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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1917)
THE SUNDAY. .OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 18, 1917. OREGON'S TROOPS ARE HOME AGAIN FROM MEXICAN BORDER Scenes That Accompanied Arrival of Troop A and Battery A, Last Wednesday, After Eight Months of Duty in the Service of Uncle Sam at Calexico. K i v. . ''''' ' Jul. ummmrm&!isfi-&'mi!zr" f vFSiUI. 2M -'iS, K V r 2 i. I iax Alt 1 ' IS j. 7 ';Kiiqr r? Ai: Hv - '-acyf v ... r . V Nl . , ..t-f. .-,..v.,. "' 1 -V 4t r -Bfttow 7 I,. r Jr-ft, r-A-iA, ?-Z,-ssrstf' -nrJJ , .iJ.M.nnnr---'- t Nj 1 Committee of Welcome ServtnK Breakfast to Troop at Union Depot. 2 Soldlera Unloading llaKtcace and Equliiaieat at Vancouver llarracka. 3 Ka.ner Urrcli tela Son, Juatt Uack From Soldirrlnc 4 Mother's Eyes Beam With Just Pride as She Welcomes Her Bf. 6 Group of Troopers Chatting; With Friends at Lmlon Depot. Officers of Washington Troopsi Lft to Klsht. Captain Hartwell W. Palmer. Lieutenant 91. C. Cramer. Captain Jesse A. Jackson, Ms Jor H. I. Moss and Captain 11- D. Coburu. The Last Kamed W 111 Conduct the ,Muster-Out of Urearon and Washington Troops. 7 Officers of Batterr A, Snapped L'pon Arrival at Vancouver Barrackst Deft to lUarht, Captain C. W. Helme, First Lieutenant Bert V. Clayton. Second Lieutenant G. W. Stevens. First Lieutenant C. L. Johnson and Second Lieutenant J. B. Hayes. 1 Troops Vnloadlns; Artillery Horsea and Cavalry Mounts at Vancouver Barracks. II L I BARBARA'S COMPOSITION ON WASHINGTON T3R Barbara! J was having! What a time she "Why, she'd "worked herself up Into an awful stew," as Aunt Clarinda described It. and all be cause she had a composition to write for the nejct day at schooL Now Barbara found arithmetic a very easy and really delightful study; and ehe liked all her other lessons, too, except composition. Somehow she just couldn't seem to write a composition. She would select a nice subject which looked "easy," but, alas, when she got right down to writing it she couldn't think of a thing to say, so she would sit and chew her pencil and think and think and think. And on this particular evening she seemed to find her task especially bard. The subject given out by the teacher was something about "George Washington, the Father of His Coun try." Now, strange to relate. Barbara at first had thought that would be easy, for she felt she knew just heaps and heaps of things to write about George Washington. But she actually had her pencil in hand and the paper before her and she couldn't think of a thing to say. To be sure, she knew that he was "the Father of His Country," and that he chopped down a cherry tree because he would not tell a lie. So she wrote these two facts, and then began chew ing her pencil again. But she simply could not think of anything else to write. Presently, however, her eyes brightened and she smiled she remembered that she had heard something about George Wash ington crossing the Delaware River with his army In smail boats In spite of the cold and the large cakes of ice floating down stream. So Barbara added to her composi tion, "George Washington crossed the Delaware River. It was a cold night and the water was like ice because it had ice In it. But George Washington and his brave soldiers pushed the ice out of the way of their boats and sailed right across. They were almost froze when they landed. But the Brit ish did not follow them because it was nlerht and they were afraid of the little baby lceDergs in the river. Also" "How are you getting on with your composition. Barbara?" asked her sis ter Alice just then. Now Alice felt herself quite grown up, though she was not at all because she was only 12 years old. But, you see, that was years older than Barbara; so Alice could af ford to act toward her little sister in quite superior fashion. "Let me read it." she asked, picking up the composition. Presently she began to laugh: "Why Barbara, she said, placing the comno sitlon back upon the table and pointing to It just as Teacher would often do in school when one of the pupils had made a mistake in a composition, "this will never do. Everyone knows that George Washington did not sail across the Delaware. He had rowboats! Let me tell you something about him that mamma read to me last night. I will tell It to you, and then you write it and then I will look over it to see If you have made any mistakes. Now listen carefully. "Tou, of course, know the story i about how George Washington, when a ooy. was asKea ny nis xamer ir ne had chopped down a favorite cherry tree, and he answered. 'Yes, father, I did it with my little hatchet. I- cannot tell a lie.' Well, Barbara, mamma was be suprlsed and maybe teacher will be, too. Come, now, let's get busy." So Barbara wrote her composition on this subject; and the rest of the pupils were surprised indeed. But teacher was not, for she eeemed to know all about it and she explained it to all the chil dren. Also, she gave Barbara a very high mark on her composition because it was on something about George Washington which none of the other children knew. Be a Hero Now. SAMUEL WHEELER WAS IMPORTANT MAN "Why, Barbara. This Will Never Do." reading to me that Isn't really a true story. "There was a man named Parson Weems who traveled around the coun try from one place to another as i preacher, mamma read. He also wrote books which he sold to help pay his expenses. And in one of these books he told the ancedote about George Washington and the cherry tree. But Parson Weems made it up out of his own head, because it was a good story. The man who wrote this article which mamma read to me says that It is pretty well settled that Parson Weems did this. "So. Barbara, why don't you write this in your composition I will help you with it and then see what teacher has to say about it. I know the other little boys and girls In your school will TT WAS easy to be a hero in Wash- JL lngton's time." said one schoolboy to another after the teacher had dwelt on the bravery and fortitude of "The Father of His Country," "for he lived in troublous times, when heroes were needed, and any man with pluck and brains could have made a name for himself." This boy had a wrong Idea of the term "hero," nor did he appreciate the needs -ol our own times, or of any period of history. To be a hero a boy seed not go forth and fight an enemy, nor battle with a nation. No, there are as great heroes needed at home as ever Washington was on the battlefield, and there is as much need for heroic work in one's own city as Washington did for our united States. Girls sometimes sigh for the oppor tunities of a Molly Pitcher, or a Flor ence Nightingale. Look about you, girls, and see what can be done in your little home circle. Your names may not live in history as did the names of these women, but you will be able to nght for the right and truth as did Molly Pitcher, and you will surely find ways of relieving the sick and dis tressed, as did the beloved Florence Nightingale. . Do you, boys and girls, not think that the mothers and sisters that buckle on the swords of their dear ones and wave them a cheerful good bye as they go forth to battle are as herolo as those that do the fighting? The world requires all kinds of men and women to fulfill the various duties of life, and whether your lot be cast with the General Washlngtons or the Mrs. Washlngtons. you can make your lives heroic and you can be real heroes if you but do your full duty to the best of your understanding, and if you make the roost of your opportunities. It is well that our country has such a model as George Washington, and every child should study his noble life from boyhood up and try to shape his own accordingly. Every ennobling vir tue was ascribed to him. and he had the undying love of old and young. DID you ever hear of Mr. Samuel Wheeler? I dare say few of you did. yet be did the country an Impor tant service In George Washington's time, and his name should be known to all of you. During our famous Revolution Washington realized that something must be done, and done quickly, to pre vent the British warships from ascend ing the Hudson River. "The only way I can think of," ex claimed Washington, "is to stretch a chain across the river, and that seems next to impossible," General Mifflin was the man to whom Washington was" talking, and he turned quickly and answered: "I know that it can be done, and I know the very man to whom to go. We have in our army a townsman of mine, one Samuel Wheeler, who can make such chain.. - Ask him." Mr. Wheeler was sent for and he readily responded to Washington's question: "I want a chain to put across the Hudson to stop the British ships. Will you make one?" "Indeed I will, but I cannot make it nere. "Then," said Washington. "I will In Lapland men and women dress exactly alike In tunics, leather breeches, wrinkled stockings and pointed shoes. cheerfully give you up for the time be ing, much as our army needs men like you. Go and do your larger work." Wheeler made the huge chain and it was strung across the river and did the work of keeping the ships out. In fact, it was so well made that finally, when they wanted the passage of the river clear, they were compelled to build a fire under one of the links, and then only by using a sledgehammer and a chisel was It cut apart. Thus did Samuel Wheeler render val uable service to his country in, the time of Washington. Washington's Birthplace. :iP' indicated by the portions of the chim neys still standing. It was only a few years before the Civil War that some colored people who were building a home in the neigh borhood, found themselves in need of a back for an open fireplace: so they calmly appropriated this stone. They were forced to return it. but In the handling it was broken nearly in half. Later on curiosity-hunting visitors would chip off pieces of the stone as souvenirs; and during the Civil War, the very last fragment of it was car ried away. - "t Want a Chain to Put Hudson." Across the course, nearly everyone knows that George Washington was born at Wakefield, Westmoreland County, Virginia; but the average person knows little of that place in the time of Wash- ngton. To begin with, the origin of the name Wakefield Is obscure: and George Washington did not know his old home place by that name. He knew It simply as "Popes Creek" or "the farm on Popes Creek." A neohew of Washington. It Is sup posed, named the place Wakefield at a much later date than when the Father of His Country lived there. This fa mous birthplace and thousands of acres of old Washington lands are still owned by collateral descendants. All that now serves to mark this historic spot is a granite shaft erected some years ago by the United States Government. The house in which Washington was born was burned many years ago; but exactly when and how is not known. In writing of the house, Washington Irving says in his "Life of Washington": "It was one of the primitive farm houses of Virginia. The roof was steep and sloped down In low projecting eaves. It had four rooms on the ground floor, and others in the attic, and an Immense chimney at each end. Not vestige of it remains. Two or three decayed fig trees, with shrubs and vines, linger about the place, and here and there a flower grown wild serves to mark where a garden had been. A stone marks the site of the house, and an Inscription denotes its being the birthplace of Washington. This stone was placed there by George Washing ton Parke Custls." This was done in 1813, an" the stone was a big boulder of Potomac blu stone, probably quarried just above Washington. D. C It was carried down the Potomac River by a schooner and placed in position on the site of the old Washington hom estead, which was WHY! Why are the white clouds In the sky Sailing and piling up so high? What makes the blue up there so deep? It almost puts my eyes to sleep. Why does the hot sun melt the snow? What makes the trains and autos go? Where does the sun go out of sight? What makes the white moon shine at night? ' What makes the darkness seem so deep When in my little bed I creep? What makes the morning come so quick? What makes me well, when I am sick? Why do the trees and flowers grow? Why are all things I'd like to know? Why can't the grown-ups answer root I wonder how this all can be? Our Puzzle Corner I am composed of seven letters. 1. My 5, 6, 2, 3 lb a great warmth. 2. My 4, 2, 7 is an animal. 3. My 6, 1 is a questioning word. My whole is something which is closely associated with George Wash ington. Jl'MBLED BATTLES OP THE REVOLUTION. 1. Nreubuk IlhL 2. Enotrnt. 3. Cnlprenot. 4. Netnibnogn. 5. Daweriynbn ekrec 6. Oyontrwk. Answers. . . Numerical puzzle Hatchet. 1, .heat; 2, cat; 3, eh. Jumbled battles 1. Bunker Hill: 3. Trenton: 3, Princeton: 4. Bennington: 6, Brandywlne Creek; 6. Yorktown. A toy exhibition in France has at tracted much artistic discussion. WASHINGTON PUZZLE. As a boy George Washington was a surveyor and used to wear the buck skin garb of the Indians and go on long expeditions through the wilds of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where no white man had ever been before. On these expeditions he encountered many savages. See If you can find aa Indian chief by cutting out the black spots and fitting them together.