The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-05-31
Always Arouses More Enthusi-
asm Than Does the Army.
IT'S TROPHIES At CAPITAL
Long Tom With Remarkable and
Varied History is Exhibited At
the Navy Yard--WIilow
From NapoIeon's Grave.
nY aEoRoE cLlNToN.


military body are yet In the main en-.
thuslastic over the navy. Congress
men say that proposition 10 increase
the number OF battleshlps IL sure OF
great support from the country. while
a proposition 90 increase tho army
would be IN many places II not In most
places vigorously opposed Visitors
70 Washington show greater interest
IN naval affairs than they do In army
STAIRS When they 30 to the state,
war and navy building they flock to
the places where models OF battle
ships are shown and where naval
trophies are displayed and pay much
iess attention to the exhibit made by
the army.
The navy yard In Washington is an
object OF interest 20 the thousands
who come 20 the capital city IN May,
There are good many trophies OF
BATTLES won in the keeping OF the navy
yard N the United States Military
Academy on the Hudson river there Is
a place set aside and known as Trophy
Point There a-e exhibited many guns
captured By tho land forces In the dIf.
ierent vars IN which this country has
been engaged. Trophy Point ia one
Of the ceRters az interest az West
Point and Shat is true there Is true
Of the navy yard IN Washington. PEG.
pie apparently like TO look at things
which show the prowess either on
land or sea 81 the sailors and soldiers
nf their country. and yet truth compels
again the statement that the naval
trophies attract the greater attention,
Curious History o. Long Tom.
In The navy yard there Ia cast.
iron gun which was made century
und 4 quarter ago II belongs to the
class called Long Toms" This gun
once had place on the French ship
Nnche, which was vessel of squad.
ron sent by France in the year 1893
With troops on board for the purpose
81 invading ireland and helping the
Irish people 10 win their independence
from Great Britain The British cap.
tured The Warship and also the gun
which Is now ut the navy yard In
washington
Once on time the United States
bought some guns from England and
This particular Long Tom which had
done service on a French vessel and
afterward on an English vessel, passed
into the possession of this country, II
was mounted on board an American
man-of.war and in one OF the engage
ments which our ships had with
French ships at the close OF the eight.
eenth century the Long Tom was used
against ship of the country which
once owned II. In this fight French
shot struck the gun and dented Il,
but did not put Il entirely out of com.
mission.
The United States government con.
demned the Long Tom although II was
sim seryiceable and sold It to the
island of HAITI. which then was en-.
gagged In war on It's own account
against the French nation. II was
used by the Haytians and 80 at least
twice in its existence the gun was
turned against its FIRST owners.
Used In War Of 1879.
In some way today unknown, this
gun was brought back to America and
II was used on board an American
brig. The Armstrong. which had a fight
with three British ships In the war OF
1912 So II was that the Long Tom
was used In service against its second
owner. Great Britain II Ia now In the
possession OF the American author
tiles and II Is presumed that no other
nation will capture II or buy II TO be
used one day against its present own
er. Uncle Sam.
II Is impossible to tell how many
willow trees there are in the United
States which are said to be grown
from slips OF the tree planted at the
head OF the first grave OF Napoleon
on the Island OF ST. Helena One runs
across them In all parts OF the country
and some OF them may be real slips OF
the famous trees. but the general be-
lief Is that most OF them are Counter
rfeits"
There is willow tree In the Wash.
ington navy yard. however, which Il is
known Is an offspring of the Napoleon
willow Commodore Bainbridge, who
commanded the old Constitution and
who was famous naval officer in his
day. obtained slip of the tree,
brought 1t to America and planted II
with his own hands In the navy yard,
where 1t has thrived and Is today hale
and hearty in its willowy old age.
Saving Historic Landmark.
A movement which has obtained
great impetus to make the can
ital more beautiful is no faster
on its way than the movement to pre-
serve landmarks of historic interest
Congress is taking a deep interest IN
the matter and has been spurred to Il
by the influence of many of the pa
triotic organizations Of the country
organizations of all kinds from tn,
Grand Army of the Republic to tn,
Daughters of the Confederacy. /
might be said that the Daughters O
the American Revolution do about a.