The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-06

] n serve as an inspiration TO the pre-
| siding officer to instill into the hearts
and minds of the members that same
love of country and desire for its
! moral and material development that
| was possessed in SO eminent a degree
by those three great patriots. ZAP
plause.)
Mr.. Bellamy then handed the gavel
over to President Chadbourn who re-
ceived it with a few words, expressing
his thanks for and appreciation of the
historic souvenir. The gavel is made
Of red cedar wood, with which the
Harnett mansion was ceiled and OF
which the window frames were made.
| Across the gavel is a seam in which is
| seen some of the paint which covered
the wood.
TROPHIES OF THE WAR WITH
SPAIN.
Commander Geo. L. Morton, Of the
North Carolina Naval Battalion happen
ed in during the presentation of the
gavel, and, excusing himself for ap-
pearing in his uniform, said he had just
come from a meeting of the officers
III the battalion to call the attention
,bf the Chamber of Commerce to some
other souvenirs-trophies captured
in the var with Spain, which through
the influence of Lieutenant Edwin
A. Anderson would be presented to
the naval militia Of North Caro-
lima. He then read the following let
ter which explains itself, and states
what the trophies are:
U. S. Steamship ~"Sandoval,"
Naval Station Port Pova1 g y
November 80, 1898.
Sir:
By the authority of the honorable
secretary of the navy, l have the honor
to offer to the naval militia of Will
mington, North Carolina, certain
souvenirs of our war with Spain, which
l have secured while on duty in Gu
ban waters.
These articles comprise a five bar
rel Nordenfelt As calibre gun and
mount taken from the wreck of the
Spanish armored cruiser "Viscaya."
A contact mine case picked up by the
U. S. S. "Marblehead" in the channel
leading to the town of Caimanera,
Cuba; a cutlass from the Spanish ar
mored cruiser maria Teresa" also a
SO inch shell and case ard a 6-pOunder
and a 1-pOunder from the same yes
sci; a machete captured at the first
landing at guantanamo bay, Camp
McCalla.) | have also a few other
smaller articles | would be pleased to
| present at the same time.
If you should wish these articles for
your command I will turn them over
to the custody Of anyone you may ap-
point to receive them on the arrival
of this vessel at Wilmington.
1t is my intention that the Sandoval,
in company with the A%lvarado, will
stop at Wilmington in about ten days
hence.
l have to request a reply as soon as
convenient, addressed to this station.
Very respectfully,
E. A. ANDERSON,
Lieutenant Commanding.
The Commanding Officer, Naval Mill
tia, Wilmington, N. G.
The reading of Lieutenant Ander-
sens letter was GREETED with applause.
Commander Morton said Lieutenant
Anderson, in command CT the San
dOval, and Lieutenant Victor Blue,
commanding the Alvarado, two YES
, sells captured from Spain by our navy
during the war, were now on their way
| to Wilmington with these ships and
the trophies and would be here in a
few days. He said he knew the cham
Der, as it had always done, would do
! all it could in behalf of the naval
| militia, and he was here to ask this
body to cooperate with a committee
which the Naval Reserves had appoint
ed to arrange for a fitting demOnstra-
ton in receiving the trophies and in
giving Lieutenants Anderson and
BlEe a reception. He suggested that
the trophies be received at the opera
house, that a speaker be selected to
receive them and said they would be
kept in the armory of the Naval Re-
serves of this city. He asked that a
committee be appointed to aid in max
ing arrangements for the reception Of
! the trophies and for the entertainment
of L~ieutenants Anderson and Blue, and
requested the chamber to attend on
the occasion.
Messrs. Sam Bear, Jr., and w. E.
Worth moved that it is the sense of
this body to cooperate with the re-
serves, that a committee be appointed
to aid their committee in making al
Tie ueCeSSdly dIIduSeulculS SUGGESTED
by Commander Morton, and that the
chamber attend the ceremonies of the
reception of the trophies and the en-.
t%ertainment of the officers. The mo.
ton was unanimously adopted.
On motion of Mr.. J. A. Taylor, sec.
onded by Mr.. r. w. Hicks, an appro
priation was made to provide a suit
able entertainment.
Captain T. D. Meares moved that
committee of five be appointed to co
operate in the arrangements for tn,
occasion. The motion was unani
mously adopted, and the followin,
were appointed as such committee
Colonel Walker Taylor, Hon. John Q
Bellamy, Representative-elect NJ. s
Willard and Messrs. J. C.. Stevenson
and r. N. Sweet.
THE CITY CHARTER.
Captain T. D. Meares offered the fol