The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-08
COME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
COME COMMENTS ON MEMORIAL
DAY.


Number of the Legations Closed
.or the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of
Ueu-J<nONvn People-A Pleasant
word About James Lane Allen, the
xovelist-The secret of His Grow
,n, PopuIarity-other Matters of
Interest.
washington, D. c., June 6.-It is
oood to note, as an index of our nation
al character, that those who have died
=, the service of their country are not
rlely to be forgotten. Year by year
the services of Memorial Day grow
more and more elaborate, and are more
generally observed by all classes of
IN unreservedly to the beautiful Gus
tom of strewing flowers upon the graves
Of its heroes. There are many ceme-
teries in and about Washington, and
each on the thirtieth of May, had it's
snecial speech-maker and committee of
decoration, and was filed with reverent
crowds-so that no grave, however
humble and obscure its tenant, was
forgotten OF course Arlington-the
great National Soldiers Cemetery,
with its many thousands of graves, the
harvests of three wars-was the center
of attraction, more than thirty thou
sand people cOngregating there to hear
President RoOsevelt's address.
To the lovers of the unusual, even
more interesting than the stately cere-
monies at Arlington were some of the
minor events of the day-such as the
miles outside the district, for the I'M
known Confederate dead who fell be-
fore Fort Stevens in July of "a, when
Grant was pressing Lee toward Rich
mond and Lee retaliated by sending
Gen Jubal Early, with 10000 men, up
on his famous raid up the Shenandoah
against Washington. Col. Hilary A.
Herbert Clevelands Secretary of the
Navy, now president of the Confeder-
ate Veterans Association, was the ora
tor there. At the same time Secretary
Shaw was delivering a stirring address
in the historic Battle Ground Gene
terry, out on the Brightwood road per-
haps seven miles from the Capitol
dome, where Fort Stevens stood and
the four or five hundred Union soldiers
lie who died in the defense of Wash
ngton. Other crowds surged to the
Soldiers Home Cemetery, where sleep
thousands of the victims of fraternal
strife to Gen. John A. Logans tomb,
where special impressive services are
always held and saddest of all, to st.
Ezabeth's, the government insane
asylum, in whose burial ground are
great many crazy soldiers from the
Philippines and Cuba and Porto Rico.
new and touching departure from
the customs of other years was the
launching of a flower boat, in memory
of the veterans who sleep beneath the
waves. While booming guns on the
hills of Arlington were sounding saluteS
over the fallen brave of America, a
strange craft was launched near the
end of the historic Long Bridge and
fOated pilotless, down the Potomac.
1t was about the size of an ordinary
rowboat, and was in perfect imitation
Of the battleship Oregon, and was so
christened by it's builder. 1t was paint
ed white, with the characteristic red
water line and miniature guns and fun
nels, While at its topmast f1oated silk
American flag. Its only cargo was
fowers-its snowy decks piled high
with roses, white lilies, jessamine,
ferns, every fragrant blossom that
could - gathered Amid cheers and
tears / mt on i,s way toward the sea;
aud all VAS quiet along the Potomac"
as during those waiting months of war
time that tried mems souls more SCI
verely than the fiercest battles. 1t is
intended to make this launching of a
foNer-boat on Memorial Day a ma
tional custom in all parts of the coun-
try where there is any considerable
body of water.
1t must be confessed that at Airing
ton the Roosevelt children attracted
rather more attention, admiring and
otherwise, than was bestowed upon
their distinguished sire. Ethel, a big,
lanky girl who, like most children of
her age in the tad-pole stage, looks
pretty much all black stocking-divert
ed herself at frequent intervals by
pounding her papa in the back-wheth-
er merely. to attract his loving atten-
ton, (Which never failed her), or, with
the spirit of the eternal feminine in her.
10 show off her authority over him, this
opponent sayeth not. Master Archi-
paid rode out on his little picbald pony,
attended by a White House messenger
on wheel. Every time he halted.
the Presidents son was the center of
admlring groups. Hello Archie!" and
other childish salutations greeted him
on all sides, to which he responded in
the same boyish spirit; while small
hands, black and white clean and
dlrty' landed many an admirir1g pat on
the ponys shining TANKS. When ladies
spoke to him. he smiled and lifted his
rough rider hat most calamity, being
evidently well drilled in the department
mat becomes a gentleman by his fond
mother. Later he came upon the plat
form and was given a seat beside his
sister, Just back of the President. He
sat quiet as a mouse for a few minutes,
then suddenly sprang up and leaned
over rubbed his little face against his
lathers cheek and sat down again, al
most before the caress could be re-
turned. But it was returned, on the
instant, and little ripple tof applause
followed the act; so true it is that lone
kim"
Mrs. Roosevelt has almost entirely
recovered from her recent indisposition
ana daily goes for a long drive about
me city and suburbs. Next Monday
morning she will start for Oyster Bay,
accompanied by her sister, Miss Ca
IoW' Miss Roosevelt, the children and
several maids and nurses. A number
u the legations were closed during the
past week, among them being that OF
argentina. The Minister and Nine.
ierou have gone to Gloucester, Mass,
MHere they have taken a cottage for
me summer. Senior del Viso, who has
spent the past six weeks in Europe
VIII return in the near future and sum-
ler with the other members of the
Iegation at Gloucester.
me Brazilian Minister and Sonora
AsslS-B Brasil have closed their Washing
ION house and gone to Narragansett
tler, where thew will cnapd S11r1-