The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-18

to the Blaine cottage. In it he passes
the mornings at opera work, and in the
afternoon plays tennis and spends
some hours on the lake, where he has
a private float and springboard. In the
early evening the family drives over
the beautiful terraces, through the
mountain passes and along the shores
of the lake. Mrs. James G. Blaine re-
Gently accompanied a party across
Lake Champlain and up Otter creek to
Vergennes.
Former Secretary of War Russell A.
Alger, and his wife, made a flying visit
to Washington last week, on their way
from Europe to Michigan. Mr.. Alger
has been trying Carlsbad for his failing
health, and is said to have experienced
considerable benefit.
Mr.. Degetau, the first delegate from
Porto Rico, has found it necessary to
officially deny the rumor that he is en-
gagged to marry "a beautiful Spanish
widow" so the piscatorial females
above mentioned are not yet without
hope.
Mrs. Samuel j. Randall of Chestnut
Hill, Philadelphia. widow of the best
Speaker of the House that Congress
ever had, is visiting her daughter,
Mrs. Lancaster, at her handsome resi-
dence, Clifton Manor" in the suburbs
of Washington. Mrs. Randall seldom
comes any nearer to the capital than
that; she says revisiting old scenes
makes her tee sad.
The death of Mrs. Harriet T. Vim
son, widow of the late Commander
Charles Vinson, u. S. N, revives the
tragedy of the Capron family. Her
first husband was Capt. z. Allyn
Capron, who was killed in the war
with Mexico. His son, Capt. Allyn
Capron, died in this city from
fever contracted at Santiago.
soon after the death of his son,
the third Capt. Allyn X. Capron, who
met death in the memorable charge of
the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill.
Thus three generations of a fighting
family gave their "Allyns" to the ma
ton. Several forts, in various sections
of the United States, commemorate the
brilliant military service of the Ca
prons. The first is old Fort Capron in
Florida, named in honor Of the hero of
Cherubusco-the wife of whose youth
died the other day, at the age of "a;
and the new fort, recently erected in
Florida, bears the same name. The last
Fort Capron stands at the eastern end
of a chain of Notifications on Sullivan's
Island, Charleston Harbor, South Car
DINA 1t is an important permanent
work, completed during the war with
Spain; and in naming 1t the President
of the United States had in mind young
Allyn X. Capron, the first officer to fall
in action in the Spanish war. You may
see all their graves at Arlington, and
the youngest Capt. Capron had lived
only q years. His widow, a charming
young woman, lives her broken life
as best she can, in this city. She iden-
titled herself with the Red Cross, in
order to comfort dying soldiers, and
has just returned from service in the
Philippines. The government allows
her a pension of $50 month"; very
small compensation in view OF all she
has lost, not only her gallant young
husband, but home, position and all
that makes life dear. Her mother-in-
law, widow of the second Capt Allyn
Capron, is also a comparatively young
and still handsome woman, who resides
near Fort Myer, the government bar
racks of Washington. The fighting
blood is strong as ever In the family
and her two remaining boys are bound
to be soldiers. The eldest is about to
enter West Point; and the other will
doubtless follow in the footsteps of his
ancestors when old enough. In the Ma
tional Museum at Washington, the Ca
prom loan collection occupies a case by
itself and commands a good deal OF
attention. 1t tells a pathetic story of
tie horrors of war, and incidentally of
woman's grief and heroism. There is
the sword worn by Grandfather Ca
prom when he fell in far-off Mexico;
the artillery helmet OF te second Capt.
Allyn Capron, together with his uni
form, sword, spurs and other accouter-
ments. and the yellow plumed cavalry
helmet sabre and sweat-staned gaunt-
let's which the youngest Capt. Allyn
Capron had on when a Spanish bullet
plowed into his breast at Las Quasi
mas