The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-05-12

With the opening or the educa-
tionaI exposition of the many activi-
ties of the Interior Department. par
ticularly during the war period, on
May 10 at the auditorium of the In
terror building. Eighteenth and +
streets. there will be a unique dis
play OF military devices that aided in
winning the war.
The inventions, showing the re-
markable ingenuity OF Americans, in
clude a number that were held to be
Of such importanc to this country
that the issuance of the patents was
withheld under the ban of the strict
est secrecy until the declaration OF
the armistice.
What the Government department
proposes to do in aiding the soldiers
to obtain farms will be illustrated at
the exposition in various ways. 1t
will be shown that in earlier wars in
which the country provided farms for
soldiers. prominent national figures,
such as Grant, Sherman, Sheridan
and Farragut. applied for and re-
ceived their land.
Lincoln's idea OF the duty Of the
country Ito care for him who shall
have borne the battle and for his
widow and his orphan is one OF the
cherished and guiding notices of the
Pension Bureau which comes under
the department The original appli- !
cation of some of the men, famous
in history, who sent letters asking for
land bounties will be shown
L. $. Grants Application.
Among the many original letters
sent to the Commissioner OF Pensions
requesting land bounty for military
service is the following from Gen. U.
S. Grant:
Detroit, Mich, November 6th, 1850.
Sir:
"wlI you please forward me NY
land warrant on the enclosed cert'h-
Gates.
Il am. sir.
Very respectfully. Your obi. Svt.
''U. S. GRANT, LIST 1t. & 3. Q. NJ,
Fourth Inf.
ITO James L. Edwards. Commissioner !
of Pensions"
There is another request for bounty |
land Gmade by Abraham Lincoln, for !
military service as captain Of a COM
pany of Illinois Mounted Volunteers. |
commanded by Col. Samuel NJ. Thomp- !
son. in the war with the British !
band of Sacs and other tribes of In |
dams on our Northwestern Frontier !
in A. D.. 1892, known as the Black |
Hawk War"
The affidavit says that he volun- !
teered on or about the 2lst day of I
April. 1882, for no definite time and !
continued in actual service in said !
war for about forty days, and that ne /
has heretofore made application for !
bounty land, under the act of Sep
tcmber %. 1850. and received d land |
warrant No. 52O76. for forty t4O) !
acres, which he has since located and !
cannot now return" The affidavit |
bears the original signature of Lin |
coin.
Scott Also Asked Land.
That tho "farms-for-so soldiers" f.
movement was popular in the post I.
war days is aISos hnwu in the letter
written by Gen. Winfield Scott, war
hero in 1S41. applying for land
bounty. and now cherished as me-
mento by tho Interior Department.
After describing that he was a CAP
tain of light artillery, May ,. 1903. .
q nd ma jor by brevet July %. 1914. IN o
the war with Great Britain declared
by the United States on the 18th day .
of June, 1872. and who H. now ma 'pr .
general and General in Chief Of the .
Army of the United States" the Icttr- .
this declaration for the purpose ~ .
obtaining the bounty land TO which he .
may be entitled under the act grant
ing bounty land TO cert1in officers
and soldiers who nave been engaged .
in tic military service of the United
States, passed September %. 1850"
There were no typewrI.ers in those !
days. and all of the letters 10 he .
of Pensions are in hand .
writing.
Gas Exhibit Il Feature.
Another OF the features viii be the ,
display from a number of bureaus .
bearing on their part in the Wa- and .
showing how a great nOnmilitary de-
Dartment developed superpoiSOnous, /
death dealing gases to combat the /
cruelties of the Hun, and strange de- .
vises to detect the presence OF the ,
enemy and spoil his plans.
There also are exhibits ShOWinS /
how the department through its CON .
nection with the mining Industry /
aided in recovering from the earth F.
the hidden mineral treasures that .
were needed so desperately to forge
the engines Of destruction that spOk"
the only language understood by the
Hun.
Among the other exhibits will he .
the geophOne. which IN peace time /
will be used in the future to locate :
the entombed men in wrecked mines, !