The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-05-30

Ha~zx@E the bereayed who have lost sons,
brothers and sweethearts In their
counrys service. II will witness the final results
| Of the nations attempts to do all things possible
dead. II is big task and the manner of its
accomplishment Is the story of a tribute paid to
one OF the noblest sentiments that has ever been
! lodged In the breasts OF people
In that attempt since 1900, for instance the
United States government has supplied free OF
charge 10000 headstones to mark the graves OF
soldiers and sailors who have done her service
TO the cemeteries OF the great cities. to those
Of the quiet hamlet. to those the borderlands
OF civilization. these headstones have gone.
This Memorial day they offer themselves to a
scattered multitude as fitting places for the be-
stowal OF floral wreaths. The unmarked graves,
through the efforts of the government, are grow
ing fewer
In the national cemeteries alone there are the
remains Of $4,000 unknown heroes who have met
death In the defense OF their country and who
must, because OF the loss OF their identity be
denied individual recognition Yet the nation has
exhausted every resource In attempting to find
| the names OF these heroic dead. The very fulfil
NY OF these deaths, from the standpoint of the
credit received by the as individuals calls
forth a sentimental appreciation of their service
that overshadows that accorded the men with the
handsomest monuments. The unknown are being
reinforced In sacred ground, their graves are
erected TO them, collectively
Every effort is being made to prevent Tho "a.
currence In the future of the tragedy Of the Gun.
known grave. At the department army
regulations have been drafted and put into execii-
ton that are so rigid that In the future 1t will be
impossible for the soldier who fights for his coun-
try TO fail of Identification wherever he may fall
Above all this, the government has developed
system OF careful and generous disposition OF
the remains OF the dead soldier or sailor that
ouers the greatest possible recompense to the
aggrieyed and the best possible chance for the
perpetuation OF the memory of the gloriously
dead for the remains OF any man who dies In
the service. wherever his end may come are
transported TO any other spot on the globe that
be designated by his family and there given bur-
iai with military honors. All this is at the ex-
pense OF the government. for the glory OF the
dead and the consolation of his family.
Finally. the government Is marking the graves
and placing monuments over the remains of the
Confederate soldiers who died In the northern
prisons and hospitals during the Civil war.
wherever any man dies for whom II can be
shown that he ever served In the United States
army or navy, the Federal government stands
ready to furnish for his grave a headstone OF
marble neatly inscribed with his name and indi
eating his military service. The government has
large contract with firm In Massachusetts, to
furnish these headstones Under the contract
10000 such headstones were delivered last year
An uNelu6e OF lo,VUU n year nave Deen so deliv
cred for the last score OF years. Since this pol
icy OF marking the graves of the military dead
was inaugurated In 1873 there have probably
been 100000 stones that have gone forth and
which are today standing over the graves OF
men who once fought for their country. The ma.
ton is willing and anxious to continue their dis
tribution OF monuments free OF charge with
freight paid TO any point II is hoped that event
ually every grave OF every soldier win be marked
with stone that win survive forever
The graves OF all soldiers and sailors who are
buried in national cemeteries are so marked
when the identity OF the individual is known
There some so such cemeteries with total
OF 100000 men buried IN them. But Of this great
aggregate OF assembled dead OF the military there
are $4,000 buried beneath the slab OF the sun
known" There and acres OF these
white headstones that mark the graves OF soldiers
whose identity was never established At Fred.
ericSsburg. Va. there is another 10000 graves OF
men whose mothers never knew where they rest.
ed. There are 5000 OF them at Memphis; 10000
at Salisbury. n. c.: 5000 at Richmond: 1000 at
Nashville, and similar and smaller numbers scat.
tered over the country as whole AT the great.
est OF the national cemeteries, that at Arlington
opposite Washington, D. c., there Is a single great
monument that marks the burying place of 2111
unknown soldiers whose remains were gathered
from the battlefields OF Virginia
But the unknown population OF the national
cemeteries is to be prevented from largely in
creasing.
Today when man is inspected for active dntx
metal tag OF Identification IA a mart n, ~.