The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-05-17
Thousands Annually
Visit Resting Place
OF Unknown Soldier

In front CT the great marble amphi-
theater AT Arlington q little. gray
haired woman In black Is standing ST.
lently. There are tears in her eyes.
She is carrying e. greath Of evergreen
bought an hour before nj Il flower store
across the river in Washington. She
Is NJ the grave OF the Unknown Sol.
der.
A heavy automobile crunches along
the ~crushed-stone road. 1t is a hired
car. filled with. a party of sightseers
devoting a day to the nations capital
and trying TO get all the way around
before time for the evening train.
A Waterman IL leaning against one
OF the pillars Of the amphitheater. He
Is yawning and waiting for four
O'Clock to come. when another watch
man will 70 To work. The stiffness of
the cemetery makes him sleepy. A boy
inside the door is trying to sell some
picture post cards to q honeymoon
coul.le Along comes a negro with a
one-horse cart full of rubbish for the
dump.
The little woman in black places the
wreath :enderly on the Unknown Sol.
dier's tomb. She kneels and prays.
Across on another grassy hill dotted
with white thmbstOHes. is a squadron
Of field artillery, guns ready for ac-
ton. 1t is the funeral Of a major gen
eraI and he is being accorded full mill
tary hOnors. Back on the crooked
roadway is a long line of limOusineS
that have carried the funeral party. A
fiag-draped coffin is being lowered into
the crave.
Bang :"
The salute. The mufled 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 passed on
the Western front.
Beautiful and Peaceful.
The little woman. finishing her
prayer. stands beside the massive rail
Ing, taking In the scene. She watches
the soldiers performing the last rites
at the generals grave. Beyond. across
the red brick cemetery fence. she gets
a view OF the city Of Washington.
The towering shaft of the Washing
ton monument appears to be just over
the narrow ribbon of water that Is the
Potomac. To the right Is the capitol
dome and close TO II but lower the
glistening bronze top OF the Congress
sional library.
There are rows OF squatty buildings
with many windows, the bureau OF en-
craving and printing, he new quarters
Of the War department and the Navy
department. The outlines Of the White
House are faint In the mist. The Lin
coin 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
1000. She has come to Arlington GENE
terry feeling she is visiting the grave OF
the boy she gave TO the war. Nobody
not her son. II Is good to be close to
him.
Many Mothers at Grave.
This happens many times. Nobody
knows how many mothers of unknown
soldiers have visited Arlington. 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 M Of them, are certain rhe body
n the unmarked tomb Is of their blood.
Some Of them have quaint WAYS Of con
vincing themselves OF the fact. Stories