The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1917-06-14

Ian. Have YOU seen Captain Backs
curiony account Of Sir Thomas Roe's'
Welcome% 4
After that cruise I never saw No
Ian again. / wrote to him at least
twice a year, for in that voyage we
became even confidentially intimates
but he never wrote to me. The other
men tell me TINT in those fifteen years
he aged very fast, as well he might
indeed, but that he was still the same
gentle, accomplishing, silent sufferer
that he ever was, bearing as best he
could his self-appointed punishment,
rather less social, perhaps, with new
men whom he did not know, but more
anxious, apparently, than ever to serve
and befriend and teach the boys, some
of whom fairly seemed to worship him.
And now It seems the dear old fellow
is dead. He has found home at
last, and county, ,55
Since writing this, and while con-
sidering whether or no ] would print
it, as a warning to the young Of today
of what 1t Is to throw away a country,
! have received from Danforth, who is
on board the Levant, a letter which
gives an account of Nolan's last hours
1t removes all my doubts about telling
this story. op joHuR) 81
To understand the first words Of the
! letter, the nonprofessional reader
I, should remember that after 1917 the
position of every officer who had No
Ian In charge was one of the greatest
delicacy. The government had failed
to renew the order Of, 1907 regarding
him, What was q man to do? Should
he let him 60? What, then, II he
were called to account by the depart
ment for violating the order of 1907?
Should he keep him? What, then, If
Nolan should be liberated some day,
and should bring an action for false
Imprisonment or kidnapping against ev-
cry man who had had him in charge
urged and pressed this upon South
ard, and have reason to think that
other officers did the same thing. But
the secretary always said, as they SO
often do at Washington, that there
were no special orders to give, and
that we must act on our own judg-
ment. That means, IF you succeed
you will be sustained; If you fail, you
will be disavowed." Well, as DanfOrtf
says, all that is over now, though
do not know but expose myself to q
criminal prosecution on the evidence
Of the very revelation / am making
| Here is the letter: ..g
"Levant, 90 2" s. a 1872 W.
"Dear Fred-I try to find heart ant
life to tell you that 1t Is all over will
dear old Nolan. have been with hin
on this voyage more than ever was
and I can understand wholly now thu
way in which you used to speak Of thu
dear old fellow. could see that HI
was not strong, but had no idea tina
the end was so near. The doctor hat
been watching him very carefully, ant
yesterday morning came to me ant
told me that Nolan was not SO well
I and had not left his stateroom-f
thing / never remember before. He
/ had let the doctor come and see him as
he lay there, the first time the doctor
had been in the stateroom, and he said
he should like to see me. Oh, dear
4 do you remember the mysteries We
boys used to invent about his room, In
the old Intrepid days? Well, l went
in, and there, to be sure the poor fel.
low lay in his berth. smiling pleasant.
J ly. as he gave me his hand, but look
| ing very frail. I could not help a
glance round, which showed me what
; little shrine he had made Of the box
he was lying in. The stars and stripes
! were triced up above and around a
picture Of Washington, and he had
painted majestic eagle, with light
nings blazing from his beak and his
foot just clasping the whole globe,
which his wings oyershadowed. The
dear old boy saw my glance, and said,
with sad smile, Here, you see, have
q countryr And then he pointed to
the foot of his bed, where had not
seen before a great map Of the United
States, as he had drawn II from mem
ory, and which he had there to look
upon as he lay. Quaint queer old
names were on II, in large letters:
Indiana Territory, Mississippi Ter
ritory,' and 'Lonisiam,' as supposed
Four fathers learned such things; but
the old fellow had patched in Texas.
| too he had carried his western boun-
Diary all the way to the Pacific, but on
that shore he had defined nothing.
| - "'Oh, Danforth,' he said, 4 know
am dying. / cannot get home. Sure
| ly you will tell me something now
Stopi stopl DO not speak till II say
what I am sure you know, that there
is not in this ship, that there is not
ia Arnerica-God bless her la more
loyal man than L. There cannot be a
man who loves the old flag as I do, or
prays for 1t as / do, or hopes for 1t as
Ifdog There are thirtytfour stars In
Il how Danforth.M ! thank God for
that, though / do not know what their
names are. There has never been one
ktaken away: thank God for that. B I
know by that, that there has never
been any successful Burr. Oh, Dan
forth, Danforth, he sighed out, how
Ike a wretched nights dream a boys
-