The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-29
SIDNEY HERBERT'S LETTER.
SOME FURTHER ALLUsIoNs TO THE
BUFFALO TRAGEDY.

Dayton, o., Described--The Two
Hymns which Are Generally Used
the World Over-Gen. Wheeler's
Popularity at Newport-A Good
Word for n Railroad Publication.
Mistakes Connected With the
Names of Two GeneraIs-Other
Matters of General Interest.
Pine Crest Villa, Maitland, Fla.
Sept. 2s.-Last year hardly got home
alive from the Chicago Grand Army
of the Republic encampment, and this
year the Cleveland encampment. with
my Buffalo exposure added, made my
return equally as uncertain. But at
ter many stop-overs and good medical
attendance and my devoted wife's
nursing, 1 am again under my own
vine and fig tree. weaker, but wiser
than ever. ] am not sorry / under
took the trip. for the scenes and asso-
Citations of the past two weeks wepe
worth all they cost me in impaired
health and discomforts. To have pass
ed through many states the day after
the President was assassinated and
witnessed the sincere grief of the
Southern people was great privilege,
as also that of being present in the
great G.. A. r. encampment when the
news came that the President would
probably recover. Our Joy, however,
was next day turned to deepest grief,
when the report came that Comrade
Mckinley was dying. All business
was set aside, and with heavy hearts
we adjourned, leaving everything in
the hands of the Executive Committee.
Hundreds Of old soldiers and their
wives left at once for Buffalo, and
there witnessed the sad and solemn
scenes of the next few days. My own
experiences We're such that l shall
never regret the exposure and pain
suffered. To have been at the Milburn
house in that awful crisis, to be chosen
one of the guard of honor" to escort
the body of the murdered President to
the depot. is cause for thankfulness on
my part, and the memory of those sol
emn scenes will abide with me while
life shall last.
I had the sad pleasure of meeting al
the 'Milburn House" in Buffalo, many
of the leading journalists of the coun-
try. Among them several noted war
correspondents whom / knew at the
Tampa Bay Hotel during the Rocking
Chair period of the Cuban war Mr..
Stanhope Sans, who then represented
the New York Times, was the New
York Mail and Express representative
at Buffalo. l was associated with him
on the Atlanta Journal years ago. af-
ter which he became private secretary
TO Gov. Northern. A gentleman of high
literary attachments, Mr. Sans has al
ways honored the profession of Journal
lev 49,
Owing to the kindness of Col.
d. Jay Collver. city passenger and
ticket agent of the big Four" Rail-
way at Cleveland, we were enabled to
visit the National Soldiers Home at
Dayton, Q. This place is famous for
its beautiful and romantic natural
scenery and its wealth of rare flowers
and plants. To me it appeared to be
more of pleasure resort for the public
at large than a we'll regulated and
properly disciplined soldiers home.
The appearance of the inmates was
forbidding, and 1t seemed to me that
more than half of them had no right
to be there. The G. A. r. men and
their wives were greatly indebted to
Col. Collver for his many favors, and
the visit to Dayton was one of them
long to be remembered.
The death of President Mckinley has
accomplished one excellent purpose.
His favorite hymns were Nearer, My
God, to Thee" and Lead Kindly
Light" There has been great opposi-
ton to the use of these hymns because
Mrs. Adams, the author of the former,
was a Unitarian, and Cardinal New
man the author of the latter, was a
Roman Catholic. 1t is safe to say that
no two hymns in the English Ian
guage have ever been so universally
used, the world over. as these two
hymns during the past ten days. Here
after there will be no objection to their
use by any orthodox denomination.
President McKinley's death and burial
has consecrated these hymns for all
time to come The friends of
Gen. Joseph Wheeler, U. S. A. (retired),
will regret to learn that his daughter,
Annie Early Wheeler, the famous army
nurse, has not improved as much as
was expected from the operation late
ly performed for her relief in a New
York hospital. In a letter to me from
Newport, where the family have spent
the summer, Gen. Wheeler expresses
his deep regret that she has not inn
proved. THE people here" he writes,
have been very kind to US and we
have had a very pleasant summer" 1t
is gratifying to the Southern friends
of Gen. Wheeler to see him properly
appreciated by the wealth and culture
of the one only Newport. Under the
head of wheeler at Newport" the
Hartford, Conn, Telegram says:
ct is not easy to recall any publish
ed account of Newport society hap
pening more creditable to the people of
. the fashionable set than the now cur
rent fact of the lionizing of old Gen.
Joe Wheeler by the Astors and other
Newport leaders. In the course of the
past few seasons some distinguished
personages have been entertained at
Newport. A foreign prince. If we are
not mistaken, may be counted among
the number. English dukes and lords
are also included. There has been no
lack of celebrities glad to be the center
of attraction at Newport But old Joe
Wheeler comes nearer being the real
thing. He is gentle and soft voiced
gentleman who goes to war whenever
there is a war to go to. Next to the
rough living of camps he prefers the
luxurious and soothing ways OF the
, most delicate society. 1t is probably
toss uptwhether he likes best to talk
to pretty woman or to lead cavalry
charge in battle. He is delightful IN
his temperamental contradictions.
Newport is justly enjoying old Joe
Wheeler. And it will never wake with
regret for having relished this refresh
Ing character. In spite of princes and
lords and dukes from over the water,