The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-16

FRAGMENTS OF THE RECORDS.
at their work shows how necessary Is q
perfect system to its successful prose-
cuti0n.
The voluminousness Of the documcn-
tary matter is hard to realize. The
military records include four hundred
thousand muster rolls and about one
hundred and fifty thousand bound vol
umes. The copying, as has been said,
is done upon cards. They are printed
in blank and then the blanks are filled
from the records. The cards are sorted
by states. then by regiments and final
ly alphabetically, SO that a score or
more referring to one man eventually
come together from widely different
sources and take their places under his
name. The system of indexing and
sorting is marvellous; the result is beau
tiful in it's simplicity. At the tenth
street branch" as Ford's theater Is
called, Oliphant c. Brown is in charge.
With the permission Of Col. Ainsworth
/ inspected The branch under Mr..
Browns guidance. The building is lit
tie divided by partitions. The three
great floors are covered with rows of
desks, where clerks are busy with mus
ter rolls or cards which are being COM
pared. A glance over the desks shows
the great volume of papers through
which the clerks must make their way
to reach the necessary facts. The COM
parison and verifcation are attended to
with the utmost care, SO that any
divergence from the original records is
impossible. Even palpable errors are
preserved with explanatory notes. If a
mans name has been spelled wrong
anywhere in the four hundred thousand
muster rolls and the hundred and fifty
thousand volumes, a glance at his card
an entry in the original is. from age or
peculiarly of peninanship, open to
several constructions, the original will
be found reproduced upon the card.
This care is absolutely necessary, and
the discretion which suggested it proves
its utility every day. And yet, when
all is done, the new records are not
bulky. They are models of condensa-
ton.
The results are on file in the war de-
partment. There one NAV see rooms
full of ordinary file cases indexed upon
the outside, to show the regiment, COM
pany or alphabetical division. Here,
for instance, is the room devoted to
New York. It contains, roughly speak
ing, one-seventh Of the union army.
There were four hundred and eighty
. ;S%v N2t csr%a
The records are kept in six thousand.
one hundred and ninety-two boxes.
of which twenty-four refer TO the Mex
lean war and the others to the re-
bellion.
Make test of the system" said Col
Ainsworrh, as we passed through the
room. ''Call for some soldier whom
you know"
.Wait till we come to Maine" said I.
THAT is my state
We passed through several rooms SIM
liar to that devoted to New York.
There was something deeply impressive
in the orderly arrangement OF the mil
itary titles standing forth sharply up
on the white placards 1t was like
walking through vast camp. ne
great host whose individual his
tory surrounded me seemed to be
on guard. The valor OF the nation was
gathered about ne, On every hand
were names associated with heroisza
upon the field. This regiment was st
Gettysburg: that shed its blood In the
Wilderness. The solemnity OF death
was upon those white cards that stood
in rows as of tents, but no observer with
a trace of sentiment could fail 70 realize
that the dead. no less than those that
still survive, are IN this very day de-
tenders OF the nation by the record Of
their courage and devotion.
Here is Maine laid Col. ,Ainsworth.
WHO shall il be?''
Col Charles ". TNden, Of tie Sx.