The Wrangell sentinel., 1923-05-31
Thousands Annually
 Visit Resting Place
 of Unknown Soldier

In front of the great mar Die am phitheater at Arlington a little, gray-baired woman in black is stand ing silently. There are tears in her eyes. She is carrying wreath of evergreen bought an hour before at flower store across the river in Washington. She is at the grave of the Unknown Soldier.
 A heavy automobile crunches along the crushed-stone road. It is hired car, filled with a party Of sightseers devoting day to the na- tion's capital and trying to get all the way around before time for the evening train.
 A watchman is leaning against one of the pillars of the amphitheat- CT. He is yawning and waiting for four o'clock to come, when another watchman will go to work. The stiffness of the cemetery makes him sleepy. A boy inside the door is trying to sell some picture post cards to a honeymoon couple. Along comes a negro with a one-horse cart full of rubbish for the dump. :.
 The little woman in black places the wreath tenderly on the Unknown Soldiers tomb. She kneels and prays.
 Across on another grassy hill dot ted with white tombstones, is squadron of field artillery, guns rady for action. II is the funeral of a major general and he is being ac- corded full military honors. Back on the crooked roadway is long line of limousines that have carried the funeral party A flag-draped coffin is being lowered into the grave.
 "Bang!"
 The salute. The untitled report echoes and re-echoes through the peaceful hills. The visitors in the cemetery are startled for an instant To some of the men here and there the firing recalls the days they pass ed on the Western front.
 The little woman. finishing her prayer. stands beside the massive railing, taking in the scene. She ratches the soldiers performing the last rites at the generals grave Beyond, across the red brick ceme- tery fence, she gets a view of the city of Washingtos.
 The towering shaft of the Wash 'agton monument appears to be just yer the narrow ribbon of water that s the Potomac. To the right is tho
 anitol dome and close to it but low CT the glistening bronze top of the Congressional library.
 There are rows of squatty build ings with many windows, the bureau of engraving and printing. the new quarters of the War department and the Navy department. The out lines of the White House are faint ir the mist. The Lincoln memorial stands out distinctly among green foliage Everything. away from city noises. is quiet and peaceful.
 The woman is one of the mothers of unknown soldiers, of whom there were 1,600. She has come to Arling- ton cemetery feeling she is visiting he s'rave Of the boy she gave to the war. Nobody can say that the sol dier buried there is not her son. It is good to be close to him.
 This happens may times. Nobody knows how many mothers of ln- known soldiers have visited Arling ton. The number has been large They are broken-hearted women and to many of them the journey to Washington has been Accomplished only after many privations.
 These unknown mothers, almost every one of them, are certain the body in the unmarked tomb is of their blood Some of them have quaint ways of convincing them selves of the fact. Stories are going the rounds among the employees at Arlington of how this mother or that found evidence of the identity of the honored soldier
 Approximately 10000 persons visit the grave of the Unknown Sol dier every month. The estimate is that of the superintendent at Ar lington. based on tabulations kept a