Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-04-29
Civil War Stories


! Gave the Organ Bath.
George w. Perkins, one Of ]. Pier
! pont Morgan's partners, has repaired
curious bit of damage to the Episco-
pal church at Milledgeville, Ca, done
by Shermans soldiers more than forty
| five years ago, during the historic
march from Atlanta to the sea,
When Sherman and his huge army
! reached this quaint old town, then the
| capital Of Georgia, they remained here
some time. Milledgeville, in ante
bellum and war times, was one Of the
most important cities Of the State.
Many of the wealthiest families lived
here; there was an abundance of fine
provender for soldiers and horses and
appliances for repairing damage to his
army's equipment which were taken
advantage of by Sherman.
His soldiers camped everywhere.
One regiment took the Episcopal
church as its home, the church being
located in large park close to the
old capitol building. Sherman had
many humorists in his army, who did
strange things in Milledgeville, but
the men Of the regiment housed in the
Episcopal church outdid their rivals
when they poured many gallons Of mo-
lasses down the pipes of the church
organ.
That organ still does service in the
Episcopal church, the Baltimore Sun
says, and the molasses bath given it
in wartimes has stuck to it ever since,
| Notwithstanding years OF p1ous effort
by generations Of good Episcopalians
to rid it of the Sherman contribution.
Twice a day on Sunday, morning and
evening, and at funerals and other
solemn occasions, the old organ
wheezes pitifully and strangely.
The present organist is Mrs. Ruby
| Bland, q finished musician Her hus-
band, Marshall Bland, is the local rep
resentative of the New York Life In
surance Company. Twelve years ago,
when George w. Perkins was the most
conspicuous figure in the New York
Life, a daughter was born to Mr.. and
Mrs. Bland. The Nylic organization
created by Mr. Perkins, was then at
it's height, and the girl baby was chris
tened Nylic.
About year ago a new rector came
to the Episcopal church, Rev. Mr.
Scarrett of Boston. He and his sew
eral daughters are all music lovers
and the poor old molasses-treated or
gan in the Episcopal church upset
their nerves twice every Sunday. The
Scarretts delicately inquired as to the
cause of the organs queer disability,
and because Of the rector's New Eng
land origin, hid the truth from him,
not wishing to seemingly stigmatize
anything northern, but finally boy
blurted out the truth, saying:
THE Yankees poured molasses down
the pipes when that dog-gone old Sher-
man was here"
Steps to get new organ were i'm
ledgeviIle has never been overburden-
ed with money, and the purchase of a
new organ was q serious undertaking
for the parishioners of Mr.. Scarrett's
church, even with cotton bringing Is
cents Immediately schemes were
Matched to raise money-societies and
committees we're organized and the
dollars began to dribble in slowly
when the 12-year-old brain of Nylic
Bland worked out a solution of the
problem to her own great surprise.
She had heard her father speak of
George w. Perkins, SO she sat down
and in school girl fashion wrote him
an artless letter asking him to give
something toward the purchase Of the
new organ. If Mr. Perkins had sent
| 5 or even 81 Nylic would have been
overjoyed, but instead the little girl
received this telegram.
BUY the organ and send the bill to
me. GEO. w. PERKINS,"
A committee was at once appointed
to buy the organ and the momentous
! purchase has just been made The or
gan selected cost $1,000. Some of the
committee were afraid Mr.. Perkins
could not afford to give away such a
large sum Of money and would not
ratify the purchase until he was COM
municated with and politely asked If
he were willing to have such fine or
gan purchased. Mr.. Perkins answer
| removed the last obstacle and in few
Sundays the poor old organ with its
Reconstructed pipes will wheeze
in the Episcopal church for the last
time.
A Pair of Captured Shoes.
The old army SHOE" said slen-
der dark-haired man, was a great in
stitution. | have a pair at home that
| have preserved, not as momentos of
any long march, but as landmarks in
venturous life. It was a custom
among the poorly shod Confederate
troops to remove, after battle, the
shoes from the dead Union soldiers
This was not done in any spirit of
vandalism or heartlessness. The shoes
were taken off to supply men who
had much marching to do in inclement
weather We simply changed old,