The Washington herald., 1909-04-09
NorfoIk's Woe.

Our heart goes out to Norfolk in its
distress incident to the discontinuance Of
the nightly salute from the big gun at
the nearby navy yard. Norfolk seems
quite cut up about the matter: It IS as
II some true and tried friend had been
torn away-fated 10 the silence OF the
-ery grave itself. as it were.
Norfolk loved that curfew gun. 1t
was the nocturnal sign and signal for
all sorts Of things. People set their
watches by Il; lovers timed their trysts
by Il; little children went 20 bed by Il;
good housewives put out the cats by
It; model husbands wended their ways
homeward by It; down on the water
front glims were doused by It. II was
an institution hallowed by time and
blessed by generations Of F. F. VS. from
a period immemorial. Il was sacred. and
not to be set aside lightly or without
ample and compelling reason. No town
pump ever enjoyed one-half the measure
OF gen.tae respect and affection that was
freely and generously-even lavishly- ac-
corded this ancient and honorable artil-
lery.
Beautifully. touchingly. caressingly is
Norfolks consuming woe evidenced by
Editor X. Foster Murray. Of the Land
mark. itself one Of Virginia's proudest and
most deserving assets. in the following
pathetic lay:
Good-by. old gun, A hundred years
Thy voice the evening hath saluted.
And with no irTeverent ears
Have. hearing. seen old fleets recruited
Thy boom far-fung from sho-e 20 shore,
Ger WaVo and lea rererberating
Hath summoned back the taTs q yore
Their ancient glories reinstating.
Again al Hulls Barron's beck
Or Lawrencc's. who fought the Shannon.
Or on Decatur's dauntIess deck,
Thou flashed them forth. good old cannonl
The housewife nouns thy mellow ncts.
Whereby her timepece was adjusted:
And childhood. poised 10 set aaoat
Its dream-bsrk. lacks thy signal trusted.
As when thy call rang faint or clear,
Wiso heads DO longer nod together,
Deciding what. inerrant seer.
Thou saidst should be the mo1oW's weather.
For now. old friend thou scem'st no more.
To naval tastes 50 strangely polished.
Than any common raEcms roar
And thy salute hath been abolished.
Thou art useless noise forsooth!
Then IS The angelus harsh and s,eely-
Then are the KrcTnln bells uucnuth
And the chimes in Marcos campanile.
We hope Rear Admiral Taussig has
had copy Of this poem Haunted in his
face. If he has not. we hereby faunt
II! His was the ruthless hand that laid
this old cannon low and caused II to keep
its present unwelcome silence. The VII
laini Out upon him. See what havoc he
has wrought. what wretchednegs and IN
consolable sorrow he has brought to pass.
Not only has he injured Norfolk-stabbed
1t amidships and right through the middle
Of its heart Of hearts-bdt he has added
insult to It. He has ordered the old gun
to cease firing. on the representation TO
the Navy Department at Washington
that 1.-THE old gun, not the department
is part and parcel Of a useless noise"
20 monstrous plea. o cruel admiral,
We appeal to the President. He will
not suffer this hardship TO go unchaI-
lenged- He Is Chief Magistrate Of the
whole country-Norfolk. as well as Gin
cinnati, Hoboken. and Walla Walla. He
will permit no wrong to be done the
humblest Of his fellow-citizens. Let him
order the old cannon back on the fob.
Let IT boom as Of yore, and even a little
louder! We invoke a square deal for
Norfolk, We invite a patriotic reply to
Editor Murray's spring poem. Let Nor
folks wounded feelings be salved though
the heavens fall We mean It. too
This is no trifiing matter.