Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-18
njoy the honor she has so deservedly

enjoy the honor she has SO deservedly
won.
Renewing my regret that am de-
barred from participating in the presenta-
ton and with kind personal regards. my
dear Mr.. Goulden. l am.
Very sincerely yours.
JAMES 8. SHERMAN.
Mr. Goulden also read the following
letter, under date of February %. from
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Beck
man Winthrop:
..There is transmitted herewith silver
medal of honor awarded to you by this
department under acts OF Congress ap-
proved June %. 1874. and May !. NV. II,
recognition of gallant conduct exhibited
In rescuing several children upon the oc-
CASTOR of the disaster to the steamer Cen
eral Slocum. June ID 1904.
1T affords this department great pleas
ure To have tbs opportunity to commend
the services rendered by you upon the
occasion mentioned"
After MIR Goulden had finished his
speech he turned over the silver medal In
is velvet-lined case 20 Speaker Cannon.
ard introduced him to the little crowd
present.
Speaker Cannon's Tribute.
Miss McCann.' said Uncle Joe. Il have
listened with very great interest indeed
10 the remarks of Representative Goulden
recounting the incident Of the disaster
of the unhappy General Slocum and recit-
ing the part played by you in that great
tragedy, part which has justly earned
for you not only a congressional medal
of honor. but the applause and approval
of mankind.
When you performed your splendid
work there was no idea in your mind OF a
medal of honor coming TO YOU True
courage In man or woman is not IN
spired by hope of reward or recognition.
but Ii is we'll that provision has been
made by act of Congress for recognizing
such conspicuous acts of bravery as the
one you have performed
IT is said that there is but hair
breadth between sanity and insanity,
and that there is but very slight
partition between that in the human
mind which leads to heroism, on the
one hand. and that which leads to cow
ardice on the other. The world is eN-
ceedingly fortunate. that. notwithstand-
ing the thinness of the partition. when
the occasion requires, men and women
are always found to do the work OF
heroes and heroineS.
Mr.. Goulden has referred to the fact
that they could not find you for some
time and. therefore. the presentation of
the medal awarded to you has been de-
layed: but j am glad that at last you
have been found and that am allowed
the pleasure Of participating in this
ceremony.
Quick to Meet Emergency.
IF. twenty minutes before the Gen.
Slocum sank. you had been asked what
you would do in the event of sucn a
contingency. you could not have told.
1t is a tradition of your sex that they
mount chairs and sometimes almost
and yet, when the necessity arrives.
they are capable of doing and do great
deeds 1t is such acts as yours that
renew our faith in humanity and give
promise that civilization will be perpet-
uated and will work out its own sal
walton.
There are people in the world who are
unhappy because they conceive that we
are going to destruction at breakneck
speed. They growl and grumble. and
some of them at times clothe themselves
in hypocrisy and are not regardful of the
truth. but these are misinformed people.
SO. But America is all right The world
IL all right. The herosm of men and
women like unto you but emphasize that
fact.
Il take great pleasure in presenting to
you this medal of honor; may your tribe
Increase"
Moved to Smiles and Tears.
And then Speaker Cannon and Miss Nc
Cam laughed and cried, and everybody
else in the room felt sort of nice and
cheerful. And after that Miss McCann
had to sit down and have her picture
taken by a lot of newspaper photog-
Iaphers.
Afterward all those who were present
during the little ceremony shook hands
with her and said nice things.
Miss Mccain, who Is now nineteen
years old. will be graduated from the
Florence Crittenden School next April,
and plans to spend the remainder of her
life i'm Washington nurse. Her eyes
are blue and her cheeks are red. and un-
doubtedly she will be in demand in the
sickroom. The very sight of her would
cure anybody except a confirmed pessi-
mist of anything outside of a mortal
disease.