The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-04-13

culture are literally shaded with his
| toric trees.
The Cameron elm stands so close
| to the south entrance of the Capitol
that it nearly blocks the way, and
really has nullided the importance OF
| that passage as a means of ingress
and egress to and from the Capitol
But 1t is not likely that an ak will ever
be laid to this tree as long as it re-
tains vigor enough to put on green in
spring.
When the architects and builders
we're constructing the marble terrace
to the Capitol this elm was found to
be in the way of the plans and the
work. The ak was whetted to chop 1t
down. But this proceeding was
stayed by Senator Don Cameron of
Pennsylvania, who in the Senate
Chamber made an impassioned appeal
for the life Of the tree.
Senator Cameron made one of
the best speeches of his career, eulo-
gized trees in general and the Cap
itol elm in particular, affectionately re-
calling the length of years which this
old elm had stood at the south end of
the Capitol and the men famous in
American annals who had passed and
chatted beneath its branches. He
quoted much poetry TINT had been in
spired by reverence for trees, and
closed with a splendid recitation of
the familiar poem. "Woodman Spare
That Tree"
Cameron Won the Day.
The matter took up considerable
space in the Congressional record, the
Committee on the Library, having tho
Capitol improvements under its con
troll, canvassed the question. and the
tree was allowed to stand, despite tho
fact that it would block for all tho
days Of its life one of the great marble
approaches to the Capitol.
A large mound of earth is heaped
around the roots of the big elm, an
Ills is kept carefully sodded that TIC
trees health may be conserved. Not
Icing ago 1t became necessary to saw
on large limb, and at the point of
amputation, paint, cement and tin have
been applied that the tree may not suf-
fer from the surgery.
The savior OF this tree was q big
man in the counsels of the nation and
of the Republican party. Though gen.
orally known simply as don" Cam
eron, his name was James Donald Cam
eron. He was the son of Simon Cam
eron, Llncoln's secretary of War
when the war of 1891 broke out, and
who was q Senator from Pennsylvania
for four terms. He resigned in 1877
and was succeeded by his son, "Don,
who was born at Middletown, Pa,
May Ii, 1888. and had never served in |
any legislative body up to the time
Of his election to the Senate, but he |
had had enough experience in worldly |
affairs, having been prominent in |
banking and railroad circles.
Don" Cameron was for a short /
lime Secretary of War in Grants Cab
met; that changing Cabinet in which /
50 many famous men were called to
serve In that Cabinet were Eliza 3. |
Hamilton Fish. George S.
Boutwell,, VIM. A. Richardson, Benja-
min HI. Bristow. Lot NJ Morrill,. John
Rawlins, VIM. w. Belknap, Al
phonzo Taft, Adolph o. Borie, George
Robson. John A. ]. Creswell, James
". Marshall. Marshall Jewell, James
Y. Tyner. p, lockwood Hoar, Amos r..
Alderman, George Fl. Williams, Ed
ward Pierrpont, Jacob ID. Cox, Column
Jus Delano and Zachariah Chandler.
Don" Cameron was a striking
lgure in the National Republican con-
-enti0ps which nominated Hayes and
and Garfield and Arthur. and II
10 was thrice elected to the Senate.
I