The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-06-30

Among the many memorials gathered
| about the old homestead were a piece
of flooring from the room in which
| MaCGahan was born. stones from the
/ old spring, the photos and a magnif-
| cent dogwood cane which grew near
! the house and which nature seems To
| have especially designed as q. memento
| for the distinguished guest. This cane
| will go to Bulgaria, and neither kings
| nor princes can buy it." The site of
| the old school house was next visited
and objects of interest gathered. The
party then visited the cemetery.
! There Professor Vatralsky descended
! from the carriage and walked with un-
| covered head to the grave. Upon it
/ he placed a beautiful boquet and a copy
of the ode which he had indited to the
| hero.
| After kneeling for some time in 81
| lence, fearful gratitude and meditation
over the grave, he arose with uplifted
| hands and said: Il have brought il in
/ behalf of my people our humble offer
| ing-what more can 1 do? May your
soul rest in peace and may the God of
heaven bless the good work you have
begun He then turned to the com
mittee, and with fearful eyes clasped
their hands and said MY friends let
us here register VOW that this grave
shall not always be neglected so. Let
US see to it that a suitable monument
is erected over the grave of your hon
ored son and the iberator of Bulgaria
The following is an extract from the
ode written by Professor Vatralsky:
pilgrim from the ends of the earth [
came
To kneel devoutly at your lowly tomb;
To own our debt, we can never repay;
To sigh my gratitude, thank God and
pray;
To bless your name and bless your fame
For this 1 came.
No marble shaft denotes your resting
Yet God hath raised memorial to work.
Your life, though brief, on mans behalf
was spent;
The bloody powers of night, the Moslem
hOrdes despite.
Twas not in vain the Lord gave you a
pen to write;
Your pen was followed by the Russian
Driven by force that you yourself called
forth;
So came again the warriors Of the North
And bondsmen were to freedom sweet
restored.
Your life, though brief, in service high
was spent
Bulgaria is free-behold your monument.
In 1884 Mr.. MacGahan's remains
were transferred from Constantinople,
where he had met such an untimely
death, and brought to. this country by
the L. s. S. "Powhatan." The body lay
in state in the city hall, New York,
then in the capital at Columbus, and
was finally laid to rest in New Lexing-
ton, o. Eight thousand persons were
present at the solemn burial ceremony.
The streets and houses were hung with
evergreens, entwined with the flags Of
black and white. Arches and stream
ers bore the inscriptions, "Bulgaria's
Liberator," and Rest in Thy Native
Land"
The orator of the occasion was Rt.
Rev. John A. Watterson, who paid "a
tribute to the dead hero.
When preparing his sermon, Bishop
WatterSon CLEANED many interesting
facts regarding MacGahan's life from
Sister Cyrilla, of the Aloysius' Acad-
emy, New Lexington. Sister was a
nurse in the hospital at Constantinople,
when MacGahan died there. The nun
who nursed him at the time is still liv-
ing, Sister of Charity of the Order Of
st. Vincent. The Sister had told of
his manly fortitude in his illness and
Of his beautiful death. He was faith
fully ministered to by the chaplain of
the hospital and passed away cOnsoled
by all the rites of the Church.
Mr.. MacGahan's only son, Paul. is
now student at the Jesuit College.
Fordham, n. Y, and his widow resides
in New York City. where she is engag-
ed in literary work
Professor Vatralsky, returning from
Perry county, made a brief stay in Co
umbus. He spoke of the pleasure that
his visit to New Lexington afforded
him, and commended the gracious hos
Ditality of its people. From there he
r. III
70 interest government officials. eSpec-
ally President Mckinley, in the erec-
ion of suitable monument to Mac
Iahan. He returns to Bulgaria in the
all and will present the matter to the
Bulgarian parliament, which he is con-
ident will vote an appropriation for the
purpose. 1t is to be hoped that Ohi
will not prove delelict in this duty. but
re long viii make some move toward
in a befitting manner. the
'rave of one of her bravest sons.
The celebration of Bunker Hill day
vas marked by the usual displays and
estivities in Charleston The Ameri-
Historical Rociety observed
he day by holding exercises at Win
hrop Square, Charlestown, at noon.
ma ,na BANQUET in the evening at the
United States hotel. At Winthrop
quare a beautiful wreath was placed
.pon the memorial tablet in honor OF
ne revolutionary soldiers of Irish
irth who lost their lives at the battle
I Bunker Hill. An grafton was deliv-
red by Thomas F. O'Malley of SOmer-
ille- Colonel Linehan of Concord. N.
l., was the orator in the evening, tax
lg for his subject THE Irish In the
'atriot Ranks at the Battle of Bunker
I'LL. He said the founder of the
-merican navy was an Irishman, Com
1odore John Barry, and Vice Admiral
tephen c. Rowan was also Irish. A
lumber of men of Irish birth or parent
ge fought with Stark and Reid.
-mong the Irishmen mentioned by Col
mel Linehan were Colonels Mooney,
-elly. Long. Mcconnell, BIeClary. Nc
weeney, Eber Sullivan and John Sui
van from New Hampshire, and Cap
ain Daniel Sullivan and his brother,
ames Sullivan, from Maine.
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