The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-17

was in charge Of the engineer property
IN Arkansas and Missouri during the
greater part of 1855.
In June. 1867. he was promoted TO be
major. Corps OF Engineers. He was made
experimenting engineer OF Forts Ontario
and Niagara, and from 1871 to 1910, of
surveys for harbOrs at Bear and Biz
Sandy creeks, \. Y. lie then supeTin-
tended the improvements OF Willamette,
Columbia. and Snake rivers, the canal
around the Cascades, the defenses at the
mouth of the Columbia River. and the
examination of Puyallup River In 1873
ne acted as engineer for the Thirteenth
lighthouse district coast of Oregon and
Washington Territory. He also had
charge of the harbor Improvement on
Lake Erie. west of PTesque Isle, Pa. Dur
ing this same period ne served as member
OF various boards of engineers. as as
sistaut 10 the chief OF engineers ar Wash
ington. ana did some duty in California
connected with proposed restraining bar
riers on the Yuba, American, and Bear
rivers.
on March Il, 1S4 he was appointed
lieutenant colonel Corps of Engineers,
and was placed i'm charge of the public
buildings and grounds in the District Of
Columbia, with the rank of colonel.
awarded June /. 1883. il was under his
direction that the improvements were
made over the grave Of Thomas Jeffer-
son. at Monticello. Va, and in his care.
too. was the erection Of q monument TO
mark the birthplace of George Washing
ton. Tt was he, also, who erected the
President Garfield statue.
A typical story is told Of Gen. Wilson
in connection with the Garfield statue.
2
enough money left to build a platform
for the unwilling ceremonies, but the gen.
eraI got his men together. gathered up
all the old oIanks they could find, and
constructed platform that would ac-
cOmmOdate about 200 persons. Part of
it ne reserved as a stand, from which
the President could speak, and part Of it
ne put aside for members Of the press
He left his men on guard with instruc-
tiOus that no one was to get on TO the
stand until the President arrived, but
when Gen. Wilson got down TO the scene
he found one individual already on the
stand
How is this?" he asked his man on
guard
We'll. sir; the man pushed by me, and
insisted on getting in there"
You are discharged, said the general,
4
obeyed. Send another man here on
guard"
Then the general went to the stand him
self All who know him, know that he
is the soul of courtesy. To the stranger
he said; Il am Gen. Wilson. / made an
order that no one should occupy this
stand until the President arrives. May I
ask you to leave.
Like h I'll leave" said the man.
I'm --, and / represent the Daily -
The general drew his watch from his
pocket Sir" he said, I should be
loath 10 submit you to an indignity in
the presence of the assembled multitude.
but If in one minute YOU are still here. I
shall have you thrown out by the po-
liccmen."
The man vacated As he went he NUT
tered something about getting even with
the general in his paper in the morning.
whereupon the general. sull in his mild
voice and pleasant, gentlemanly manner,
added: And, by George, sir. If you
threaten me. sir, I shall lick you with my
own hands.
Then came the work of building the
Army Medical Museum and Library. after
which he constructed monument at
Washington's headquarters at Newburgh,
NY. and then he took up the work of
placing memorial tablets to mark the posi-
tons of each command OF the regular
army engaged at the battle OF Gettysburg.
Pa. Returning to Washington he devised
the system Of underground electric com
mantcation between the government Of
fees and then took uD the task Of COM
pleting the Washington Monument, from