The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-26


me1t o. inscription ~ that time eKiss.nE.
The ex-uember Who came nearest ENJOY
ing immortality ~ the expense OF congress
was William Smyth, of IowA who died
September 80. 1870 He vas the nrss
member on the list Of seventeen
The main drive or street in tns congress
sional cemetery 10 called Congress avenue,
and it Is on the left hand side Of this are
nue.. rs you enter the cemetery, tns. ING
long rows Of congressional memorials lie.
At the end Of the first row nearest the en-,
trance IL . small granite shalt OF Original
design raised over the grave OF senator
Bowden. All that lie beyond 1t are the
conventional cenotaphs beginning 1t the
other end of the avenue with those oedi-
Gated 10 the memory OF Clay and "a
The Oldest monuments and cenotapns ne
in another part of the cemetery, part nor
used and much neglected now. Ii Is mere
that the monument surmounsng the last
resting places of the two vice presidents of
the United Ststes-Elbridgs Gerry and
monument 10 Clinton, which was
erected by his childrens, con-
sisis principally OF large marble
block bearing the inscription: pyramid
above il, on which is O medallion picture OF
Clinton himself, and above that metal
torch The monument is IN nne state OF
preservation. The inscription on 1t Is as
follows:
To the memory o, George Clinton. He was
born in the state of New York on the 18th OF
July. I7Ss. and died AZ the city OF Warrington
the 18th OF April. 1871, in the 7sd year Of his
age.
He was q soldier and statesman OF the revolu-
ton. eminent in council, distinguished In war.
he diled with uaexampled usefulness, purity
snd ability, among msay other high ofhces,
those of governor of his native state ana OF Vice
presidsnto OF the United states. While he lived.
his virtue, wisdom and vaios were the pride, the
ornament and security OF the country, and
when be died he ief; an iliustrious example of
wsil-spent life, worthy OF all imitation. This
monument II sdsctionstely dedicated BY his
children.
The Gerry monument is a handsome
pyramid OF marble, also in splendid state
OF preservation, surmounted by an orna-
mental cap and a marble vase. 1t was
erected in 1923 by order of the congress of
the United States, and it bears the follow
ing inscription:
The tomb of Elbridge Gerry. vice president of
the United States. mo died suddenly in this
city on his way to the capital a. president OF the
senate November %, 1914. sged 20, THIS fulfilling
his own memorable injunction: at is the duty
OF every citizen, though he may have only one
day TO live, 70 devote that day TO the good OF his
country"
These two monuments lie close together,
and adjoining them is another still more
curious. II covers the remains of Wash
ington's private secretary, Tobias Lear.
According to the inscription on his tomb,
He was early distinguished as the private Sec
rotary and familiar friend of the iliustrious
Washington, and after having served his
country with dignity, zeal and fidelity in many
honorable stations, died accountant Of the war
department. IL October. lsl6. aged 81
Another mute evidence that the ceme-
terry was not devoted in its official rela-
tons solely to members of congress is
found on tombstone near By, which re-
cords the burial of Samuel Allyne Otis.
secretary OF the senate. who died April %,
I3i4, at the age of 20. The superinte ndent,
10 whom in curiosity just before my en-
trance l had directed some questions con-
corning those buried in the cemetery, had
told me that the oldest official tomb that I
would find there was that Of Mai. Gen.
Uriah Tracy, of Litchfield. Conn, a sena-
1907, at the age of 81. / found several GEN.
otaphs which antedated this. One of them
was that of Representative Theodore
Bland, of Virginia, who. according to the
inscription. died June /, 1890 and anothe
of Delegate James Anthony Hunter. of
Mississippi, who died March IL. 1902.
Rhode Island is represented in this
row of tombs by Senator Francis
Malbone. who died June 4, 1909;
ennsylvanIa by Representative John
Smiley, who died in December, 1872;
Massachusetts, by Representative Elijah
Brigham. who died February -. 1sl6;
North Carolina By Representative Richard
Stanford, who died III 1Si6, and Ohio by
Senator w. A. Trimble. who died In De-
cember. 1921. at the extremely early age OF
35 years. There was evidently some doubt
about the exact date of the death of some
OF these early congressman, for found on
several of the tombstones evidences that
the dates carved upon them had been
erased and other dates carved in at a
greater depth.
One of the most curious of the monu-
ments in this old quarter of the cemetery
Is that of the Choctaw chief, Push-ma-
ta-ha, TO whom a modest pyramid was
erected. The inscription on it reads as
follows:
Pnsh-ma-ta-ha, Choctaw chief. lies here
This monu ment 70 his memory is erected by
his brother chiefs who were associated with
him in de legation from their nation IN the
year 1924 TO the general government of the
United States sh.ta-ma-na was warrior of
great distinction He was wise IN council, eo-
qusnt in an extraordinary degree and on all oc-
casions and under AL circumstances the white
mans friend. He died In Washington on the
24th OF December, 1894 of the Group. ia the Goth
year OF his age. Among his last words were the
following: "when l am gone let the big guns
be ffed over me-
In this mo tley collection Of tom bstones,
near TO the memorial dedicated to the
Choc,aw chi C. is one which was Erected
by order of His Majesty Frederick VIII.
lam Ill, King of Prussia. to the memory
OF his resident minister in the United
States, the ChevalIer Frederick Greuhm,
December l, 1925" Carved in the surface
OF dat gravestone nearly adjoining this,
about whose edges the ivy twines lovingly,
is the record of a simple domestic tragedy.
1t marks the last resting place of Gather
inc Livingston De Bresson, consort Of
Charles Joseph De Bresson. secretary of
the legation of France" Beneath this in
scription is the simple record: married
January %. 1923; died January %. 1874"
la the new part OF the cemetery. behind
the eenotaphs and monuments that mark
the memory of senators aud representa-
tlves, are n any shafts erected in honor OF
distinguished officials Of the government
who served IN other branches than the leg
islative. Among them is the memorial 10
Commodore John Rodgers, senior officer
Of the United States navy, VINO died Au-
gust l, 1885, after forty-one years of serv-
ice; one 10 Abel Parker Upshur, of Vir-
GINA. who was secretary of the navy Sep
tember Is, leil, and secretary Of state July
"a, ls43; one TO Phillip Pendleton Barbour,
OF Virginia, an associate justice of the
nlted States supreme court, who died
February - Is4I. Henry Stephen Fox
who was for several years British envoy 10
the United States and who died in 1si6. is
buried here. Another tombstone marks
the asst resting place Of William McCreary
Walker, captain in the United States
navy, who. according TO the inscription,
IN the little schooner Flying Fish carried
his country's tag to the renotest point in
the Antarctic regions reached oy the ex-
ploratton expedi ton Of 1883" He died in
Novem Der, lS66.
The handsomest monument in the eerne-
terry is the one which Was erected by pub