Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-03-22

the feast. had TO say:
Texas Is out of the map, Mr. No.
Ian. Have you seen Captain Backs
Welcome?"
After that cruise I never saw No
Ian again. | wrote to him at least
twice year, for in that voyage we
became even confdentially intimate |;
but he never wrote to me. The other
men tell me that in those fifteen years
he aged very fast, as we'll 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 a home at
last, and country.
Since writing this, and while con-
sidering whether or no / would print
it, as warning to the young of today
Of what it is to throw away a country,
I 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 nOnprofessional 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 a man to do? Should
he let him go? What, then, if 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,
ard 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 I 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, eff you succeed,
you will be sustained; if you fail, you
will be disavowed." Well, as Danforth
says, all that is over now, though l
do not know but expose myself to a
criminal prosecution on the evidence
Of the very revelation l am making.
Here is the letter:
'Levant, % 2" S. @ 1919 w.
"Dear Fred-I try to find heart and
life to tell you that it is all over with
dear old Nolan. have been with him
on this voyage more than / ever was,
and I can understand wholly now the
way in which you used to speak Of the
dear old fellow. l 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 I 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!
do you remember the mysteries we
boys used to invent about his room, in
the old Intrepid days? Well, went
in, and there, to be sure, the poor fell
low lay in his berth. smiling pleasant
ly as he gave me his hand, but look
ing very frail. 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 a majestic eagle, with light
nings blazing from his beak and his
foot just clasping the whole globe,
which his wings overshadowed. The
dear old boy saw my glance, and said,
with a sad smile, Here, you see, have
a country! 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 it from mem
DRY, and which he had there to look
upon as he lay. Quaint, queer old
names were on 1t, in large letters:
Indiana Territory Mississippi Ter
ritory,' and louisiana as supposed
our 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, I know
am dying. 1 cannot get home. Sure
ly you will tell me something nowi
Stop! stop! Do not speak till say
what I am sure you know, that there
is not in this ship, that there Is not
in America-God bless her la more
loyal man than I. There cannot be
man who loves the old flag as do, or
prays for 1t as do, or hopes for 1t as
I do. There are thirty-four stars In
1t now, Danforth. I thank God for
that, though I do not know what their
names are. There has never been one
taken AWAY. thank God for that /