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ATLANTAYOUTH
B. L. Ross, Bluejacket on the
Arkansas, Writes Thrilling
Letter to Parents.
The stuff thg fighters are made of
who took VerasCruz for the United
States s revealed in an interesting
letter from B. L. Ross, a 19-year-old
Atlant;i boy, who is a bluejacket
aboard the Arkansas, to his mother,
Mrs, W. M. Ross, who lives now near
East Point.
The letter was written the day be
fore the men from the Arkansas land
ed and while the battleship was
steaming full speed toward the Mex
ican harbor under orders from Ad
miral Fletcher. The thought that hé
might die the next morning was in
the boy's mind, and his letetr was
full of a brave consolation to his
mother and the others of his family,
as well as the proud declaration that
he would be glad to die for “the Stars
and Stripes.”
. Premonitions Wrong.
None of his premonitions were
correct, however, for he went througn
the battle unscathed, although the
man at his right was'shot down in the
charge, as-a letter a few days later
announced.
Young Ross enlisted in the navy as
an electrician March 2, 1912, and later
became a seaman aboard the Arkan
sas. He has seen service in Cuban
waters, made a trip to Naples, Italy,
and was on the ship when it bore for
mer President Taft to Panama.
His letter is as follows:
“En Route to Vera Crux, Mexico,
“April 24, 1914,
“My Dear Mother, Father, Sister and
Belle Gray:
“1 sincerely hope you have receivel
my other picture, and also my let
ters, but, as we have been on the
road since the 15th, there was neo
chance to 'get any mail.
“Well, it is now my last chance to
write for guite a while, as we are now
in for a war with Mexico. You know
I told you in my last letter that we
weer going to have trouble with Mex
ico; so now we are having it.
The Battle’s Start,
“The -baftle commenced to-day
when Rear Admiral Fletcher, in gom
mand of the ship at Vera Cruz, land
ed marines and bluejackets—that is to
say, that he reinforced what had al
ready been sent over a couple of days
ago. To-day at 4:15 p. m. word came
to the flagship Arkansas from Admi
ral Fletcher stating that he launched
every man available from the ships in
the harbor of Vera Cruz at 2:15, and
by 3 o'clock they had taken the cus
tom housge, and that they were fired
upon from windows, house tops and
tree tops. The men were very poor
shots and there were only four Amer
isans killed and twenty wounded, and
that is doing very good for the few—
only about 4,000 men in all there at
present.
“Going the Limit.”
“The message also said that they
had not slept for two days and nights
At that time we were only going at
the rate of 101-2 to 11 knots an
hour; now we are going the limit,
which is 21 knots per hour, It is now
about 9 o'clock, and, as everybody
will have to get up at 12:30 and get
ready to leave the ship by 2:30, so
will close for this time.
“May God bless and care for each
and every one of you, and also myseif.
1 am hoping that 1 will be able to
return to you alive. 1 am always
hoping that nothing wil 1| take me
away.
“1 would write each of you a letter,
but as we have been busy since &
a. m., and I have to get'a little rest
before going on the battlefield I will
let this answer f.r them all.
“May God bless you all, as this may
be my last.
“All for the Flag.”
“Don’t take it too hard, as it is all
for the Stars and Stripes—that ie
what | came here for, to uphold anl
defend my nation—and that is what [
am going to do, and will return somne
day wearing medals and say, ‘Yes, I
am one of the boys that helped.
“Will close, with a heart full of love
for each. Tell sister to write; also all
of the others. Devotedly, SON.
“Postseript—Everything that is duc
me and all of my personal property
{s left to you, according to my state
ment with the Navy Department.”
A subsequent letter from young
Ross tells of the engagement at Vera
Cruz, in which two men of his com
pany were killed. The second letter,
like the first, contained his declara
tion of loyalty to hig country.
HSHEH'EI %l'" f'?:"vrvlce lln('o! o"‘g.‘
wtd. Walton S“W';‘Co., Box':..‘Sl."L:uis. fl:.
THE GEORGIAN'S NEWS BRIEFS
B L. ROSS, nineteen-year-g
* old Atlanta bluejacket, %
whose letter to parents?
graphically relates action of
men at Vera Cruz.
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West Wears Red Rose Badge of
Antis and Refuses to
~. See Parade.
WASHINGTON, May 9.—The suf
fragettes representing Georgia in to
day’'s parade got no encouragement
from the State’s junior Senator. He
and Senator Weeks, of Massachu
setts, were .the only Senafors on the
floor who displayed the badge of the
antis—a red, red rose. One woman,
who claimed Georgia as her residence,
sent in for Senator West, but he re
fused to come out of the Senate
chamber, Later she sent for Senator
Smith, but when he reached the door
of the lobby she had departed,
“l put this rose on thinking 1
wouldn’t be bothered,” said Senator
West. “I thought they'd give me a
wide berth when they saw it. The
trouble about woman suffrage is that
most of those Who vote are slum wo
men and the best class of them won't
g 0 to the polls, That's the trouble
we have now, getting the good sub
stantial people to the polls.”
.
Campaign Opened by
.
Felder at Birthplace
. PERRY, May 9.—Thomas 8. Felder,
candidate for United States Senate
to fill the unexpired term of the late
A. O. Bacon, thig afternoon opened
his campaign in the town of his birth
and where he grew to manhood, His
audience filled the courthouse of
Houston County. He elaborated on
the platform that he had previousiy
announced in the press. He was fre
quently applauded.
A delegation of Macon friends ac
companied Mr. Felder and thers were
representative citizens from every
section of the county,
.
B. 8. Miller Not to
Run for Governor
COLUMBUS, May 9.—8. 8. Miller,
Senator from the Twenty-fourth Dis
trict, who has been mentioned in'con
nection with the gubernatorial race,
stated to-day that he would nat en
ter this year,
Mr. Miller did not feel that he could
afford to sacrifice his business.
British Will Explore
Coal Fields in léhina,
LONDON, May s.—With the approval
of the Foreign Office, arrangements
are being made for the despatch of an
expedition to the Chinese Province of
Shan-si to investigate and report on
the newly discovered coal fields there.
[TALY DEMAND
PAY FOR DEATH
IN STRIKE WAR
Colorado Progressives Declare
Money for Militia Was Secured
.
in House by Ruse.
. i s
DENVER, May 9—The bill appro
priating one million dollars for the
payment of State troops while serv
ing in the stpike district was passed
by the House to-day by a unanimous
vote. The passage of the measure in
the Senate Monday is assured.
Progressives declare they were the
victims of a ruse in the passage of
the bill. Another bill was pending at
the time, one providing that the mi
litia appropriation be paid out of the
receipts from the income tax law.
Progressives say that when they vot
ed for the original militia appropria
tion bill they thought it had not yet
come to a second reading. They were
furious when they learned the meas
ure had passed, and assert that on
Monday they will attempt to throw
the House into a committee of the
whole and call for a reconsideration
of the measure.
Dr. Oreste Da Villa, Italian Consul,
to-day served notice on the Colorado
Secretary of State that his govern
ment would demand damages from
Colorado for each Italian killed in
the strike zone, Five of the children
killed at Ludlow were Italians. In
addition many Italians suffered large
property damage. Reparation will be
asked for thig also.
Only two hundred guns were sur
rendered to the Federal troops at
Trinidad to-day. Both strikers and
miners declared this represented all
the firearms in their possession.
Colonel Lockett intimated to-day that
he probably would order a search to
be made for weapons.
Strange Men Invade
Rockefeller Estates
TARRYTOWN, N. Y., May 9.—-Two
men, either 1. W, W. agitators or
process servers, tried late to-day to
enter the grounds of both John D,
and William Reckefeller. They
claimed to be painters sent out from
New York to work on the new ga
rage. Word wag sent up to the ga
rage and it was learned that no men
were expected, so both were ordered
off the estate.
From there they went to William
Rockefeller's estate and were ordered
out. The police have received word
that 50 agitatros are coming here to
morrow with coffing to march in front
of the Rockefeller estates, If they do,
arrests will follow.
Missing Woman's
.
Body Found Buried
SPRINGFIELD, ILL., May 8-~
The body of Mrs. Earl Smith, aged
40, who, with her husband, has been
missing since last Sunday, to-day
was found hacked to pieces in a
shallow grave in the basement of the
Smith home, two miles west of
Springfield. No trace of the hus
band has been found. The 14-year
cld daughter, Ruth, found the body.
Second Llama on
Its Way to Bryan
WASHINGTON, May 7.—A new llama
is on its way from Argentina for Sec
retary Bryan. tI will replace the one
turned back recently at New York be
cause it was il
@ MEDIATION O
(As Viewed by the Administration.)
By JAMES J. MONTAGUE.
DEAR Sister Nations of the South: We haven't any war
Our brothers down in Me xico we frantically adore.
We wouldn’t have a quarrel with them or even a dispute
For Monterey and Vera Cruz,and Yucatan to boot.
Our friendship is so perfect it's a joy.to contemplate it;
But won't you kindly come up here and try to mediate it?
Dear Sister Nations of the South: We have not even met
The person known as Huerta; he is not one of our set.
We should not recognize him if we saw him on the street,
And having any row with him would be quite indiscreet.
We surely would not condescend with such a man to fight;
But won't you kindly let us know which one of us is right”
Dear Sisters of the South: As we have said before,
There isn’'t any Huerta and there isn't any war,
There isn't any trouble with the State of Mexico;
We're both in perfect harmony, as all the world must know;
And being thus in sweet accord, we trust that you'll agree
To come up here without delay and act as referee.,
bIVES Hio Lt
10 TUDY Flo
OF THE JUNGLE
Indiana University Professor Iso=
lates Himself in South Amer
: ica for Werk.
BLOOMINGTON, IND, May 8.-—
Imagine a man spending his entire
life studying fishes! There is Pro
fessor . H. Eigenmann, of Indiana
University. He began his work with
fishes of South America 256 years ago,
and is more interested to-day, and
planning greater studies for his fu
ture work,
The success of the explorations of
Indiana University is shown bys the
fact that of 54 genera and 275 spe
cies dealt with in the first part of
the volume which Professor Eigen
mann has just completed more than
30 of the genéra were discovered by
members of the Indiana University
faculty and 171 of the species were
first described by members. of the
uniVersity faculty,
.
Autoists Arrested
.
In Shooting Probe
GREENSBORO, N, C., May 9%—
Officers this afternoon detained E. L.
Hege, Charles Robeson, Mrs, Edith
Meyers, Mrs, Emma Phillips and
Charles Jones, a chauffeur, in an ef
fort to probe a mysterious case In
which Robeson was shot through the
shoulder when he and the party with
him were fishing in a mill pond ten
miles north of here.
It is said Mrs. Phillips fired several
shots at Robeson, one taking effeci,
when he attempted to make unwar
ranted advances, The party motored
home and attempted to keep the af
fair secret, but the authorities began
an investigation, which™ resulted In
the detention of the quintet. Each
furnished bond for a hearing 'f\les
day. .
Auto Struck His Son
SELMA, ALA., May 9.-—Buit was
filed in the Circuit Court of Dallas
County this afterndon against the
Rev, J. M. Batte, president of Selma
Summerfield College, nine miles from
here, by J. Boykin Rives, Sr., for §lO,~
000 damages.
Two weeks &« o Battes automobile
struck and seriously injured Boykln
Rives, Jr.,, 6 years old, while he was
playing on the roadside near iis home
in the Highlands, a mile from Seima.
Quan_frefi’.é“(?fi&rilla.
Survivors in Reunion
FORT WORTH, May 9.—Ten sure
vivorg of Quantrell's famous band of
Civil War guerrillas, who gathered at
Colonel Robert 8. Kimberlin's ranch
at Clarendon to-day in their last re
union, will make one_of their “long
rides” over the prairies together at
midnight to-night., At daybreak the
ride will end in a sham battle,
Colonel Kimberlin and Frank
James, the famous ex-bandit, will iead
this midnight ride over the ranch.
GEORGIA MAN DROWNED.
COLUMBUS, May 9.-—Marion Tan
ton, 27 years old, while trying to swim
to an island in the Chattahoochee
River this afternoon, was drowned.
His body had not been recovered to
night,
He leaves a wife and two children,
7