The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-01-16

detail of United States soldiers,
forty five in number.
These soldiers find their princi-
pal occupation in warding off rel
ic-hunters. Every day and all
hours of the day, there is stream
of visitors at the vault. So strong
is their desire for a remembrance
"a faded flower, bit of ribbon,
even a spear of grass-that the
utmost precaution must be taken
to thwart them. A. sentry keeps
watch at the door of the vault,
while other soldiers walk beats
at the top aud sides of the hill.
So wearing is this duty, especial
ly in the still watches of the night
when even the bravest feel a shad-
ow of fear in a gruesome ceme-
terry, that the hours of service
are cut down to the smallest linn
it and each man gets three days
off each week. To cOunteract
the monotony of this existence
the men are drilled twice day,
and it is somewhat of an incon-
gruity to hear the brazen note of
the trumpet in cemetery calling
out the commands and to see the
lively maneuvers of the men.
Westlawn Cemetery is practi-
cally on the outskirts of Canton,
though an active man or an athlet-
ic girl of the day could walk it in
twenty minutes. Should one
care to ride, the electric car takes
him within five minutes of the
gates, aud when the memorial
tomb is built and the national
hegira begins, there will be a line
to the cemetery itself.
While not a show cemetery in
any sense Of the word-its un-
pretentiousuoss would initiate
against Westlawn is one of
simple, appealing beauty and a
quiet but definite charm. About
it is an intangible sense of spirit
uality altogether missing from
those grand cemeteries that de-
mand admiration, and it touches
the gentler emotions like the dis
tant sound of sweet-t toned church
bells.
Westlawn is a fine bit of rolling
country, comprising some sixty.
five acres of well-diversitied
ground. Nature has done much
for it, and, in the main, nature
has been let wisely alone. Where
art has stepped in, it has been to
complement, not to contradict, as
is so often the case. Its hills
and valleys retain their first cur.
wings and are still covered with
their native oaks, some of giant
size and all impressive with the
dignity Of age and fitness. These
are set off, here and there, by
other Indigenous trees, so judi
ciously planted that the charm o
a primitive landscape is never de
parted from. A beautiful little
stream that widens into two tiny
lakes, framed with tall trees ano
mirroring the beauties about
them, winds lazily through the
cemetery with no set purpose il
view until it is forced into the
picturesque activity of waterfall
! This stream is spanned at sever
al places by rustic stone bridges
which afford admirable points t.
view the landscape. Everywhere
the eyes rest are scenes of quie'
beauty, and ithin it's compare
lively scant acreage there is fan
greater diversity that many {
more pretentious cemetery coulc
present.
This nation holds the wishes OF
( the dead in reverence and is ca
I ger TO fulfill them, so there was nc
/ dissentient voice that William
Mckinley should prefer to lie in
the quiet of his home town rath.
er than in the greater publicity
of big city. Rather, it saw in
it only one more manifestation tc
add to the thousands it already
knew, of the innate simplicity
| and sentiment of the man that