The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-01-16
u. S. CEMETERY
IN MEXICO CITY
Is Now Under Charge of J. X.
Powers. Formerly of This City.
Some Interesting Data Concerning the
Nations's Burying Ground In the .
Capital City of Aztec Land-A
Place of Beauty.

dent Vim. Wilson of the National
Cemetery from J. <. Powers, who
was transferred recently from this
post to Mexico City, to take charge
of the the U. S. National Gem
etery there, contains some in
teresting information concerning
that institution, ard also encloses
clipping from the Mexican Her
aid relative to Mr.. Powers as we'll
as to the cemetery, which is copied
below. In his letter, Mr. Powers
says he is very pleasantly situated
and details at length some improve
ments about to be made by Uncle
Sam on the lodge at the cemetery.
Speaking of the cemetery itself,
he says:
within the walls is a perfect
flower garden. Geraneurns 8, 10
and II feet high bloom all the
time. Also climbing roses, such
as the Marechal Neil, Cloth of
Gold, and Baltimore Belle, besides
many varieties Of tree roses. You
would, l am sure be a very happy
many here, because you would be
in roses, instead of clover *
When burials take place in any
cemetery here, loads of flowers are
seen. When the grave is filed
flowers will be piled six to eight
feet high"
Mr.. Powers also speaks at length
of many of the interesting sights
OF the Aztec capital, but space
f0rbids copying it just now. The
clipping referred to, which follows,
will be read with interest here:
Colonel James K. Powers. the
new superintendent of the Ameri-
can National cemetery, was born
January 81, 1845, at Lowell, Lake
Indiana.
When the civil war broke out in
1861 he enlisted in Company H.
ninth regiment Indiana volunteer
inantry. He lost his right arm at
the battle of Shiloh, April I, 1862.
He received his discharge from the
army June -, 1862.
In October, 1865, he re-enlisted,
Company c., Veteran
Receive Corps, and was again dis
charged November Pa, 1865.
Colonel Powers settled in Iowa
in 1857, where he was for many
years clerk of the district and
circuit courts of Cass county. He
was commissioner of the Iowa
state land office from 1879 to 1882, |
and he was a member of the
-wenty-frst general assembly from
1886 to 1887. From 1879 to 1880 |
ne was adjutant general, depart
nent of Iowa, G.. A. R., and he
IS a past post commander of that
He has asked for a
card, so as to become a
member of E. o. c. Ord Post
No. 100, in this city.
Colonel Powers served his six
months probation to qualify him
for the duties of superintendent of
rational cemeteries at Fort Leaven-
worth, Kansas. He first had
charge of the cemetery at Spring
1eld, Mo, where he remained two
7ears, when he was promoted to be
of the cemetery at
Brownsville, Texas, from which
post he has been, in turn, promot-
d to the present charge. Colouel
Powers has been a member of the
Odd Fellows since 1859, at present
lolding a membership in Atlantic
lodge No. 80 of Atlantic, Iowa.
lie has served in this order as
Grand Patriarch and Grand Master,
md he was general representative
n the Sovereign Grand Lodge for
welve years.
ESTABLISHED Ns1851.
The American National cemetery
II this city was established in 1851
" an act of the United States con-
.ress passed September 28, 1880,