The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-08-11
WASHINGTON NOTES.
Special Correspondence

| der a strange and distressing sentence
since 1894, when President Cleveland, in
| mitigating a sentence of dismissal, de-
| cded that Major Wham should be sus-
| pended from duty until 1904 at half pay.
Recently Major Wham's friends
| brought forward a bill to restore him
| to duty, which could only be done by
setting aside the court martial finding.
| The bill was passed by the House. hav-
| ing been recommended by Secretary
| Alger, who had examined the history
| of the case and concluded that the man
! had been too severely punished. The
House took that view of the case, for it
| seems from the accounts OF 1t in the
report which was made to Congress
| that Wham's army record was good
from the time he was a private soldier
| during the rebellon that he had since
that time distinguished himself for SOL
| dierly qualities, and that the transac-
tion for which he was court martialed
| was one with private citizen involving
the question of the payment of a note
| of $1,000. Wham neglected to make the
| proper defence in the case brought
| against him for payment of the 1000,
and he was very vigorously prosecuted
| as soon as he ventured to become 4
| candidate for paymaster general Of
| the army. During the debate this was
alluded to. and there was also some
rather vague criticism of the compost
| tion of the court martial. Some men,
bers of the House objected to paying
Major Wham his full salary for the
years he had not served, but Mr. Ray
| of New York very quickly suggested
that II he had been improperly or
wrongfully sentenced, the government
storation to the pay roll was an ad-
mission that he should never have been
taken from it.
Gen. Henderson's Kindness.
General Henderson. Dave" Hender-
son. as his intimates call him, who has
represented the Third Iowa district
since the Forty-eighth Congress, is one
of the best liked and most popular men
in Congress. He is said to have beer
absolutely fearless and brave in action
during his service in the civil war, yet
his heart is as tender as a woman's.
and men who fought under him tel
stories of his kindness and sympathy
for his boys who were wounded.
One poor fellow in his command was
shot through the lungs when loading
his gun, and fell to the ground shriek-
ing and cursinG with pain. The wound
was, of course. mortal, the service of
the surgeon of no avail. go tho chaplain
was brought TO comfort and prepare
him for death. When General Hender-
son arrived on the scene he found the
dying soldier still shrieking and ours
ing and the chaplain busy with his
prayers, exhorting the poor victim to
stop cursing and prepare for death,
saying that he might be damned If be
went into the presence of his maker
blaspheming. The chaplain's ministra-
tions were as pe-functory as possible,
and waving him aside, General Hen
derson sat down by the side of the
dying man.
You are a hero, my brave fellow"
he said, laying his strong hand upon
the poor writhing form, lust as great
hero as though you died at the front
by the enemy's bullets You have giv-
en- your life for your country, man,
nobly given it, and your country will
be grateful Let that console you. Grit
your teeth and die like a brave soldier,
like the hero that you are"
rs that true, colonel? Is that true?"
gasped the dying man. Am I dying
for my country? God bless you for
those words Of comfort. God bless you
and thank you, SIR" and smiling peace
fully the poor fellow lay back on his
pillow and the few moments left him
| were passed in contentment.
Now Post:
The postoffice department always re-
| fleets, in it's list OF new postoffices some
| of the popular feeling. Occasionally it
reflects something else, but when he
roes are being made the postofiice de-
partment finds 1t out. Since the recent
! war broke out there has been a distinct
| tendency to prove this. Immediately
after the capture OF Manila the naming
| of postoffices for Dewey began, and it
| is still going on. A new one pops out
| every day or two. Immediately after
the destruction of the fleet of Cervera
a postofiice with the name Of Schey
| was established. None of the land
| forces have won postoffice names as
| yet Hanna Is selected now and then
| for new postofiice. A new Office in
Oklahoma is named for Alger. Secre-
tary Bliss has not yet begun to name
| postoffices, the number of offices by
that name being ten, or just the same
as on March d. 1897. A few offices were
named for the late postmaster general,
! Mr.. Gary, but the demand for that
name seems to have expired with the
retirement of that gentleman from Of
| flee. SENATOR.