Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-09-07
MR.. AND MRS. c. C. wADE's TRIP
BY Mr.. c. C. Wade


From the AlIeghany range eastward
across the whole country of Bedford
about 35 miles there was no serious
climbing, as we did not really go over
the top but through pass at Bedford,
made many thousands OF years ago to
enable the Juniata Ssiver to gather the
surplus water from the extensive and
fertile valley and deliver the same
through the Susquehanna River to
the Atlantic Ocean. The priority rights
of the river being undisputed, the Rail-
road Company laid its tracks a little
higher up the bank; and still higher,
runs the Lincoln Highway, An hour
later, going over Rays Hill, a range
serving rs a good high fence between
Bedford County and Fulton County
we entered valley, twenty miles wide,
less rugged and more suited to farm
ing than Bedford County appeared to
be. The Tuscarora Mountains were
easily surmounted, and then we glided
the next two hours, more down than
up, right through Chamhersburg into
Gettysburg, arriving on Saturday eve-
ming, at sun-down, 12t miles from our
Laurel Hill camp.
We have seen many places and many
things incidentally; but Gettysburg is
one of the places we went out for to
see. A pilgrimage, whether to Mecca,
Jerusalem, Holy Hill or to Gettysburg,
if undertaken in spirit that is in sym
pathy with the place and what it
stands for is an act of worship. One
should see Gettysburg as he would see
Oberammergau. All the citizens of
both places are obsessed with the spe-
cial idea their town commentaries.
The inhabitants seem to live for land
onl the entertainment of tourists. They
all know by heart the terrible story
of the great battle where seventeen
thousand five hundred of the brave
boys in blue were numbered among
the dead and wounded; and where
probably a much greater number of
the equally brave boys who wore the
gray made the same great sacrifice.
Not only the guides, but also the older
citizens related the sad story in detail,
and with such circumstantial minutia,
that one was inclined to think that it
was matter Of last week, over which
they were so animated. fright be-
hind that rick crept bunch of our
boys" "See that monument That's
the. spot where Weed fell" Fright
through there Is the Valley Of Death'
and "There is the Devils Den" and
''There the house where Jennie Wade
was killed by stray bullet" (The only
woman killed in that battle The fields
and the road sides for a radius of three
miles are studded with monuments and
tablets. Even Wisconsin which was at
that time "Way out West" lost over
six hundred in dead and wounded. And
they called this war "Civil". God save
us from all wars and especially from
civil wars.
On this beautiful day in May it was
evident that nature had done her best
to clothe those fields of blood with
restful verdure, and l reckoned that
she had successfully raised fifty eight
successive crops Of grain since the day
when these grainfelds were battle
fields; but ! inferred, from what one
veteran said, that in the hearts and
memories of the few survivors of that
three days battle who yet remain,
there are spots where no grass has
grown to cover the awful truth; and
no balm, nor yet fight of time, suf-
ficed to eradicate the smart; and con-
gratulate me that live far from battle
fields and far from the border line, and
that / spend not my life exhupning the
dead past. Nevertheless IT ~as pain
fully sublime to spend few of the
early hours of the sabbath morning,
while the usual Sunday crowd yet
slumbered, visiting the graves Of
heroes and reading tablets erected
to their memory by grateful people.
Lincoln erected near where he de-
livered his famous Gettysburg adj
dress at the dedication of this same
National Cemetery; and / standing
there with uncovered head, and an
impulse to remove even my sandals,
for that ! stood on holy ground, looked
upon that strong but kindly, perma-
turely aged face, and partly reciting,
and partly reading from the bronze
tablet, those familiar words Of his,
waxed eloquent and loud until my good
wife with look Of reproach and up
lifted hand Of protest bade me cease.
BY which token realized that she was
so deeply impressed with the solem-
nifty Of the occasion that she would
for grandiloquence in cemetery.
There are times when. silence is more
eloquent than words. The last mon
ument to which we paid special tribute
was one in memory of Wisconsin boys.
: s'e"l- Of rough Montello granite
about five feet high and seven feet
long resting on a limestone base. The
sculptor had chiseled out in bas-re-
lief, the figure Of a sharp shooter,
nearly full size, with his musket in
hand leaning forward, and slightly
crouching, depicting alertness. A grim
determination on the face Of the SOL
der boy foreboding speedy punish
ment for the enemy.