Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-07-31
THREE QIARTERSOF CENTURY
Reached Along Life's Pathway And
Celebrated By Capt. John
MuIlan, u. S. A.
SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY
AND FRIENDS.
A Man Who Has Done Much For
Annapolis In Past
Years.

Surrounded by his family, ard in
the town for the advancement aud good
of which he has done much. Captain
John Mullan. u. 5. A., retired, today
is celebrating his seventy fifth birth
day, at the home of his sisters on Col
Iege avenue and Church Circle.
Perhaps no man ever identified
with Annapolis has done more in his
own quiet way than Captain Mullan
for the advancement of the Ancient
City. Although it is not generally
known and the Captain himself gives
all credit to the Hon. Sydney Il.
Mudd, the idea of deepening the
channel approaching Annapolis from
the Chesapeake originated in his mind
and was brought TO Mr.. Mudd's S alton
tion by him.
Practically all of the data necessary
for the bill introduced by Mr.. Mudd,
which resulted in the entrance into
this harbor of the big battleships of
the American navy, was furnished Eby
Captain Mullan. Those acquainted
with the facts state that but for him
the bill would never have beGn drafted
nor the appropriation for the deepen
ing of the harbor been passed by Con-
gress. Not only in Annapolis is he
known and revered, but in the far of
of the Rockies, stands an
monument to his daring
and engineering skill. All who go
from the Atlantic to the Pacific via
the Northern Pacific railroad to this
day and for years TO come will 20
"Mullan's Pass" discovered
by him in 1851.
- ssst,v
mental supervision for the discovery
of pass over or rather through the
Rocky Mountains, Captain Mullan
and his valiant corps of United States
Army engineers were snow bound Tor
three months. When he returned to
and reported the discovery
Of the pass he stated that it was wide
enough to build road through" and
this resulted in the building of rail
road which spanned the gap over the
Rockies, from Walla Walla on the
Columbia river, to Fort Benton. in
Missouri.
Captain Mullan is son of the late
JoEn Mullan aud graduated from st.
Johns College with the class of 1S47.
He was born at Fort Munroe, Va,
seventy five years ago, and shortly
after his birth his parents moved to
this city. He entered st. Johns and
graduated with high honors, and fol-
lowing his graduation he desired to
enter the Army. OF the sturdy type
of American youth, of whom one
often reads but meets seldom in these
days, he determined to get his ap-
pointment into the Army. This he
without an ounce of po-
litioal pull or influence. He was
then only boy of seventeen years,
but he. went straight to President
Polk, before whom he laid his case.
The President at once appointed
him to the Military Academy at West
Point. from which he graduated in
1852 with high hoDors, along with
such men as General Phil Sheridan
and the late Jerome Bonaparte. He
entered the Engineer Corps aud while
a member of this branch of the service
the discovery of Nut
lan's Pass. = During the Civil War
he was stationed at Fort MoIIenry and
in 1863 was married to Miss Rebecca
Williamson, of Baltimore. Following
the war he went TO California and
read law in the Office OF prominent
law firm He rose TO prominence in
the bar of the Western slope of the
Rockies aud was then Esent to Wash
ington as the special agent in the ma
tional capital of certain claims of the
states of California, Oregon and Ne
yada.
His birthday today was celebrated
quietly at the Mullan home on College
avenue, although there were numerous
callers who came to congratulate him.
In addition to the family who live in
this city, he was joined by his two
daughters, Miss May and Miss Emma
Mullan, of Washington The house
was decorated for the occasion with
wild flowers, of which the Captain is
a great admirer In addition to these
flowers of the field the house was fill
ed with more expensive flowers. sent
BY his many friends and admirers.
Two features OF th5 decorations we're
a class flag, with the Blue, Gold aud
GRAY of the class of 50, at West
Point, and a vase Of white and pink
carnations. There were seventy four
of the full bloom blossoms and one bud
denotiDg the opening of the newer
year of PROMISE. Scattered about
among the bowers of wild flowers
were numerous '75's" covered with