Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1918-06-06
QUEER NOTE IN
UNCLE SANS FILES.
Booming Guns Break chiId's Doll and
She Made Government Claim.

She Made Government Claim.
Washington, d. Gone fine day
several summers ago little 7-year
old girl was playing with her dolly at
her home at Cape Cottage, Me. At in.
tervals she paused in her play, as
though frightened, and listened to II
terrific booming that made the house
tremble and the windows rattle.
1t was the sound of the great guns
at Fort Williams, near Cape Elizabeth,
and they doomed and kept on BOOM
ing. And the house kept trembling
and the windows kept rafting, and
the little girl. whose name was Mari.
an oggeshall, grew more frightened,
and at last she commenced to cry.
Marian had placed her little doll on
chair and had crouched into cor.
ner from fear. There was another
loud boom Of the great guns and again
the house shook. And this time the
chair, trembled, and dolly lost her bal
ance and crashed to the floor, break.
ing into many pieces.
Marian was broken hearted, for al
though the dolly was not very big, 1t
was the little girls pet, and she had
grown to love it vccy much. And then
she began to think of the cause of all
the trouble. 1t was the big guns at
the fort. She thought of the govern
ment that had set the guns to firing
and she wondered If it would not give
her new doll to replace the broken
one.
A grown-up admirer of the little girl
listened to her fearful tale and then
told her that she had just claim
against the government and ex.
planned to her exactly how such
claims were attended to, little think
ing that Marian had any intention Of
placing the matter before the author
tiles at Washington. Marian said
nothing, but she went to her little
writing desk and penned the follow.
ing letter:
'Delans Park, Cape Cottage, Me-
Dear Mr.. Adjutant General: When
the big guns were fired last week 1t
shook the house so badly that my Pre-
cious dolly fell onto the floor and was
broken to Pieces. May ask the Gov.
ernment for another dolly. She was
not very big, but She was my Pet and
I loved her very much. Yours truly,
MARIAN COGGESHALL,
Seven Years Old"
The letter was received by the Ad.
jutant General and given the official
designation of document No. 1,949,-
121. The matter was referred to the
quartermaster general for investiga.
ton. Then 1t went to the commanding
general of the eastern division of
the army, Maj. Gen. William H. Barry,
stationed at New York. Finally the
matter reached Col. George T. Bart.
lett, who commanded the artillery di
vision at Fort Williams.
Col. Bartlett called Mrs. Coggeshall
on the telephone and told her of the
official document. Marian's mother
was greatly surprised. for she knew
nothing of her daughters action, and
she assured the officer that Mr.
Coggeshall would relieve the govern
ment Of Marian's claim and buy the
new doll himself.
So Marian's father brought her the
doll and the matter ended right there.
But Marian had perfect right to ask
the government to replace her doll,
and if her mother had permitted it,
her claim probably would have been
granted.
Her letter still is on file at the war
department here, and Is regarded AS
one of the most novel documents ever
received by the adjutant general.