davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1915-05-13

Syracuse, N. Y, May &. - In a
formal statement, Former President
Theodore Roosevelt said:
81 very earnestly hope that we will
act promptly. The proper time for
deIiberation was prior to sending the
message that our government would
hold Germany to strict accountable
ity if it did the things which it has
now actually DONE"
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1915-05-13

CHICAGO JEAN VAlJEAN NEARLY
SHOT BY POLICE
Victor Hugo's powerful novel, lies
'Miserables," has as its principal fig
ure Jean Vatican. In the story VAL
jean serves 10 years as a result of
stealing loaf of bread for starV-
ing family.
In Chicago today, where we are
supposed to be ever so much kinder
than France in the days of which
Hugo writes, two men were almost
shot to death by the police when they
were found stealing bread for starv-
ing family.
Early today Policeman Jake Schwe-
gel roaming around n. F. Johanson's
grocery store, 53O5 N. Robey, saw
two men in the act of going into the
breadboX outside the store.
Immediately Schwegel pulled
gun. The police rule book says al
ways pull a gun when dealing with
desperate characters. And these
men were apparently bread thieves.
The men saw the policemen, OBJ
served the flash of his gun, and ran.
Schwegel started after them, fir
ing his revolver at the two fugitives.
A bullet whistled by the head of one
of the men and he stopped. Schwe-
gel arrested him.
At the station the man gave his
name as Stanley Bardsak. He is 26
wears old and lives at 1413 w. Erie
st. He has been one of the victims
of this jobless year. His family is
starving and he stole for them.
1890
TEL EHDADI DDIEEC
The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, 1915-05-13
HOW TWO EX-PRESIDENTS RE-
GARD WILSON'S COURSE

GARD WILSON'S COURSE
Philadelphia, May u. - Former
President William Howard Taft, ad-
dressing the Union League club:
Weighing the consequences will
not prejudice the justice of our cause
or the opportunity to vindicate it, and
this the president may be counted on
to secure 1t is the peoples cause,
not his alone, and he does well to
allay excitement and to await the
regular and studied action of the peo-
pies representatives"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
NAVY YARD SAW
ITS SHARE OF WAR ACTIVITY
Regarded as Important Part of Capitals
Defense, and Rumors of Attack
We're Frequent.

tent for contraband brought up by tho
vessels of the Potomac fiotilla.
Many times the navy yard was mus
tered for an anticipated attack. When
the inauguration of President Lincoln
was about to take place, March 4. 1865,
no visitors were allowed In the yard.
and extra guards were ordered for the
magazine and other property. April 3
the capture of Richmond was hailed at
the yard by the firing of a national
salute. and the surrender of Lee was
about to be celebrated when the as
sassination of Lincoln changed the Joy
into mourning.
Two monitors-the Montauk and Sau-
gus-were at the yard when orders
were received on the morning of the
18th that If the military authorities
arrested the murderer of President
Lincoln to place him on a monitor
anchor in the stream with a strong
guard on the vessel dock and in the
yard. Two prisoners were reported
placed on the Saugus in double irons
on the 18th. They gave the names of
Lewis Payne and Michael o'FIaherty
lprobably intended for O'Laughlin5.
The next day Sam Arnold was reported
as delivered; Atzerott and Richie on
April 20. April % Atzerott was re-
moved to another monitor.
Spangler was brought April "a April
"a. D. c. Harold and the remains of
Booth were received and the body
placed on the Montauk The same day
the body of Booth was removed by Col
l.. c. Baker. The prisoners were de-
Hvered to Gen. Hancock at 1880 O'Clock
the night of April 80 and taken to the
arsenal
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Commissioner SaItzgaber
Has Gallant Record for
Merit0rious Service in War

Old soldiers visiting the pension office
during this reunion week are greeting
Gaylord Miller Saltzgaber. commits
sioner of pensions, as "comrade." for
the commissioner is one of the young
est veterans. having been a private at
the age of sixteen. He was In many
important engagements. was wounded.
captured, and mustered out at the end
of the war with a gallant record for
meritorious service"
"Comrade" Saitzgabers record in the
roster Of Ohio Volunteers. under the
head of Company !. Sd Ohio Cavalry,
says:
teen years Of age; enlisted August 16,
1861: mustered into United States serv-
ice at Monroeville, Ohio. September ],
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28

REV. DAVID WILLS,
Said to be the oldest living United
states 0nacer
Among the great many retired officers
of the army and navy who make the
city of Washington their home there
is probably not one of them who is
pointed out So frequently. and to whom
greater respect and attention is shown,
than Capt. David Wills. a retired chap
lain. and who has the honor of being
the Oldest officer of the United States
Army.
DR.. Wills was born January z, 1872.
and is a native of Pennsylvania.
During the civil war he was a pastor
of a Presbyterian church in Macon,
Ga, and ministered Unfortunately
to the sick. wounded and dying of the
Federal and Confederate armies. After
ward he was president of the Ogle-
thrope University in Atlanta. and dur
ing his life in the south he became the
intimate friend of many of the promi-
nent men. among these were Alexander
H. Stephens. Thomas F. Bayard, L. O.
C.. Lamar. John B. Gordon and r. B.
Vance.
June 3. 1879. he was appointed post
chaplain. and during his service. he
was stationed at Fort McHenry, Nc
Pherson barracks, Walla Walla. Benicia
barracks and Huachuca.
Chaplain Wills was retired January
Z, 1886, having attained the age of six
ty-four.
Notwithstanding that he is over
ninety-three years of age. Chaplain
Wills is still active, an excellent racon-
teur and a gentleman of great culture
and large talent.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
FORT MYER CAVALRY
IN DRILL FOR VETERANS
Scores Who Campaigned in Civil
War Compare Modern Maneu-
vers With Their Own.

While thousands of boys in blue" of
the COS looked on, three troops of the
5th Cavalry, U. S. A, from Fort Myer.
Va, flashed through a sensational and
thrilling cavalry drill on the polo
grounds in Potomac Park this after
noon. The drill had been especially ar
ranged for the benefit of the visiting
members of the G. A. r. and the vari-
Gus kindred patriotic organizations
meeting in Washington this week.
Under command of Col. w. E. Wilder,
Troops ], l. and NJ went through the
maneuvers this afternoon in almost
perfect style. The polo grounds were
surrounded by thousands of spectators.
Among the throngs were scores of old
cavalrymen who campaigned under
Sheridan, kearny and Custer during
the civil war, and they watched the
evolutions with the keenest interest.
Commander-in-Ch Chief David J. Palmer
of the G. A. r. and his staff were
guests at the drill. as were the national
officers of the Woman's Relief Corps,
the Ladies of the G. A. r.. the Sons of
Veterans and other patriotic organiza-
tions.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Will See Second Review.

Mrs. Catherine E. Bryan, 242S 18th
street northwest. remembers very well
the passing of the Union troops before
President Johnson in April. 1865, for
her husband was in the line. He was
John T. Bryan, a sergeant OF the In
dependent Cavalry, in Gregg's I'd Bril-
gade, I'd Division. Army of the Po-
tomac. Mrs. Bryan says it will give
her great pleasure to see the Union
veterans again pass in review after
half a century has elapsed.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
FLAGS FOR SCHOOLS.
Woman's Relief Corps Presents Three
Silk Banners to High Schools.

Handsome silk parade flags were pre-
sented by the Woman's Relief Corps to
three Of the Washington high schools to-
day. the Mckinley Manual Training
School. Central High School and the NJ
Street High School.
The presentation was made in each in
stance in the auditorium Of the high
school by Mrs. Laura I. Smith. national
patriotic instructor Of the Woman's Re-
lief Corps. Mrs. Smith was accompanies
by Mrs. Mary Van Ness Fauth and Mrs
corps
The presentation was made to the M
Street High School at o'clock this morn
ing, to the Mckinley Manual Training
High School at IL 30. Addresses wera
made by Mrs.. Smith to the pupils Of each
Of the 8choolR
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
George Sylvester Nichols Is
Hale and Hearty in His
Ninety-Fifth Year.
HE TOOK PART IN SIXTY
BATTLES OF CIVIL WAR
Won Major Generalship Near Close
of Conflict as Reward for Dis
tinguished Service.

The oldest living general" is Gen.
George Sylvester Nichols of Athens, N.
Y, ninety-f1ve years old. He went
through all the hardships of the forty
miners. He fought through sixty
battles of the civil war. He was
wounded once. Yet at ninety-f1ve he
is able to sing. fight the battles of the
war over again, to read, to walk, to
smoke several cigars day, to drink
occasionally a glass or two of his own
homemade wine with a neighbor-
active, alert, interested as ever in ma
tional affairs and the world war.
He is lineal descendant of Col.
Nichols, who. August 10. 1864, appeared
with four ships of war off New Am
sterdam and caused it's surrender, be-
coming it's first English governor and
changing the name of the city to New
York. Another of his ancestors, Rev.
John Nichols, founded the famous
Undertook Academy. The spelling of
the family name was changed to
Nichols many years ago.
Capital in War Times.
Gen. Nichols gives vivid word pic
ture Of the capital in war days which
is of interest to the thousands of Wis
itors here for the Grand Army semi
centennial celebration. He also graph
ically describes the "hell-fire" of Get
tysburg, in which fighting he took
historic part. Born January IL. 1870
in Athens. N. Y, he was educated at
Undertook Academy and then for
eight years he was captain OF the sloop
Science, owned by his father, carrying
his fathers manufactures OF brick'
lime, hay and produce to New YORK.
An1 hrier
master of the 37th Brigade. New YORK
state Militia, in 1913. and two years
later was commissioned brigadier- gen
eral of the 37th Brigade by GOV. Siias
Wright. ,.o
him a ready victim.
Gen. Nichols soon found that pack
ing and trading were more prontaple
than gold digging. and ne estaoiisheo
a store at Suffers Mill, Coloma. wnere
Indians.
Returns From California.
After two years in the gold region
Gen. Nichols. anxious to return to his
wife and two children, left California
and arrived in Athens January l. 1851.
richer by several thousand dollars. A
few years later. in 1856. he was elected
to the New York state senate.
When the war began he entered the
army as major of the 9Th New York
Cavalry in November, 1851. being COM
missioned by Gov. E. D. Morgan. His
regiment left Albany for Washington
November 26. The regiment, having
arrived in Washington. remained there
during the winter drilling.
Picturing the country at that time,
the general said
THE Capital city had become a great
men was organizing for the defense of
the government. At the dock was a
wondrous exhibition of the powers and
supplies of the country. Immense
transports of war material, subsistence.
horses and mules COMPOUNDED ones
power of estimate. The 9Th New York
was in camp a mile from Alexandra.
The desolatiop Of war was everywhere;
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28

Mrs. David L. Stanton of Custer w.
r. c., Baltine-A. who is here for the en-
campment, has -"Aresting history.
February 9, 1865, she married a young
soldier in the LIST Maryland Regiment.
He enlisted as private at nineteen
and served until the close of the war.
and when mustered out at twenty-four
was breveted brigadier general. After
his marriage he went to the front and
his bride met him here at the grand re-
view.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Many Rumors Of Attack.

Commodore HARDWOOD succeeded Com
modore Dahlgren as commandant July
%, 1862, and served until the close of
1863. when Commodore Montgomery fol-
lowed to the close of the war. In the
yard were confined deserters, insub-
ordinate soldiers, blockade runners, and
it was a place of refuse to a large ex-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
not green thing remained: grain fields
and parks had yielded to the tread of
armies"

not green thing remained: grain fields
and parks had yielded to the tread Of
armies"
Kept Diary Of War.
Many new versions of famous Incl
dents of the war are revealed in the
diary of Gen. Nichols, which he kept
with scrupulous care, and the contents
of which have never before been
known. The diary sketches interest
ingly the career Of the 9Th New York
Cavalry.
The men of the 18th" will recall
with him their services under Gen.
Buford in the Gettysburg campaign,
and from the Rappahannock to the
Rapidan in the summer Of 1858: their
services under Sheridan in the Will
derness, the ride around Lees army
and the advance with Grant in May.
1864: the Trevillian station raid in
June, the fight at Deep Bottom in July,
doah valley. and the final campaign
with Sheridan, the greatest cavalry
leader the world has ever known.
They are proud that their regiment was
never off duty. and never in line five
minutes without charging.
First Shot at Gettysburg.
At Gettysburg one of Col. Nichols
men fred the first shot of the battle.
/, 1868, a corporal and three men of
my regiment were on picket duty" he
says. Suddenly they saw men ap-
preaching on the road beyond Will
poral sent his men to notify the line
and the reserve. while he rode across
the stream to the higher ground and
saw the approaching men were Con-
at him. He hurried back to the bridge.
where from its shelter he fired several
shots at the advancing enemy"
This occurred about $50 o'clock on
the morning of July 1, 1863. the first
shots fired at the battle of Gettysburg,
the greatest battle of the war. The 9Th
New York also took the first prisoner
and lost the first man on this battle
field.
was wounded from a Confederate bat
terry. which fired twenty shots into his
regiment.
In Command Of Regiment.
At the battle of Trevillian Station his
regiment suffered more losses than in
any battle of the war. Col. Sackett was
wounded and died soon afterward, Col.
Nichols succeeding him in command of
the regiment. Mrs. Sackett, hearing of
her husbands death. came to see If the
reports were true. and Col. Nichols
drove her for ten miles to Gen. Grants
headquarters, where Col. Nichols spent
the night in Grants tent exchanging
opinions and experiences.
Col. Nichols led one of the most ef-
fective charges of the war at the bat
tie of Opequon. or Winchester. At
Cedar creek his life was narrowly
the animal was shot under him.
A few months before the close Of the
war Col. Nichols was brevetted major
general
mustered into the service during the
last year of the war and was the
youngest commissioned officer in the
Service.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28

tiers Of inquiry and pieces of evidence.
lacking sufficient information to fden-
tifyS the claim, are forwarded to the
record division, where. by means of the
records and indexes. the number of the
claim in question Is usually ascertained.
Here is kept a card index, arranged by
states and counties, of the post office
addresses of the thousands of pension
ers placed on the rolls under the act of
Nav IL 1912
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Army and Navy Division.

In the army and navy division there
are 11S employees, with Samuel G. Rog-
| ers of Iowa as chief, and DR.. Alfred D.
Wilkinson of Pennsylvania as assistant
chief.
From the record division a pension
application is sent to one of the two
| adjudicating divisions of the bureau
which procure and arrange the evidence
and information necessary to determine
| the title of the applicant. after which
| the papers in each claim are submitted
| to the board of review for final allow
| ance or rejection.
| The army and navy division receives
and has charge of the adjudication of
all claims for pension based on service
In the regular Army. Navy or Marine
| Corps at any time; service in the Mexf-
can war, the Indian vars, the war with
Spain and the Philippine insurrection,
and all claims fo- bounty land based on
service rendered in wars prior to March
! 3, 1855. This division takes final action
| in all claims for REIN bursement on ac-
count of expenses incurred in the last
sickness and burial OF INDECENT pension
ers.
] OF particular interest at this time is
| the work of the civil war division,
where zoo clerks arc employed, of whom
! Dr. John Y. keenan, of Maryland is
chief and James II. Mcintosh OF New
| Ncrk is assistant chief.
The applications for pension which
properly belong there are sent, after
being duly recorded, to the civil war
division, which Is the other adjudicat-
| ing division OF the bureau, and which
| has jurisdiction of claims based upon
| service in the civil war, with the ex-
| ception OF those based on service rem
dered in the navy and the regular es-
| ia olishment during that period. The
duties of this, as we'll as OF the army
and navy division. include the securing
from; the War Department of informa-
ton from the records germane to the
issues involved, and the procuring of
evidence. and all details of the corre-
spondence incident to the preparation
of such claims, for reference to the
board of review for final action. Here,
also. TRANSACTIONS are made, for all
branches of the bureau, of the many
communications and documents in for
eign languages which come from all
parts of the world.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Visiting G. A. R. Members
Eager to Inspect the Big
Memorial Building.
FIRST OCCUPIED IN 1885
AND COST OVER $500, 900
Structure deliberately Decorated in
Honor of Union Veterans Annual
Encampment and Review.

Every one of the 396.370 surviving
veterans of the civil war has strong
personal and material interest in the
pension bureau, and the memorial
building in which it is housed. dedi-
Gated to the soldiers and sailors who
served the country. Every one OF the
twenty-odd thousands OF old soldiers
who are here to participate tomorrow
in the last parade down Pennsylvania
avenue. IN which most of them Will ever
march will, while in Washington. visit
this building so distinctivel* their home
in the National Capital. where elabor-
ate plans for their comfort ard enter
tainment have been made.
The United States pension office. said
to be the greatest brick structure in
the world, is one of the attractions of
Washington, which has come into ex-
istence since the grand review of 1865.
when the Union army was mustered
out at the close of the war. 1t was
built not only as memorial to all the
nations warriors. especially those en-
gagged in the great civil war, but also
as a workshop for the employees en-
gagged in the work of perfecting the
vouchers of these soldier pensioners.
This force is now working under the
supervision of Gaylord NJ. Saltzgaber
of Ohio. commissioner of pensions. who
served in Company l. Sd Ohio Cavalry.
1S61-65.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Other Divisions Enumerated.

The other divisions of the pension bu-
reau are: Mail and supplies, which first
receives claims for pensions; the board
of review. which passes on pension
claims; the law division, which does
the legal work connected with pen
sions; the special examination division,
which inquiries into the merits of
claims for pensions; the medical divi-
sion. which makes physical examina-
tions of claimants; the certificate divi-
sion. which keeps the the grand roll
of pensions" and the finance division,
which accounts for all moneys.
Guy o. Taylor of Kansas is the one
man in the entire pension bureau
whose name really means most to the
veterans. for all checks in payment Of
bursting clerk. He pays out about $780,
100000 annually on schedules certified
to him by the commissioner of PEN
sions.
Prior to February /, 1913, payments
were made by the eighteen pension
agencies located in different parts of
the country.
A large amount of modern labor-sav-
ing machinery Is used to facilitate the
payments. By use of the signagraph
Eleven graphotypes are used for the
preparation of stencils or plates on
which is embossed the name of the
pensioner. the number of pension GER
tihCalc anu Tie pOSt ONiCe duOTeSS,
from these plates are printed on sew
enteen addressographs the checks,
schedules and envelopes.
About 100000 checks and other
pieces Of mail are sent out annually.
OF Great Historic Value.
The revolutionary war archives, of
priceless historic value. are carefully
kept by the pension bureau in fiat fl
ing cabinets, which are open to the
public under a provision Of Congress
of March 3. 1901.
Two great patriotic societies, the
Sons of the American Revolution and
the Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton. make frequent use of them. and
they furnish historical data, as well as
patriotic inspiration to the children Of
the republic.
The last pensioned soldier of the rev.
olution was Daniel Frederick Bake
man Of New York, who died April 5,
1869.
The last pensioned widow of the rev.
olution was Esther S. Damon. widow of
Noah Damon; she died November IL,
1906. Miss Anna e. Wilson Of South
war section.
Important statistics showing that the
old soldiers are dying at the rate of
nearly $4,000 each year: that Ohio leads
all states in the amount received in
pensions. SIS. 666.877. with Pennsylvania
insular possessions and foreign coun-
tries received $98O.771.9 in pensions
during the last fiscal year, have Just
been announced by Commissioner Salty
gaber. The total disbursement in PEN
sions last year was $l85.51s. 266.14.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
How Claims Are Handled.

When a new application for pension
Is received by the mail division and
classified by the law division 1t is
forwarded to the record division. where
IT is recorded. numbered. jacketed and
forwarded to the proper adjudicating
division The claimant Is advised, for
his own convenience, Of the number
which has been given to the claim. Let
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-28
Building Designed by Gen. Meigs.

Like other modern public buildings.
II was intended to be useful, but at the
same time to present some aspects in
which it would be beautiful and at
tractive. The building was first occu-
pied in May, 1885. 1t was designed and
constructed under the personal super
vision of Gen. Meigs, U. S. A, at a cost
of $780, 69.4S. 1t covers 1 $40 acres,
or $4,000 square feet, and 15,500.ooo
1t is four stories in height, not includ-
ing basement; outside measurement is
400 by 200 feet, and Isl 4 feet in heignt:
floor area is 1SS.25S square feet. divided
into ITS rooms, court and galleries. inc
floors of the court and galleries contain
$3.50 square feet. and were tiled at
cost of S20,000.34.
Many novel and unique ideas enter
into the construction of this building.
In the court are eight large columns
which were originally intended by the
architect as support for dome These
columns are seventy-five feet in height,
base and six and half feet at the top;
there are 800 bricks in each column
and 161 square yards Of plaster on
each. The columns are MARRIED OF
%aoT ssare. Si maS be- 4 traced in
the marbi,ng; among them are Indians,
lakes, vessels, Grand Army and Masonic
emblems, flags, and 1.-The little red
9ChOOlhOuSe, also the poTtf ATS Va 0Sho:
washington and Lafayette, and OF
Queen Victoria, and many others OF
prominence.
One of it's interesting features. IN a
decorative way, Is the sculptured frieze
extending around the outside OF the
building. showing the marching hosts
Of the boys in blue. Infantry. cavalry.
artillery and sailors, full OF swing and
martial spirit. tell an eloquent story
Of the army of the COS. An inaugural
ball was held in this building March 4.
1885. under a temporary roof. Other
inaugural balls have since been held
here.
The superintendent of the building is
Charles s. Jones of New Jersey.