The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-02-03
AUGUSTA TOPICS.
Organized Sons of the Veterans In.
creasIng In Strength
While Uncle Sans Old Soldiers at
Togus Are Mustered Out.
An Augusta Man Who Puts Darius
Green In the Shade.
Especial to the Press. ]


AUGUSTA, Feb. 2.-The annual meeting OF
the Sons of Veterans of Maine will be held
| in May, from the 9th to the 10th, probably in
Portland. The annual report for the year
ending Dec. 81 shows membership in the
State of 636. a gain of 154. The number OF
camps is 36, gain of 4. The total membership
in the United States is $4,000. Next week a
new camp will be organized at Thomaston
and there is a prospect that there will be
new ones at Springfield, Lee and Winn at an
early day. The order seems to be gaining
ground in the eastern part of the State. Com
rade Stanwood of Winn is great worker
and is doing efficient service. Thos. G. Libby
of Vinalhaven is the commander of the sons
of Veterans of Maine.
At the recent visit of Governor Marble to
the State Prison he!held an interview with
Geo. Knights of Poland, who was sentenced
to the State Prison for life, Sept %, 1856, for
the murder of his wife. Knights pleaded
for a pardon. alleging that his wife commit
ted suicide, he being over mile away from
her at the time. As the Governor passed
through the prison Cashier Gould sat by a
window. looking out Once he glanced fur
lively around and then withdrew his face, as
If be did not wish to be recognized
The death rate for the last two months at
the Soldiers National Home, Togus, has ex-
ceeded by far any previous record for a SINH
lar period. Old age and the hardships en-
dured are the agencies that are calling many
"a comrade to his long rest. 1t is the inten-
tion of the Governor to add to the Unitarian
service in the chapel the quartette from the
church in Augusta.
Mr.. John +. Chase, an Augusta veteran,
who received As wounds at the battle of Get
tysburg, was carried off the field for dead,
and wears glass eye and has but one arm
as results, has invented an aerial war ship,
and departed from Augusta for the national
capital tonight to present the merits Of his
invention to the naval committee of the
House. He claims to have discovered the
loug sought for method of navigating the air,
over which inventors have puzzled their
brains for many years. His ship will be pro-
PEELED by wings and the secret of its success
full flight is their peculiar form and the man.
ner in which power is applied to them. This
secret he will divulge to no one. His craft,
he says. is perfectly under the control
of the navigator and can be driven
in any direction, with the wind or
against it, a steering apparatus being proyi-
ded. A speed of sixty miles an hour can be
readily attained. The principle of this air
machine, he says, is very simple and but
small amount of power is required to oper
ate it. A war ship which will move off with
ton he estimates will cost $50,00O. Mr.
Chase has given five years study to to his
invention and is positive that it can fly with
ease. He has given it repeated trials, his
machine being on small scale with six
inch wings, and clock spring furnishing
the power. The inventor will exhibit
model of his machiue to the Congressional
committee which he will appear before.
Heath Post, forty comrades strong,
visited Seth Williams Post of Augusta this
evening, ald rousing campfire was in
dulged in.
Gen. Charles Hamlen returned from trip
to New York today, and there will be a
meeting of the committee of the Gettysburg
memorial commission next week. The spec
ifications are nearly all in now.
Wednesdays earthquake was distinctly
felt in various parts of the city. Hanging
lamps were swung and crockery ratified, and
one lady on Cushnoc Heights was much
frightened In Readfeld it is reported the
shock quite violent.