stand
inc there fully five minutes she Turned
about and Joined a friend or the wood
en- pathway.
Bless me.' She exclaimed, | heerd
the General was embalmcd: but the
collins closed, and I couldn't see him
ut all.
You would be surprised. said one
Of the park policemen to whom the
old lady's remark was shortly after
wards impaired, Ito hear me say that
| don wonder at the old lady's disap-
puintment.
She Is not the first one who has
come here under the impression that
the Generals body. having been
embalmed, is exposed to view. They
read SO much in the papers about the
crowds that come here and about the
gates being thrown open so that
visitors can look into the tomb that
many REALLY think that the body itself
can be seen.
The soldiers had hard time of it
dnring the great hurricane of Thursday
and Friday. 1t was so cold that the
sentinels' tour of duty was changed
from every two hours to one hour at a
time
1t was as much as the guard on
duty could DO 10 keep his ieet. much
less keep his rifle. at shoulder arms. -
Grave fears were entertained one night
when the gale was at the he ght of its
fury that the wooden barracks of the
men and the little houses of the officers
would be swept down the steep cliff in
TO the river. The roofs of the men
quarters were loosened and had to be
chained down. They are now
supposed to be proof against the next
blast.
The officers and men are all well.
indeed the sick list of Camp Grant has
always been blank ever since
il was established. The rank
and file find that time travels
very slowly and have been very lonely
all the winter But said one of
them yesterday, "spring is now at
hand and Wen have it lively enough in
a few weeks.