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MRS. DONALD McLEAN.
The Gr
of Patriotic
Societies
T By Mrs. Donald McLean ri
Order of Cincinnati Founded by
Revolutionary Officers -Crop of
Societies the Result of Centen
nial in 1876 Refusal of "Sons
of Revolution" to Accept
•• Daughters " " Daughters"
Soon Greatly Outnumber "Sons"
—Eligibility Rules for Both Are
Democratic —"Colonial Dames"
and Other Organizations.
V J
(Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowlea.)
(Mrs. Donald McLean's name Is known
very widely not only as that of th<» Head
of the New York city chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution,
but as that of a writer and speaker of
ability on topics of especial interest to
women. Mrs. McLean is a prominent
member of a number of organizations of
a social and patriotic character.)
The centennial celebration of 1876
gave an impetus to patriotic impulse
as directed toward organization which
had lain dormant in a large measure
since the years immediately succeed
ing the war of the revolution.
As all the world knows, the Order
of the Cincinnati was formed imme
diately upon the cessation of that war
and just before the disbanding of the
continental army. It was composed
of the officers who served through the
struggle. Washington being the presi
dent of the society. It is the only or
ganization in this country promoting
the rights of primogeniture, and it is
said that Washington hesitated ere
granting his approval to such an or
ganization or becoming its president
because of the fear that an aristo
cratic sentiment would be unduly fos
tered in a democratic country.
However, Washington did consent
to take the oflice, and the organization
exists to this day, commanding the
respect of all men and not conflicting
■with the best American spirit. Mem
bership in this society descends from
the eldest son to the eldest son (wom
en are barred), and the insignia, which
is a golden eagle, cut clear, descends
with the membership. In lieu of di
rect descendants the title and insignia
pass to the eldest son of the nearest
branch of the family. The portraits
and miniatures of many of the revolu
tionary officers display this badge of
the Order of the Cincinnati as their
proudest decoration.
This, of course, was the father, so
to speak, of all patriotic organizations.
It is not, perhaps, widely known that
•j, society was formed directly after
the formation of the Cincinnati pur
porting to represent the very prin
ciples ot which Washington was such
a warm supporter—that is, the demo
cratic as opposed to the aristocratic
spirit in the country. This second
society was known as the "Veteran
Corps of Artillery." It, too, was com
posed largely of officers of the revo
lution and men who had made good
records in that struggle.
It never grew to such proportions
or prominence as the Order of the
Cincinnati, though always highly re
garded by those who understood it. It
now lives in combination with the
society formed of the descendants of
the heroes of 1812, the title being
the Veteran Corps of Artillery and
War of 1812. Therefore, this dual
named organization has a membership
composed of men descended from an
cestors who fought in the two wars
of 1776 and 1812. In a few instances
the same ancestors fought in both.
This was possible if the patriot en
gaged in the revolutionary war in ex
treme youth and lived to hardy man
hood to fight in 1812.
With the exception, however, of
these two societies, formed in the
early period of the country's history, j
all desire for such patriotic organiza-1
tions seemed to die, until, as has been
said, the celebration of the one bun- I
dredth anniversary of the Declaration
of Independence animated the seed of
patriotic growth which has since flow- j
ered at this end of the new century
into full and luxuriant bloom. Within
the last few years well-nigh a count
loss number of organizations, bearing
titles significant of historic associa
tion, have sprung into being.
Of these "The Sons" and"Daugh
ters of the American Revolution" are
the most prominent and numerous in
membership. In connecting the title
"Sons and Daughters"the writer does j
that which the "Sons" themselves de- j
clined to do, the latter thus exhibiting i
a lack of that "seeing vision" which
Du Alaurier proclaims a priceless gift.
In other words, the "Sons" did not !
foresee that a declination to receive j
the feminine descendants of revolu-1
tionary sires would deprive the society
Sons of the American Revolution of
an able, ardent and achieving element. ]
Therefore it came about that the so
ciety Sons of the American Revolu
tion, organized in ISS9, exists as one
organization and the Daughters of the
American Revolution as another.
With the true, clinging nature of ;
women's hearts, the feminine descend
ants of the revolutionary patriots ap- '
pealed to the Sons of the American
Revolution to be taken within the
protecting fold of the masculine so
ciety! The latter, however, displayed
no embracive inclination and threw
the women back upon their own pride
and their own resources.
The result was that in October, 1890,
there was organized the national so
ciety of the Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution. The growth and
activity of the latter body would seem
almost incomprehensible were it not
to be remembered that the spirits of
the men who "made and preserved us
a nation" inspire the souls of their de
j scendants; and woman's enthusiasm.
; when awakened, outstrips all ot'ner
and reaches, on flying feet, the go*i
of high endeavor. The Sons of the
American Revolution number several
| thousand—probably under 10,000. The
j Daughters of ihe American Revolu
| tion over 30,000.
These revolutionary daughters, hav
. ing made clear to erring man his mis-
J take in refusing their gentle compan
! ionship, now entertain the most ami
able feeling toward their brother so
| ciety. The latter apparently recipro
cates, and the two organizations be
ing in perfect harmony, although un
der separate governments, have be
come a leaven of patriotism for the
entire country. They are represented
in every state, city and hamlet. All
institutions of learning know them,
from the public schools to the univer
sities. All rostrums have welcomed
them, from the old-time town meeting
to the great assemblages in fashion
able halls. Historic spots no longer
lie neglected, but are crowned with
lasting granite and immutable bronze.
The heroes who spilled their blood
upon the soil, then consecrated by that
red libation, no longer sleep in un
known or forgotten graves. "Their
children rise up and call them bless
ed," and their country is rejuvenated
by the proud memories of their mar
velous prowess.
Eligibility in either of the above
! mentioned organizations rests upon
! lineal descent from one who served
j bis or her country during the revolu
| tion, whether in the army or on the
i high seas or in giving "material aid"
|to the infant government. Descent
j from an officer does not necessarily
! figure in either society. Descent from
a private, unknown save by his name
' and a record of unflinching service
I to his country, entitles one to the
j same regard as though descended from
; captain, colonel or brigadier general,
i Thus a truly American spirit is con-
I served.
Besides the Sons of the American
| Revolution and the Daughters ut Uie
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1907
American Revolution, there Is a so
ciety of the Sons of the Revolution
and one of the Daughters of the Revo
lution. The former claim to have been
formed prior to the Sons of the Amer
ican Revolution. It is a mooted ques
tion. It is a fact, however, that tho
Daughters of the Revolution are an
offshoot from the parent society, tho
Daughters of the American Revolu
tion.
In addition to the societies already
named there exist a multitude of or
ganizations of a patriotic nature, each
having as an incentive the same loyal
purposes toward its native land.
Those best known are the masculine
society Founders and Patriots and
a feminine society of the same name.
To lie eligible to membership in either
of these one must be descended from
ancestors who assisted iti founding tho
country during its colonial period and
were indubitably loyal to our own gov
ernment during the revolution.
The two well-known organizations
of colonial dames —one the Colonial
Dames of America, the other the N'a
tional Society of Colonial Dames—
differ from the organizations just men
tioned in that eligibility to member
ship consists in a descent from one '
who was prominent in the colonial
period, but who was not of necessity,
though it is presumed preferably, a
patriot during the revolution.
A society closely akin to this, whose
membership consists entirely of men,
is known as the Society of Colonial
Wars. Eligibility consist'! in descent
from one who served in the wars
during tho colonial period of (he
country, such as the Fn ncli and In
dian war.
The United States Daughters of
1812 is a society founded upon descent
from ancestors, prominent, in the
country from 1783 and from those who
served in the war of 1812.
This brief account of the birth and
growth of patriotic societies barely
; touches upon their excellent achieve
ment; but this is manifestly true:
The spirit of devotion to the nation,
developed by such organizations, is
the "outward, visible sign" which un
doubtedly follows such "inward spir
itual grace" and causes the existence
of such organizations to be a matter
of felicitation to the entire country,
and the United States is surely proud
of Its sons and daughters and they in
turn are ready to lay their best abili
ties, whether in peace or war, upon
the altar of their country's liberty.
THE WAY OF LOVE.
And Nothing Mattered So Long as
They Were United.
Once upon a time there was a man
\ who fell in love with a woman.
And they were married.
After a while the bills came in and
the man sat around and thought about
them. Then he went to his wife and
said: "Dearie, can't you go a little
j slow?"
And his wife replied: "Alas! I
i never learned how. I fear that I am
j naturally extravagant. I don't mean
! to be, but I am. Tell me that you
i love me."
"I love you," replied the man.
After a while the stork paid a friend
!ly visit. When the excitement was
over and things quieted down, the
! man took note of certain things that
were happening. The servants wouldn't
slay. The baby was either overfed
or underfed. The spirit of Harmony
j had slipped out. And the man sat
I around and thought about it some
more. Then he went to his wife and
said: "Dearie, there's something
wrong with our domestic economy.
Things ought to be different. The
house isn't run right. Tilings are not
! done calmly or systematically. Can't
you—"
His wife shook her head.
"I don't know how,'' she replied. "I
j never had much order. I can't help it,
but —do you love me?"
"I love you more and more," replied
j the man.
And after another while the woman
grew to be an invalid. She refused to
take care of herself, and became mo
rose, irritable and incapable of doing
much of anything.
And one day, as the man sat and
thought, she came to him and said:
"Dearest, I have been a failure. I'm
thoroughly incompetent. I haven't
done what I should have done. I
have been lamentably weak. Aren't
you, honestly now, sorry that you
married me?"
"No," said the man.
"But I am a failure. You ought to
be sorry. Why aren't you sorry?"
And the man smiled as he replied:
"Because, sweetheart, if 1 hadn't mar
ried you I never could have loved you
as much as I do now." —The Reader.
Revolution in China.
It is reported that the revolutionary
movement in China is gaining strength
and that secret organizations are in
creasing in number, especially in tho
Yangtse valley. Chinese officials say
that thousands of revolutionists are
concealed in the foreign quarters of
the cities, thus placing themselves out
side the jurisdiction of the Chinese
courts. The revolutionary agitation re
cently was carried into the army. .Mur
derous plots against the Manchus con
tinue to be discovered in Pekin.
Her Vaulting Ambition.
"The height of my ambition," said
the woman who hasn't always had to
work but has to now, "is to make so
much money that I won't have to
recognize every piece of lingerie I
possess. I want to have so many pieces
of everything that I can take up, say
a skirt to put it on, and won't know
it. is mine because I have had to wea:
it over and over about a hundred
times."
PLAN 10 HONOR BELL
CANADIANS WILL ERECT MONU
MENT TO INVENTOR.
Fitting Memorial Proposed to Man
Who Solved Problem of Talking
Over Long Distances at Old
Home at Brantford, Ont.
Toronto.—For Dr. Alexander Gra
ham Bell, the man who has always
been ahead of his age, a new honor ia
scheduled barring accidents to
come soon. Dr. Bell invented the tel
ephone before he knew enough about
electricity to take any rank whatso
ever as a practical electrician and be
fore people were ready to appreciate
the immense value of a utility that
practically annihilates space and time,
it wasn't until the last years of the
nineteenth century that the full worth
(if the invention, which was exhibited
at Philadelphia in 1876, began to be
understood. The present insistent de
mand for telephone service, which is
being felt all over the world, is an in
dication that even the dreamers who
backed Dr. Bell when the practical
success of Ills undertaking was doubt
ful had no adequate conception of the
vastness of the industry they were
helping to create.
Arid now people in Canada are pro
poning to erect a memorial in the in
ventor':: honor while he is i;till alive.
That, certai ily, i.i somewhat unusual,
ev» 1 in this day and generation of
swift achie\ • ments. For the most part
people wait until a man lias gone on
before they thus honor him. Such ac
tion, at any rate, would help to keep
Dr. Bell ahead of time even if he
were not still in the forefront of the
industrial procession', tirelessly ex
perimenting in the unsolved problems
of aerial navigation. His admirers in
the Dominion, under the title of the
Bell Telephone Memorial association,
are determined that the object of their
admiration, being yet mortal, shall see
hi m self immortalized.
Specifically, they are raising a fund
of $50,000 or more, of which about
$35,000 lias already been subscribed,
to erect a suitable artistic memorial
in a public square of the city of Brant
lord, Ont., where Dr. Bell lived sev
aral years. It. is hoped, also, that
they may bo able to purchase and
/ A \
kjft \
Hi
ik' '
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL.
keep as a museum for the reception
of objects of scientific interest the old
Bell homestead on Tutela Heights in
Brantford.
Such a tribute will especially honor,
of course, the most popular of modern
forms of public service. For, despite
the interest now taken by almost
everybody in I)r. Bell's flying ma
chines as lie launches them at his
summer place in Baddeck, always hop
ing to solve the riddle of successful
flight, his most memorable achieve
ment in the popular mind will prob
ably always be the invention of the
telephone. It is true that his con
nection with the industry, which has
now become so important that almost
8,000,000 telephone stations are in op
eration 011 the globe, was a short one.
It began in 1874, when Dr. Bell was
professor of vocal physiology at Bos
ton university, and it ended early in
the 80 s, when the work of converting
into a commercial utility what at first
was only a scientific toy was well un
der way. 111 the successive im
provements of the facilities for long dis
tance communication—in development
of switch boards, hard drawn copper
wire, microphones, repeaters, loading
coils and all the other technical nice
ties which have made it possible to
keep alive the minute currents used
in telephony for a thousand or two
thousand miles —in these Dr. Bell
has played no direct part, though ho
has always been an interested spec
tator.
He was, fortunatetly, in 1880 in a
position of financial affluence, which
has continued to this day, and which
has enabled him to devote himself to
chosen scientific pursuits. He recently
passed his sixtieth birthday,and now, at
a time when, with the steady lengthen
ing of the human span, he is hardly
to be considered more than middle
aged, he will in ail probability bo
called upon togo to his one-time home
and see dedicated there a memorial to
what is perhaps the most important
scientific achievement yet made on
American soil.
Record Price for Millinery Article.
Women's hats are both common and
costly, as a rule, but a woman in
Brunswick, who made 110 great pre
tentions to fashion, holds the racord
for the highest price paid for an article
of millinery. She bought a hat with a
lottery ticket which the merchant ac
cepted in place of the money. A few
weeks later the ticket drew the great
prize of £15,000, and though the wom
an's husband tried to induce the mer
chant to share the results, he only re
ceived £25. That hat cost £14,D751
ABERNATHY 13 REAPPOINTED.
Friend of President Marshal for New
Oklahoma State.
Washington. John Abernathy,
friend and hunting companion of Pres
dent Roosevelt, the man who "catches
wolves alive," lias been reappointed
United States marshal for the new
state of Oklahoma—much to the dis
gust ol some of tlie staid old officers
and politicians of that district. They
think one of their number should have
obtained the plum. Abernathy wasn't
the only friend of the president. A
rough rider also landed a job, which
made matters worse.
Marshal Abernathy lives 14 miles
northeast of Frederick, the town near
where President Roosevelt once spent
five days coyote hunting. He drew his
farm as a homestead in the opening
of the Kiowa-Comanche country in
August, 1901. Previous to this he lived
in Texas. Abernathy is a picturesque
character, yet simple, free spoken, al
ways with an open hand for a guest,
not given to worrying, cool as the
proverbial iceberg, and a rattling good
shot—the kind of a man the presi
dent likes to meet.
It is a fact that Abernathy "catches
'em alive." The president has wit
nessed the marshal perform this dar
ing feat. Abernathy rode to where a
wolf was at bay, surrounded by yelp
ing and eager dogs, leaped to the
ground and muzzled the coyote. De
scribing the situation, the president
later wrote:
"He held the reins of the horse with
one hand, and thrust the other, with
a rapidity and precision even greater
than the rapidity of the wolf's snap.
Info the wolf's mouth, jamming his
hand down crosswise between the
jaws, seizing the lower jaw and bend
ing it down, so that the wolf could
not bite him.
"Although he had a stout glove on
his hand, this would have been of no
avail whatever had he not seized the
animal just as he did; that is, just
behind the canines, while his hand
pressed the lips against the teeth;
with his knees he kept the wolf from
using its forepaws to bivjak the hold,
until it gave up struggling.
"When he thus leaped on and cap
tured this coyote, it was entirely free,
the dog having let goof it.and he
was obliged to keep hold of the reins
of his horse with one hand."
TOBOGGAN FOR ELEPHANTS.
Huge Pachyderms Enjoy Slide and
Plunge Into Water.
Paris.—At the French Colonial ex
position at Vincennes it was recently
- .•.-.•-ras&aS*.
in ■■■Hl i ■innrh'iM— tm ii ■ i
Elephants at Play.
discovered that the elephants brought
from Cambodia were pining. Then it
occurred to a genius to discover tho
cause. The ponderous pachyderms
had missed their daily bath which
they were accustomed to take when in
their native country.
The warm days of the French sum
mer began to tell upon the animals,
so a toboggan was erected especially
for their use, and they are shown in
the picture enjoying the sensation
quite as much as the human animal
does when lie takes his best girl to
one of the pleasure parks. There Is,
of course, konw difference between the
style of toboggan used by the ele
phants and that to which we are ac
customed. The elephant chute is not
pretty, but Is apparently substantial
as is verj necessary in this case.
Old Shop Still In Use.
Standing on a hill near Fishermen's
beach, Swampscott, is a shco shop
built nearly 115 years ago, and still
used for the purpose for which it was
originally intended.
SMART INDIAN WOMAN
JULIA ST. CYR OF WINNEDAGO
TRIBE IS ONLY LAWYER.
Recently Acquitted at Omaha of Charg
ing Aged Squaw an Excessive
Pension Fee —Has Large
Practice.
Omaha, Neb.—The only Indian wom
an lawyer In the United States, Julia
St. Cyr, a member of the Winnebago
tribe, was before the United States
court in Omaha recently, where,
through a white attorney, she defend
ed herself against a charge of having
accepted too large a fee as a pension
attorney from an aged squaw, whose
husband had been a scout under Sher
idan. So well did she direct her at
torney in her defense that the jury
found for her on the first ballot.
During the trial Miss St. Cyr shed 8
few tears at a critical moment. But
having departed from the customarj
stolidity of the Indian character long
enough to make her impression on thfl
jurymen, 3lie returned to the impa&
sive mask of the red man, and when
the verdict was announced she salq
with the greatest indifference:
"Well, I knew it would bethalway^
Miss St. Cyr did not attempt t<J
thank tho jury for its verdict, but witty
head erect talked out of the cov'.rt*
room.
She ifs a woman of intellectuil at)
tainments and is well known uniong
the Winnebago and Omaha tribeSi
When an Indian of either of <hese
tribes gets into trouble he runs to
Miss St. Cyr for advice, and so much
influence has she over them that very
few of the cases ever reach a court
of law, but are settled by her out of
court. Her word is very near law
on the reservation.
Although educated at Hampton, Vi..
and later placed in charge of an In
j dian school on the Kickapoo reserva
j tion, Miss St. Cyr has persistently re
fusad to adopt the customs of the
fel 7?: ft
V V
" l
white people, and at the tribal cere
monies she always takes an active
part, dressed in beads and moccasin;;,
as her people have always dressed.
She has never been licensed to prac
tice before the United States court,
and in the present case was compelled
to employ a white lawyer to do her
talking, but all during the trial she
sat with her attorney, whom she
coached, directing the case herself in
every way.
Miss St. Cyr gets her French name
from her father, a half-breed French-
Indian, who in turn inherited it from his
ancestor Louis St. Cyr,a French noble
man who was banished by the first
Napoleon and who came to New Or
leans. Then he came north along
the Mississippi and Missouri and to
gether with other Frenchmen, mar
ried into the Winnebago tribe. The
descendants of those old Frenchmen
have kept the language pure, and
probably the French of those red In
dians is as near the court language
of the French monarchs as can be
found in Paris at the present time.
When Miss St. Cyr was placed on
trial several Indians were in the room
as witnesses. When she so transcend
ed Indian customs as to shed tears
those Indians in disgust put on their
broad-brimmed hats and left the
courtroom.
Miss St. Cyr is the only Indian wom
an in the country who has entered
upon the practice of law, and is one
of the very few who have taken up
any professional or business life.
West Virginia's New City.
West Virginia is to make an experi
ment in a Jim Crow city. This city
has been laid out near Charleston, the
capital of the state, and it is expected
that within a year it will contain a
population of several thousand. No
white person will be allowed to reside
within its limits or to own property
therein. In the midst this little
Africa is situated the state colored
high school. Educational facilities will
be ample and there will be electric
lights, sewers and park. The city will
be governed, of course, by the negro
inhabitants, and the whole state will
watch will, interest the progress of
the experiment as testing the capacity;
of the negro for self-government.—Hal*
limore Sun.