The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-05-24

n Vol hrhve ieiOws
~ NXyM whose remains lie
M NN almost within the
@M shadow VI the Ma
MN1 NM tional Capitors
>>-s-f MN1 bhpme will not be
'SRa HVAYv v''ffTi'S1. +, %sy be doubt,
there Is more beautiful, more Suggestive
burial place than Arlington National Gene.
terry IL lies southwest of Washington, iu>t
across the PotomaC-l line drawn from the
Capitol through the Washington monument
and across the river, falls nearly Within the
gates of Arlington. 10 reach the cemetery
one must drive past the White House the
War, State aud Navy Buildings and through
historic Georgetown, suggestive ofthe fa'htr
Of His Country i'll the existence OF num-
Der Of moss grown buildings which shelter.
ed him more than hundred Years ago
Just rs you enter the aqueduct bridge you
cross the Cumberland Canal. which was
the first public enterprise with which the
name Of Washington was associated. IL Is
poor old canal now, and it's rotting boats
aiinr,i but scant livelihood ror the men who
sail them. Yet the time was when II was
one Of the most useful and most prosperous
transportation lines in the country.
On the hill, rs you approach the bridge
almost overhunging the roauway, il the cot.
tsge of that prolific novelist once 80 popu'
lar Mrs. Il. ID. +. n. SouthwOrth. now an
old woman, passing the evening of life IN
quiet peace. A little farther away rises the
spires of Georgetown Culiepett athOlic) one
Of tn, Oldest and most famous institutions
Of learning on the Continent. Its centenary
was celebrated few years ago,
At the lett of the bridge, which the canal
once crossed on its way to Alexandria, Geo
rye Washington county town, lies a low,
flat island. Its only building Is all Old man.
sion, showing even in decay traces of for.
mer splendor. II was formerly the house of
the Masons, a well.known Virginia family,
and is last occupant was the Mason OF
Mason Il Siidell fame. Analostan Island the
title which the Mason estate has borne for
century and halt. Is now occupied by an
athletic club. with its ball gr, unds and
tennis courts So here within sight OF
each other are famous old Virginia home
steads devoted to strangely different pur.
poses--oDe TO M odern sports and pastimes,
the other to the dead Of the war between
the States.
The approaches to ArlS gton are scarcely
| less interesting than Arlington Itself. Below
| the bridge, the wharves of the city, Anoos.
| ton Island, the Washington monument the
| Capitol, old Long Bridge. Alexandria in he
| distance Above the bridge, wooded Mills.
| rocky isets, the Chain Bridge Ia noted
| strategic point III the late war, aud Cabin
| Johns aqueduct. the celebrated masonry
, span which til recently was the longest in
| the world. At the Virginia end of the bridge
YOU are abruptly introduced to the South
| colored people, the typical planter, sedate
| and dignited even in his adversely and re-
| duced estate Soon you cross pretty wood
land stream and stop at spring-the
| Martha Curtis spring For may more than
hundred years have thirsty passengers
| halted there to drink.
| A lit Q farther on and you are amid a
| clutter of pretty Villas with cannon shot on
| the green swar,l, and beyond the city of
Washington spread gu, like n panorama.
. at E.Nrf
Myer. and no millionaire in the land has
| more beautiful place to live than these
| vctcia ans OF the plains. who recently came
| in from the Indian country to settle down
| 10 wel.earned rest at this ornamental post
| Behind the villas are the barracks and the
stab es and as you look, troops Of black
| hofse.. ridden b black cavarymen, and
troops Of bay horses aud gray horses bear
ing white cavalr, mtn, clatttT ont of the
yards with sahers flashing and bueleS blow
ing To the drill ground near by. Hundreds
| of carriages, containing the lille. curious
people Of the city have a s'mbled, and
while the visitors are eagerly watching the
| evolutions of the cavalrymen the sword ey.
| ercists. the furious CHARGE the savage thrust
| and cut of the g'camins blades, we leave the
scene of play war and pass on to where war
in real aud terrible EARNEST has lett 1t marks
in thousands Of little white headstones
| marking as many graves.
As soon as you pass within the gates of
Arlington YOU SO, m to have entered a new
| world The present is forgotten in this city
| Of the past. And If anything were needed
besides The seemingly endless vista Of head
stones in long parallel rows Of white to stir
| the emotions amt inspire betting senti-
| menis 1t Is found in a poem. BY The roadside
| your eye falls upon an iron tablet hearing
| in letters of wi hitr the first stanza OF o Hara's
world famous elegy;
| On Fame's eternal camping ground
| Their 81 ent tents are spread,
| And Glory guards with 50 emn rounc
| The bivouac of the dead
| As you pass on other tablets appear, one
after another till the entire poem has been
| brought before your eyes Exactly similar
| tablets surround the great monument or
the battlefield of Gettysburg. 1t Is curious
to note the facinalon which these undying
INES of tho Kentucky poet have for the
| average visitor. Hundreds of carriages in 2
single afternoon stop before one tablet af er
another that their occupants may commit
| To memory the beautiful words. Few Of the
| visitors know the name Of the author, and
| two curious notions concerning the origin
| OF this elegy have become prevalent,
| One is that the verses were written Ivy
| Thomas Buchanan Reed, the other that they
were written in honor OF Confederate dead
and first read over the graves OF those who
had fallen in defense ot tho lost cause. In
fact, the poem Was written by Theodore
| O'Hara. an Irish Kentuckian- soldier, aud
read by him on the occasion Of tho unveil-
| ing of a monument to the dead of the
Mexican War at Frankfort, Ky. OF the
eight stanzas of this poem the first is most
popular, but all are worthy of the noble use
TO which they have oeen put at Arlington.
The remaining seven stanzas are
The muffied drums sad roll has beat
| The soldiers last tattoo
| No more on lifes parade shall meet
| that brave and fallen few.
No rumor OF the foe 8 advance
Now swells upon the wind;
| No troubled thought at midnight haunts
OF loved ones left behind.
| No vision or the moriow's strife
The war; ior's dream alarms;
Nor braying horn nor screaming FIFE
At dawn shall call to arms.