Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-05
E. NJ, DODGE AS SANTA CLAUS
Distributes Christmas Presents to the
Children of Old Soldiers.
URGES THE LITTLE ONES TO LOYALTY
Annual Gatherings Intended to Keep
Fresh In Their Memory the Brave
Deeds of Their FRthers-A
Flag for Every Room.

Flag for Every Room.
Eight years ago General G. NJ. Dodge
sent 500 to the members of Abe Lin
coin post with the explanation that 1t was
to be used to buy Christmas presents for
the children of the old soldiers. The gift
came at fortunate time, and Santa Claus
came to several hundred little people who
would have had slim evidence of his pres
ence otherwise General Dodge was de-
lighted with the reports that came to him
of the great Christmas tree that the chill
dren went wild over and he has repeated
the gift each year since. Last night he
was present when the little folks received
the benefit of his munihcence. 1t was the
first time he had ever had the pleasure of
witnessing the sight, and the scene last
night most deeply affected him. Grand
Army hall was considered too small and
the Christian tabernacle was utilized. 1t
was packed to the doors The building
was decorated with evergreens. When Gen
eral Dodge entered the hall he was given
an ovation that startled him. Old and
young joined in vociferous shouts that
fairly shook the building. The general ac-
cepted the salute gracefully and took his
in charge OF the program DR.. Thomas
was chairman. The early part of the even
Ing was devoted to pleasant literary and
musical program Ollie and Mabel English
gave an instrumental duet and Miss 1nez
Denny a recitation. Arthur Golf, the mid
get cornetist, made his first appearance since
his return from Chicago and charmed Gen
eral Dodge and the audience. He is
scarcely as long as his cornet, and his per-
Torrance would have been considered some
thing remarkable for an artist of mature
years. His rendition of 81 Dreamed |
Dwelt in Marble Halls" from the Bohemian
Girl, was particularly fine. Aida McFad-
den, Hazel Brown, Sylvia Snyder and Edyth
Thomas contributed to the evenings pleas
ure, Miss Thomas especially winning the
heartiest applause by the recitation of her
christmas Story" in which she adroitly
made General Dodge figure as Santa Claus.
Mandolin and guitar music was furnished
by Messrs. Aylesworth, Bonham and Abdil.
At the conclusion OF the set program Cen
eral Dodge arose and received another ova-
ton, and when the applause subsidized he
addressed his soldier comrades and their
children and grandchildren. He said:
Every year l hear the results of the
Christmas greetings that come from the
gatherings of the children of soldiers who
served with me and with others in the
army. You are brought together with
view not only of giving you pleasure and
making you happy with the little pres
ents you get, but that it may bring WV
idly before you the fact that your fathers
and other relatives served their country
so bravely, that you may know and have
kept fresh in your memory the story of
their deeds, and also to impress upon you
that you should hold sacred their memory
and keep fresh in your minds the history
| their country. You should be taught in
the schools why your fathers and your
brothers died, and why they served in the
army. Their history should be so i'm
pressed upon you that it would be of daily
mention and ever present IN your homes;
you should always keep in your home,
where 1t would be seen, a flag of your
country no matter how small, and hold
1t sacred from the fact that it is the flag
for and preserved. Then you should look
to the future.
PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY.
This country gives you and all others
the world gives, and If this country should
ever need your strong arms as 1t did your
fathers in its defense you should rally
to its support, not waiting to question the
cause. None of the many assertions that
are made that people are wronged or OPP
pressed in this country should find lodg-
ment In your brain, as its legislation its
laws, its government and its intention have
been always to help the poor and weak,
The whole effort OF the government and
the people is in behalf of its people, to
build them up and make them prosperous
and happy. Two laws alone show the
tendency of our government: One the
homestead and the other the pension. And
as you go forth with everything TO help
thing that is good to guide you there
Is no reason why you cannot rise to the
highest position in this government, and
every one of you, If you are industrious
and honest. can hold a worthy and hon
oraole place in your country and In
ciety. With everything good thrown
around you from all these sources you
have got to be absolutely born bad to
90 wrong As you read the history OF
you that It has grown steadily, strong and
far beyond the growth of any other coun-
try. 1t has grown so rapidly in the last
thirty years that 1t has astonshed the
world and that great growth and develop
ment could not have occurred If it had
not been for the war. The war taught the
1t taught them to take hold of great enter
prises, to take great risks and when they
lald down their arms and came home and
started life anew they by themselves and
by thelr example put energy and con-
n tSen, se, "a and d.. success not only in
you see in the growth of the country what
they nave accomplished in thirty years, a
growth and development that under any
other condition of affairs and any other eX-
Rerence would have taken more than leo
The country has been settled, organized,
parts of 1t from the Atlantic to the Pacific
ara ara from the Gulf to the British posses
commerce and by, sympathy of states and
governments so that another trial test of
us strength by civil war IL not liable to
occur. 1t has had the greatest test that
any country In the world has ever had-a
civil war where one-half of its people were
against the other half. but where the re-
suit of the war held the country more
lrmly together and more united than it
ever was before-a greater success than any
war has ever conferred upon any nation
In the world. Therefore. while the war
was great calamity II was great bless
Ing, and while you look upon the loss of
your fathers and your brothers as an in
diVidual grief. Ii was a national benefit
WORLD is GOOD.
And now. my little friends, as | pass
through the world leading a busy life my
comfort and pleasure come to me often
Just as II has here tonight, In seeing the
pleasure and happiness of others, and es-
pecially in seeing how well each commu-
nifty each army organization, tries to take
care of those who are I'm need and have
lost their best friends. and II makes me
feel and say that the world is good and its
people must be happy, for they never tire
cannot com9rehend the reason for many
things, stu you are. old enough to appTe-
e eiae t.. the good and forget me bad, and to
yourselves others Will help you, and to
bear In mind that idleness Is one of the
greatest evils and brings crime and sorrow
therefore be sure to have some object I'm
llte. Keep 20 work at something And
above all things, be sober, Industrious and
cheerful Keep these great principles ever