The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-28
%NOTAHOMEFOR COL. GARDINER
COL. MATHILDE MOREHOUSE PRE-
FERS OTHER VETERANS.

Nthtl us hAeD vs.
Col. Mathilde Morehouse, the historian Of
the Washington Cont mental Guards, the
Colonel OF a petticoat command yet to be
organized and the custodian OF Asa Bird
Gardeners war record, has issued an
appeal for funds to establish a home for
veterans of all wars and their wives.
Mrs. Morehouse had the prospectus sent
ont by "a patriotic young man in the
lighting business in Harlem" Just a
smattering of whaS the patriotic young
mar Of Harlem wrote is as follows:
At ass West ThlrtIeth street, New York, In the
beautiful parlors OF the residence OF a noble lady
BY name Mrs. Mathllde Morohouse, the wife of
nr. Morchouse. a veteran OF distinction, and whose
father served on the stan of Gen. Washingt on,
there can be seen any evening q sight that would
melt a heart TO pity, even II that heart were made
OF stone and had not one spark OF patriotism.
Assembled before Mrs. Morchouse, whose purse
strings are ever opened for the beneht OF some
deserving and destitute old soldier or some poor
old soldiers widow, there sit some forsaken men
and women whose stories OF privatlon and desti'
tuition would certainly cause the Congressman
OF his glorious country to bow their heads In shame
were they TO listen to these tales OF woe,
Several paragraphs beyond he writes
that il contributions are generous the
nome Will bb ODtItu tllib Y ma
Carried away by enthusiasm, he writes
toward the end Of the appeal, 1T will not
be a hard matter to open the home in the
very early spring
Fortunately for his reputation as a prophet
We are going to have a very late early
spring. Nothing has been subscribed yet.
and only Yesterday Mrs. Morehouse re-
celyed a note from an unfeeling real estate
1900, -, lnranp On WING that 90 mAnV new
tunnels are about to bring New Jersey
into close touch with Broad way that the
value of the property at Union Hill which
she hoped to lease last October is
to increase soon. "
Il don't want to lease 1t at all, I" said Mrs.
Morehouse. Il wan to buy it and run 1t
az a permanent home"
But il was a long time before Mrs. More
house would give any Of the financial or
real estate details Of her prospect, which as
vet has principally the support OF the patr1-
otto young man in Harlem who is now
out OF the city.
Before talking of a home for veterans
she wished to ak about Asa Bird Gardner,
TO whom she gives no military title what
ever. And there was much to say about
the wars which produced the veterans and
about the Washington Continental Guards,
who have pledged themselves to act as
reenforcements to Mrs. Morehouse In her
warfare on Asa Bird, a war which will never
end, she declared Yesterday, until she
captured by her enemy at the battle in
City Hall after the obsequies Of Hiram
Cronk.
The story OF the wars was told in the
rear of the beautiful parlors referred to
In the message from Harlem. The front
parlor is occupied by an operating chair
and the weapons Of surgery, for Mrs. More
houses husband Is a doctor as well as the
chaplain Of the Washington Continental
Guards. The rear parlor is adorned with
two swords of past officers of that organiza-
ton, a drum OF 1912, the uniform OF a military
man and plumber who was Asa Bird Gardi-
ner's bitterest enemy, and many historical
prints.
There is a picture Of W~ashington's car
rage, which vehicle Mrs. Morehouse says
was intended for her, but which went else
where because Of some blunder in Phila-
delphia.
Then there are two banners which the
plumber, Capt. Norman Of the Washington
Continental Guards, won as prizes for the
best, marching. Mrs Morehouse seldom
displays these prize banners for fear that
news Of their existence will reach the ears
of Asa Bird Gardiner. They are kept
under newspapers except on state occa-
sions. Between them hangs the uniform
Capt. Norman wore when he was a private,
1t Is covered now with badges and medals
Of which any living General might be
proud. They are pinned on from time to
time by Mrs. M~orehouse in loving memory.
If he had had the opportunity he would
nave won them all anyhow, she said, as
she brushed the dust from a red badge
marked committee" that had been worn
at a recent banquet Of the Washin gton
Continental Guards after a flag raising in
Central Park. Then she pinned the red
badge on the only vacant spot on Capt.
Norman's old coat.
He wasn't at that particular banquet"
sha enid abYt he would hnva baap thera
II II had been possible. He organized the
Continental Guards three years after the
war was over, buut wnever tried to con =
ceal or change the date. That is what
Asa Bird Gardiner did with his Society of
1912. Somebody else organized that society
and then took Asa Bird in and he tried
to run It, He said that he thought of it
first anyway and the other man was foolish
enough to say just when he had thought
Of it. Then Asa Bird changed the date
back Of that to when he said that he had
thought of it and that's why he runs the
society for which he seized m flag of 1912.
Asa Bird was a three months man in the
war But I'll save my powder. His
real war record is my secret and I'm
goin' to keep it till need it in my fight
to get that flag back
How much money have you received for
the veterans homer" asked the reporter.
That flag isn't the only thing he's got
away from true patriots" resumed Mrs.
MorehOuSe. My friend, Capt. Norman OF
the Washington Continental Guards, had
some valuable 1912 documents and Asa
Bird wanted them. He leased and leased
Capt, Norman, who was a patriot II he was
n plumber and he wouldn't give them up.
Finally Asa Bird led my friend into an
ambush, so to speak. He called him COM
rade,' and took him to Delmonico's to eat.
Then my friend delivered up the docu-
meHts and Asa Bird never would give them
Are you a Daughter of the Revolution,
Mrs. Morehouse?"
Il am not" replied Mrs. Morehouse,
clicking her heels together and coming to
attention. Il am an adopted daughter of
a female descendant Of Hiram Cronk and
my friend Capt. Norman, whose uniform
you see, was an adopted son of a descendant
of another hero of 1912. Ii was this strange
patriotic coincidence which first brought
us together,
Here is a history Of the Washington Con-
t~inental Guards. That company was
organized in 1885 and it has raised the flag
on the Block House on every Fourth OF
July since. 1t took me twenty days to
write its history.
Here is a picture Of myself in the uni
form Of a Colonel of a real patriotic woman's
organization / am going to form. You
cannot rave a picture Of the uniform vet
because | want it copyrighted first. or
course Asa Bird couldn't really wear it
but he might adopt the idea. 'Twould be
lust like him. He doesn't care where n