The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-01
SENATOR'S CENOTAPAS'
Amos ]. Cummings Scores Congress
for Neglecting the Memory Of
Its Famous Dead.
How the Private Burying Ground
Came to Belong to the
Nation.
The Old Monuments Better Preserved
Than the New-John Quincy
Adams Tomb.

Especial Correspondence Of The IxDErEsDrsnl
WAsHINoroN, d. O., Aug. N.-On July %,
while the senate amendments to the sundry
civil bill were under consideration, the
house struck curiosity. It was an amend
ment reading thus:
For repair and improvement Of the con-
Rressional cemetery, including painting
oenotaphs therein, $500.
Honorable Joseph g. Cannon, chairman
of the committee on appropriations, on b.
half of his committee, recommended nom
concurrence. General Cutcheon, of Michi-
gan, asked him If he knew whether the con-
gressional cemetery belonged to the United
States. Mr.. Cannon replied that he could
not answer the question. General Cutch-
con said there was so-called burial place
for congressman there. He was glad that
the committee was opposed TO painting the
cenotaphs. II any one went out there and
looked ct them he would want to remove
them instead Of painting them.
At this Seth Milliken wanted to know
what cenotaph was.
"Well," replied General Cutcheon, "it r..
sembles huge square dry goods box with
an old fashioned beehive ON top Of 1t.
They are the most complete contamination
of hideousness that it has ever been my
misfortune to observe in cemetery. II
there are any gentlemen here Who have not
% on them. hope they will 20 ont near the
district jail and see this so-called congress
sional cemetery. There are many things
that, in the language Of the litany. desire
to be delivered FROM sut above all hope
TO be delivered from dying while congress- ID
in session, being buried in that cemetery.
and having = cenotaph raised over me.
understand that, % . matter Of fact, con-
gressmen are not buried there. These oeno-
taphs are placed there ~ mere memorials.
They may be stuoco, but they are painted.
Any enc who has seen them must concede
them to be dsformity."
Cen. Cutcheon's description axcited the
attsntion Of the house. Ailver-haired
Breckinridge, OF kentucky. made an OK
quisite appeal on behalf Of tho memorial
stones, suggesting that they should be kept
! in decent order Fsthsr to be allowed TO 10
to decay, but the house refused to concur in
the smendmsnt. II evidently wanted more
information. Tho nation itself may be in
terested. One congressman was interested
and visited the cemetery. He learned that
it was laid out in 1907 by Commodore Tin
gey, Mr.. Griffith Coombe, and Mr.. Miller.
They were prominent citizens of tho infant
city. At first the cemetery was private
property. About 1910, however, Commo-
dore Tingey and his associates gave it to
the corporation of Christ church, then the
most influential Episcopal church in Wash
ington. The cemetery became the most
prominent in the city. Congress bought q
| o% l1%u Fnp hn int nopnk NJ
m embers who died during service. This 10
why it is called the Congressional cemetery.
The cemetery is under the control OF the
vestry of Christ church. Congress owns
nothing there but ito own lots.
of ground. As years passed, however, this
city of the dead grew. When Webster,
| Clay and Calhoun died, seven acres were
enclosed. Now it covers nearly thirty.
There have been about 25,0O0 interments.
1t is probably safe to say that between two
and three score senator's and representa-
tives are buried here. But they are only q
small part of the mighty host of honored
dead who sleep together by the quiet waters
of the Potomac, undisturbed by cares and
ambitions. Here lie commanding generals,
ters and diplomats, judges and statesmen,
Two vice-presidents of the United States
are buried here. Here lies the wives aud
mothers, sons and daughters of many whose
names are inscribed in the temple of fame
There is, perhaps. no other cemetery in the
new world that contains such an assem-
blage of great men dead and gone.
The cemetery is in southeast Washington
: on rolling ground. sloping gently to tht
eastern branch. As you look across the
! river you see the road to Bladenbbure
climbing up the ridge. Out of sight be-
yond the hills, Oh the Maryland and Dis
!. trict line, is the place where Jonathan Gil
ley was killed in a duel with Congressman
, Graves. of Kentucky. 10 your right, at the
foot of Pennsylvania avenne southeast, is q
modern bridge. 1t stands little above the
burned on their way from BladensbuaR
The cemetery is surrounded by an old
} wall. The west wall is partly of boards and
, partly of brick. The boards are painted
white. The brick wall has mortar-tor
course. In this mortar are imbedded pieces
of broken glass bottles-red, green and blue
with sharp points projecting in forbid
ding manner. The north wall is of iron
The main entrance is through this wall, al
the head of Congress avenue. To your
left, as you enter, is brick building
It is the Office and residence of the superin-
tendent. The present superintendent is a
Mr.. O'Neil. courteous and obliginl
gentleman, who probably knows more
about the cemetery than any other man
living. He spent large part of his youth
in it. Nearly half of century ago his
father occupied the same position which he
now occupies.
There are two nests of cenotaphs. One
is to the left of the entrance in the old
cemetery. The other skirts the main ave-
nue. known as Congress avenue. As Gener-
al Cutcheon Observed, they are hideous.
The dry goods box and the old-fashioned
beehive are there. Here is diagram of q