Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1918-11-14

Texas IL out Of the msp. Mr. No
Ian. Have you seen Captain Backs
curious account Of Sir Thomas Roe's
WelcomeT
After that cruise ! never saw No
Ian again. I wrote to him at least
twice . year. for In that voyage we
became even confidentially intimate,
but be meyer wrote to me. The other
men tell me that 10 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 be 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 II seems the dear old fellow
ID dead. He has found q home at
last, and q country.
Since writing this. and while con.
stdering whether or no would print
it. as warning to the young Of today
, OF what 1t Is to throw away country.
l 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.
To understand the first words Of the
letter. the nOnprofessionaI reader
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 man to do? Should
he let him go7 What. then, II he
were called to account by the depart
| ment for violating the order Of 1907
Should he keep him? What, then. II
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 judy
| ment. That means. IF you succeed
you will be sustained: II you fail. you
will be disavowed." Well. as Danforth
says, all that Is over now. though ]
do not know but expose myself to q
criminal prosecution on the evidence
Of the very revelation I am making.
Here il the letter:
"Levant. 90 ." s. % 1917 W.
Dear Fred-I try to find heart and
life to tell you that II is all over with
dear old Nolan. ] have been with him
on this voyage more than | ever was.
and ! can understand wholly now the
way In which you used 10 speak Of the
dear old fellow. I could see that he
was not strong. but had no idea that
the end was SO near. The doctor had
been watching him very carefully. and
yesterday morning came to me and
told me that Nolan was not so well.
and had not left his stateroOm--a
thing | never remember before. He
had let the doctor come and see him as
had been in the stateroOm. and he said
he should like TO see me. Oh. dear!
do you remember the mysteries we
boys used to invent about his room. in
the old Intrepid days? Well. | went
in, and there. to he sure, the poor fell
low lay In his berth. smiling pleasant
~ as he gave me his hand. but look.
In frai I biol
glance round. which showed me what
a little shrine he had made Of the box
he was lying In. The stars and stripes
were triced up above and around
picture Of Washington. and he had
painted u majestic eagle, with light.
nings blazing from his beak and his
foot just clnsping the whole globe.
which his wings overshadowed. The
dear old boy saw my glance. and said.
with sad smile. Here. you see. have
country! And then he pointed to
the foot of his bed. where ! had not
seen before great map Of the United
States. as he had drawn It from mem
DRY, and which he had there to look
upon as he lay. Quaint, queer old
names were on IL. III EiTCe letters.
Indiana Territory. mississippi Ter
ritory,' and Louisiana as I supposed
our fathers learned such things: but
the old fellow had patched in Texas
teo: he had carried his western boun
dairy all the way to the Pacific. bnt on
that shore he had defined nothing.
"tOh. Danforth. he said. 4 know J
am dying | cannot get home. Sure
~ you will tell me something now;
Stop! stop! DO not speak till say
what | am sure you know that there
Is not In this ship that there is not
In Americn--Ciod bless her IA more
loyal man than |. There c:uno, be
man who loves the old dag as do. OF
prays for II IA ] do, or hopes for IL as
| do. There are thirty-four stars tr
II now. Danforth. thank God foi
that. though l do not knoM what thei,
names are. There has never been OH,
taken away: thank God for that.
know by that. that there has never
been any successful Burr. Oh. Dan
forth. Danforth, he sighed out, how
Il ..v.e n.