The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-08-29
Lieutenant Now Living in San
Francisco Thanks Sena-
tor Sutherland.
By CHARLES BROOKS SMITH

WASHINGTON. d. c.. Aug 80
Rensmber the handsome young
army lieutenant who carrIed-A
Message to Garcia? He was a
West Virginian. a native son q
Monroe County His father was a
state treasurer of the state for
term Of four years. Well, that
young lieutenant whose exploit
) has been told in eevry country in
the wide. wide world where the
word is written. is retired army
Captain who now resides in San
Francisco.
Recently the War Department.,
Through the instrumentalMy of
Senator Howard Sutherland took
&official notice Of his exploit OF
twenty four years ago aud his *
fstence by comforting upon him the
Distin Suished Service Cross for
; service rendered in Cuba and the
silver star citation for "gallantry
4ingaction' on the other side of the
world in the Island CT Cuba a few
months later. Uncle Sam did not
award such decorations to his de-
blenders until he got into the World
J. War.
How can ! express in words my
thanks for your disinterested &C
A Rowan in letter received by SEN
sator Sutherland today. At any
rate, he continues. lyon may all
ways feel that you have on the
Pacific shores of our common
/ country a friend who has watched
with interest and admiration your
course II the Senate. and. hope.
Z that you may continue to hold the
rudder true in the troubled sea OF
our conntry's legislation so long
ssSass it may please you to stick ct
tile helm.
accompanying the letter came a
little volume. exquisitely done by
tbs Roycrotters of Fra Elbertus
Message to Garcia. suitably in
s,scribed on fly-leaf by the man
Ewho took it from President Nc
own hands without
question, strapped it over his
proud and patriotic young heart
*carried it through the Spanish
Hines in Cuba to General Garcia
and was back on the shores of
Florida in three weeks from the
time he departed from the White
House ITO my Friend. Hon. h
sutherland, w. Vas Great Sena-
tor, :, is the salutation ~ Capt.
= ROWAN STdIeI0l SeHllueulS
The story Of "a Message to Gar
the exploit it celebrated. Ebert
Hubbard wrote it in twilight
hour, February %. 1899. Wash
Singtons Birthday. 1t was suggest
sSed by a discussion at the family
i supper table on the subject of who
was the most heroic figure produc-
ed by the war against Spain. Bert
Hubbard, mere boy then, but 4
{ might one, nominated young Lieu
tenant Rowan for the high honor.
Z and backed it up with an argu-
ment- which evidently SsepI| inn
pressed his father
Demand Unusual
THE later was he wrote not
NEARLY SO much impressed with MS
little sermon "A Message to Car
Ca for he didn't think we'll
+ enough OF it to distinguish it with
"a heading when he handed it to
the COPY boy from the Phi1istine
office He said that he forgot all
about it until orders began to pour
lin for copies, one of which was
narticular1y unusual. 1t was from
sSfhe late George H Daniels of the
! NewsYosk Central who asked how
3 long it would take the small print
shop of the Rcycrofters to tura
WSt ~ 100000 copies and how soon
sfhag (Daniels) could eXaect delivery.
Era. Elbertus wired reply that It
fiji the order. Later. permission
L fwes .iyen Mr.. Daniels to reprint
ION the presses OF big estab-
lishment and he had an edition OF
400 coo run off before the presses
safonped for rest.
When Ebert Hubbard went
j down with the Lusitania. more
stf,an 10000 600 copies Of his little
urea chment had been printed and
& circulated. 1t has been printed In
!. every language and dialecS that
&Soasts "a font of type. In the Rus
sian-Japanese War. copies or IT
were found in the pockets OF ,hus-
sian prisoners taken. Finding 1t a
good thing the Japs printed it
and gave a copy to every soldier
and every civilian employe of their
snyernment. Travelling in the Unit
cd states before that War. Prince
Hilak off, then director OF the
Y cars railways, read the Mes
4 "a ger Not long after his return
shome he saw to it that every en-
Snioye of the Russian railroads re-
Z ceived copy of the immortal clas-
sic from the pen OF the original
genius OF East Aurora.
I'm his letter to Senator Suthe--
land Captain Rowan gives his oen
yaInation of his daring exploit.
which is. in itself. a Iuost valuable
contribution to history. He. writes
next to this proud feeling of
having done my simple duty in
1 the hour offperil. may point TO
the fact thatIin acting 50 promptly
/ ale militaries with General Garcia