Evening star., 1949-01-23
Freedom rain

Continued From First Page)
before departing for his home in
Kirkwood. Mo-, was to accompany
u. B. King, the minister from Lii
IBERIA and Mrs. King through the
train.
at was amazing how the minister
could fit every document in the ex-
hihi into it's proper historical niche, y
Mr.. O'Brien said. He called the doc
uments one of the most inspirational
things he ever saw
! Inspirational, too, was what Mr..
OBrien felt about his long expert
ence with the train. AS the Ameri-
can Heritage Foundations repre-
sentative, he had mapped the first
year of the trains itinerary, and
he appeared so much a part of it
that on only five nights did he sleep
away from it.
LAS time went on, the feeling of
responsibility became keener and
more and more I did not want to be
away from the train longer than
necessary" Mr.. O'Brien said.
\ Il became aware that the docu-
ments were becoming of greater
significance to the people. Why, I
venture to say it would have caused
very little stir at all if something
had happened to one of them Is
months ago. But now it would al
most amount to national calamity
/ Col. Scott, who like one other Of
ficer and u of the 27 Marine en-
listed men spent the entire l6
months aboard. was satisfied the
venture had been successful.
Il think all of us have better
appreciation now of the American
people as whole, because of the
way most Of them appeared to re-
we're the papers that marked their
steps to freedom" he said.
/ To Resume Post Here.
/ After winding lip the admlnistra-
tive work of his command, Col.
Scott will rcsuna his assignment as
executive officer at the Marine bar
racks here, the post he held before
September II. 1947. when the Free
dom Train opened its journey in
Philadelphia.
Representative of the cookbook
ing detachment of Marine guards
was T/Sergt. F. j. Schsuf 80, COM
maader Of the guard. Except for
q days CT leave. Sergt. Schauf | as
tbeen with the train all the way.
He. estimates he has been through
the exhibit cars at least 1000 times
but then Col. Scott's inspection
r!l5 his duty as a guide, have
sent him through the cars ALSO
times, he i1gures.
To me this has been wonder
full, priceless experience Sergt.
Schauf said, both from an educa-
tional and service viewpoint.
But he admits enough is enough,
and he now will be glad to plant
Did ground again, such
as at the Naval Gun Factory where
ne was serving when he volunteered
. assignment.
WASHINGTON crowds were among
the best behaved and most apprecia-
tive he saw in the 48-State tour,
Sergt. Schauf said. Although people
generally were orderly, some sectors,
such as New York. gave more trouble
with impatient pushing and showing
! in line.
! AS the tour progressed, the officials
learned more about cutting the line
late at night to prevent excessive
waiting. Sergt. Schauf remembered
that on occasion people had stood
10 to II hours awaiting their turn.
Prospectively, the train in reality
is ending one tour and preparing
to start another.
Twin bills introduced in Congress
| this month seek Government COM
cission to operate the train two more
years, and with the blessing of Pres
ident Truman. they are likely to
succeed.
Other hackers are Attorney Cen
elal Clark and National Archivist
Wayne C. Grover, each of whom
gives the other credit for the idea,
and DR.. Luther Evans. Librarian of
Congress.
DR.. Grover is sending report
to the Senate and House Post Office
and Civil Service Committees, out
lining the plan.
His hope is to send the Freedom
/ Train with it's documents to the
smaller towns-10,0O0 to 10000 popu-
lation-which have been clamoring
to be included. In two years, the
train might reach 400 towns and
cities. including some visited before,
he thinks.
\ Directed Toward Children.
! DR.. Grover believes the tour
should be directed toward the chill
dren. Enough of the potential
5.OOO,O 900 visitors should be children
so that, together with those who
saw the train on the first tour, at
least one-third of the 10000 900
from 10 to 1S years of age will have
seen the train, DR.. Grover believes.
If Congress passes the bills put
ting the National Archives and the
commission in charge of the tour,
the sponsors UlleIl Will Scch 9I,fuo,
600 to operate the train for IL
months.
Today photographers and news
: reel men will have an inning on the
train and at 9 am. Monday the
documents will be moved to the
Archives and all of them recondi-
toned.
Then the Freedom Train will pull
out for the Pennsylvania Railroads
} shops in Wilmington, Del. The long,
sleep Diesel-electric locomotive,
loaned by the American Locomotive
| Co., already has been sold.
: The cars-three Pullmans, three
exhibit cars and one equipment car
, are scheduled to be converted into
| regular rolling stock.
But the chances are good that
Congress soon will put old No. 1776
back on the rails and she will come
rolling along the Freedom trail with
a shiny new coat of paint.
ENGLISH Artist to Lecture