The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-06
SIDNEY HERBERTS LETTER
Facts of Interest to War Veterans and others.

which is not true. There are no fe-
male officers in the United States
army, but there have been in the vol
unteer service.
1 am panied to record the death Of
my esteemed friend, Capt. L. l.. FL
kins, a native of Guyton, Ga, and
at one time after the war in business
in Savannah. He was commander of
Company l, Of the Fifty-fourth Georgia
Infantry, under Col. Charlton H. Way,
Lieut.. Col Morgan Rawls and Maj.
VIM. H. Mann. In the early part
of the war; Capt. Elkins' company
was on duty at Rosedew, near Sa-
vannah, and near the close of the
war he came back there with Gen.
Johnston's army. When he went out
of business in Savannah after the war
he came to Florida, and for many
years, until his health failed, he was
popular passenger conductor, on the
Plant System of Railways. For the
past seven years, he had made his home
with his only child, DR.. l.. G. Elkins,
a well known dentist, in st. Angus
tine, where he died on Saturday last,
after a severe illness of several weeks.
The interment was in Evergreen Gene
terry, where his beloved wife was buried
a few years ago. He was a menu
tors, and the Knights of Honor, and
among his pallbearers were G. b. La
mar, Jr. r. p. Kettle and e. r.
Whitner, the latter formerly chief
clerk Of the Plant System at Sanford.
The personal item about the famous
Washburn family, in last Sundays
Morning News, attracted my attention,
as Ex-United States Senator VIM. ID.
Washburn of Minneapolis, Mimi, was
my intimate friend while he was a
law student in the Office of his broth
err, Gov. Israel Washburn, Jr., at
Orono, Me-. The boys were born and
reared in an humble Christian home
at Livermore, a quiet interior Maine
town, and yet all lived to become fam
Gus in the history Of their country.
Israel was Governor Of Maine and a
member of Congress-; Elihu b. was
Secretary of State, minister to France
and member of Congress; William d.
was United States Senator and a mem
Der of Congress-; Cadwallader D., was
a major general of volunteers In the
Union Army, during the Civil War.
entering the service as colonel Of a
Wisconsin, regiment. All are dead now
except William, who is a very wealthy
-four manufacturer and railroad build
err. Israel was the smallest of the
brothers and the least conspicuous. vet
ht was man OF 0ne character and
marked ability. The Butcher family.
and the Field family, both reared in
quiet country towns OF New England.
were alike conspicuous, yet In diff
ferent spheres. The Butcher boys be-
came famous preachers, and the Field
boys lawyers and jurists of eminence.
Cyrus laid the Atlantic cable and Ed
ward is distinguished editor and di-
vine, and sole survivor.
John Brlsben Walker. the Million
aire editor and proprietor OF the Cos
mopolitan monthly magazine, became a
| cadet at West Point, from Pennsylva-
MIA. IN 1865, but for some cause. did
not graduate. In his magazine for
/ November he has n brief but valuable
/ illustrated article on THE West Point
| Of the Future" how the academy may
be made an increasingly important fac-
tor In our national life. The severni
illustrations IN the article show the
grounds and the plans Of the many
new and elegant buildings now being
erected 20 meet the demands 81 Tho
large Increase in cadets under recent
acts of Congress. and for which over
100000 think. were appro-
printed, Editor Walker wants greater
enlargement ftill, and tho academy 70