The National tribune., 1908-07-16
WoAIAN's RELIEF CORPS.
Much Activity Reported by the Depart
mcnts of the Middle West-New OIL

|
arations for the National Convention
and many interesting doings may bt
anticipated, for the Department of Ohio
is second to none except in member
ship. and that is continually growing
!, In spit of all this unusual activity, how
time to celebrate its silver jubilee, and
. in fine style, too. The exercises occurred
at the Auditorium at Lima, O., on Tues
. day, June 16, and were elaborate in
character, as might have been expected
with Mrs. Kate Brownlee Sherwood
Senior Past National President: Mrs
Mary A. Lyon, Past Department Presi-
dent, and Mrs. Sarah D. Winans, Pas,
National President, in charge.
/ Department President Matte E. Lear
and staff gave reception to Depart
ment Commander w. S. Rogers and
staff, of the G. A. r., and for an hour
a throng of people passed down the
line. to pay their respects. Later the
Department President introduced Mrs.
Mary A. Lyon as the presiding officer
of the evening, and n program of music
and speeches was given. Prominent
among the addresses were 1.-THE Jubilee
Year, w. r. c." by Mrs. Sherwood;
/ The Grand Army and Its Auxiliary"
by Gen. r. B. Brown, Past Commander
in-Chief; THE Relief Corps at Ander-
sonville.' Mrs. Winans; "Ohio's Jubilee
Year" Mrs. Lear, and Response" by
the Department Commander. Among
the musical numbers was a song, with
Freedom Triumphant, words by Mrs.
Sherwood, and poem of her compost
ton, The Flag That Makes Men Free"
was read by Mrs. Elizabeth Mansfield
Irving. -p
A quarter century of creditabIe and
successful effort is the record of Ohio.
Minnie Wyckoff, retiring Department
Press Correspondent, sends a budget of
items, which shows that Michigan is
wide awake and alert to the opportuni-
! ties there afforded.
Perhaps the leading bit of news is
| that at the recent Department Encamp-
ment, at Detroit, June 16 and IT, a
purse of $1,000 was presented by the
Department as silver offering to the
Michigan G. A. r. for their relief fund.
Vina E. Rcdfield was Chairman CT the
committee. Three silk flags were also
presented to as many high schools in
Detroit. and the ladies have also recent
ly presented the Michigan Soldiers
building. 1t is said that the $1,000 will
be used to aid G. A. r. veterans who
are unable to keep up their dues, and
| thus prevent their leaving the Order
until mustered out by the grim reaper.
The banner Corps of Michigan in
membership is Charles T. Foster, /, of
Lansing, which numbers 191, with ages
from 16 to over so. On Memorial Sum-
day this Corps, with their Post, pre-
sented flag to the Mayfower Congre-
gational Church in that city.
Andrews w. r. c., of Big Rapids, in
connection with their Post, also present.
ed church flag on the occasion of the
recent dedication of the First NJ. E.
Church at that place. ..
Phil Kearny Corps, of Muskegon, has
under consideration memorial drink
ing fountain and a cemetery lot for
their own dead.
From all along the line come stories
of activity in the Corps of Michigan,
especially interesting being some of the
observances of Memorial and Flag Days.
From the Department of Wisconsin
comes the following interesting item:
At June meeting the following resolu-
lions were unanimously adopted by o.
f. Pinney Corps, of Monroe, and later
approved by the Post. They have been
sent to the Governor of Wisconsin and
also filed with the proper Post, Corps
and Department authorities:
'"To His Excellency, the Governor of
Wisconsin:
Whereas the American people, as
the years pass by, are increasingly re-
minded of the greatness of the man.
who, thru the most perilous period o.
our National existence, by his comprc-
hensive wisdom, high sense of justice.
sublime courage and patience, carried
us safely thru every danger and gave
us a flag without a stain and Union
without slave: and --
Whereas the day of his birth was
the most suspicious of all the days that
have blessed us as Nation; therefore,
be IL
Resolved, That in the Judgment of
o. F. Pinney Post, G. A. r., 1872, and
o. F. Pinney w. r. c., "a, that 1t is
meet and proper to set aside the 18th
day of February, the birthday of Abra-
ham Lincoln, as a legal holiday, on
which the American people, by appro-
pirate services, may duly honor his
name and his work, and to this end we
respectfully memorabilia the Governor
and the Legislature of the State of Wis
consin to take the action necessary to
secure this desired result.
Done at Monroe, Wis, this 18th day
| of June, A. d. 1908.
Georgia Shriner. Patriotic Instructor
and Anna Bridge, Committee, w.
r. c.; P. T. Chase, B. T. Raymond,
IT, a. II.
This is said to be the first definite
step Of this sort taken by similar or
CARNATIONS, and the outcome will be
looked for with much interest.
From Julia A. Chase, Department
Press Correspondent of Kansas, comes
the following interesting conimunica-
| ton:
I'm the Kansas State Historical So
cicty, at Topeka, Kan, there is Moth
er Bickerdyke collection more complete
than any other extant 1t contains pic
lures, large and small, of the we'll
beloved army nurse, including the group
known as the fatal 49, because of the
death within the year of Col. Lew Han
back, who is in it. The picture was
taken In front of mothers house in
| Bunker Hill, Kan, when Judge Theo
Botkin, then Department Commander
of the Kansas G. A. R., arranged for
the celebration of her 80th birthday. ,
THE book list of the collection in
cludes those which have chapters relat-
ing to her as well as those written about
her. These last are Mother Bickerdyke
and the Soldiers by Margaret b. Davis,
San Francisco. Cal; Mother Bickerdyke
as Knew Her. by Florence Shaw Kel-
logg, Fry. Kan. and Mary A. Bicker-
dyke. Mother by Julia A. Chase, Hia-
watha, Kan.
1.-The book written by myself is the
most complete life story, as 1t includes
much not elsewhere given, and as all
the data was gathered in the mothers
own home, and from her lips 1t is au-
thentic.
Mothers personal library contained