The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-09-19

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disfranchise the negro after the Mississippi
! plan or adopt some other scheme OF accomplish
ing the same end, cannot now be forctold, but
! in any event the plan finally agreed upon will
be that sanctioned by the grim-looking man.
severe of visage and minus an eye, who has
ruled over Carolina in almost despotic fashion
in the past few years.
"Of all the reformers he has the most cour-
age, the most will-power. the most intellect.
He will he apt to figure in more than one Sena-
torial scene before he gets through his sena-
torial career. although it is possible that alter
experiencing so many storms during has guoer-
material career he may relish The calm ana
ouietude of the Senate Chamber and develop a
degree of conservatism that will surprise both
friends and foes"
vacancy occurred in the Army last week,
for which 100 duly ordained Ministers oil
the Gospel have been patiently waiting Tor
long time. 1t is occasioned by the compulsory
retirement of Post Chaplain John ID. Parker. by
operation of law on account Of age.
Applications for appointments of this kind
are more numerous than in the case OF almost
any other Office within the gift of the President.
snd it is said that he is subjected to more inn
portunity on their account than In any other
class of appointments, including even the highly
desirable places in the pay departments oil the
Army and Navy, which are similarly open TO
civilians
Chaplains. who are irreverently termed sky
| pilots" by soldiers not having the fear OF God
before their eyes, occupy a dignifed and honor
i able position in the service and usually have
very easy and congenial employment. They
are appointed for life and retied on three
! quarters pay. The law provides for 80 Post
] Chaplains and four Regimental Chaplains. VI
! this lumber three of the Chapains (regmentaD
are colored. The legal quota was full until
! Chaplain Parker retired and there appears to
be a most unseemly scramble for this vacancy.
The pay of a Chaplain is 81. 500 per annum.
with an increaseevery five years until 1t reaches
81 IO0 The retired ray ranges from 81, 80 to
/ 81 $50 year according to length Of service.
1t is learned on good authority that the exist
ing vacancy will not be filed for several weeks.
X
As tho time draws near for the transfer of
the immense mass of books, about 100000. from
the Congressional Library room at the Capitol
I to the new National Library on First street,
about 800 yards away, the method by which
the transfer can be best made is engaging at
! tentiop and taxing the ingenuity Of the officials
having the new building, as well As those hay
ing the books in charge.
The only removals Of immense masses OF
books in modern times have been those of the
Roysl Library at Berlin and of Boston Public
| Library The transfer in both these cases was
effected by wagons and horses. The only an
Gent library removal on record is that of the
library at Pargarrns of 100000 volumes, which
was sent by Mark Antony as present to Queen
! Cleopartra and became q portion of the great
Alexandrian Library, in Egypt. There is no
record of how this transfer was made. The
books of the Alcxandr ian Library, of which
there were 100000, were removed by FIRE in
391 A. ID.
1t has been proposed TO make the removal
BY an elevated railway from the library-room
| at the Ca pitol to the National Library. An
other proposal is TO uso special bookcases in
| which the looks can be transported without
possibility Of injury and in large masses. An
act of Congress with an appropriation viii he
required TO precede the change of the books
from one great building TO the other.
Alexandria is fast becoming popular with
eT -soldiers of the United States Army. These
men are retired aud receive q regular pension
/ They spent most of their lives on the frontier
and Pacific Coast and have grown old in the
service of their country. During their life in
the Army thew always gave portion of their
| salary toward dcfraying the expenses of the
Soldiers Home near Washington, which en-
titles them to home when they grow old.
Those in A sxandria say they have been to
the Homo " icli WAS built for them, and on
which they have also made payment but
owing TO the stringent rules laid down they
have decided to como to this city to live.
There arc now not less than 20 such men in
Alexandria. They rent small houses with
eight or nine ROOMS and furnish them with
comfortable aud useful household articles.
They generally secure houses On the outskirts
of this city, where they can raise fowls. pigs
COWS, etc, and their homes always present q
| clean appearance.
The reason they give for living here arc be-
cause it is close to Washington. where they
| are in easy reach of their pensions and old
Army friends, and because rents are cheap, aud
they can live quietly.
X
The man who is believed 10 be the Oldest
member Of the G. II. is q resident Of Wash
ington, where he occupies position as clerk
in the War Department. Capt. Fred J. Dean,
who claims this distinction. is not an old man.
In fact, he is still young and active. but at the
same time he claims to be one Of the four men
who started the Grand Army. Capt Dean was
q resident Of Springfield, Ill, intimate with DIR.
Benjamin F. Stephenson, Of that city, who is
recognized as the founder Of that Order DR..
Stephenson had givou a good deal of thought
10 the plan Of an organization Of veterans of
the WAR; aud, as Capt Dean states, often talked
with him in regard to the matter.
r.
The story Of the beginning Of the organiza.
ton AS told by him is interesting: at was ON
a bright Sunday afternoon in January, 1866.
when j met DIR. Stephenson 10 Springfield iii.
he asked me to go with him TO his Office Ia
lock over with him his papers relating to a
soldiers organization. On arriving at the Office
we found DIR. James Hamilton. the Junior Of the
medical firm of Stenberson, Alien a. Hamilton