The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-14
OUR GRANDMOTHER.
Curious Facts About the Mother
of Washington.
None of Her Family Ever Laid
by Her.
DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE.
Wa shington Himself Didn't
Place a Tombstone for Her.

WASHINGTON, May Especial J.
When Coxey's army had been camped here
one week. it had considerably increased in
bcrs, but comprised less than half of
the original members who had tramped
across the mountains in its ranks So your
correspondent is informed by one who was
with it through Pennsylvania and Mary
land, and 50 he verify believes from Obser
walton here In fact, all those who came
for sport and ell who really want work got
out Of it rapidly. and tIamps and bummers
flocked in in such numbers that COxey and
BroHnc actually had to set guards to keep
them out. Bat the really surprising feature
Of the case is that in a city like this 400 or
800 men could live tolerably well for over
a week what they collected from sight
seers.
Public improvements Contemplated.
The Washington board of trade ard the
promoters of building generally are telling
us that the COxeyites must get away pretty
soon, or they will have a chance to work.
All sorts Of fine schemes are projected to
be undertaken as soon as congress gives
the authority. There is, we are told to be
an entire new system of railroads for city
and District on what may be called the
underground trolley system Great things
promised a result of utilizing the
water power Of the Potomac falls and city
and District ere TO be supplied abundantly
with electricity for lighting and motive
power. If congress viii only act-that is,
If the two houses can agree upon the site
"A great boom in Il small way is to result
from the beginning of work upon the new
government printing Office. There is also
to be vast system of improvement for the
Potomac river and electric railway to
Baltimore, and these are but a few of
many fine schemes which to boom
things as soon as congress passes the nee
essary laws.
All this time tho house committee ON the
District of Columbia proceeds with its
usual provoking slownesS and still has 116
bills under consideration. Many of these,
of course, are mere private bills, but those
in which the board of trade takes an active
interest are highly important. The bill
to allow the Rock Greek Railway company
to extend its lines through the city, which
had been fought over SO vcnomously,
seems to be hung up at last The commits
sioners of the District who oppose it have
prevailed 1t opened up the whole question
of the trolley method of propulsion, but
the managers of the Alexandria and
Mount Vernon electric road claim that
their system has all the advantages of the
trolley with none of its evils. This is
called the Love electric conduit system and
Is now in operation ON the Z street branch
of the Rock Greek railway. 1t need not be
described, except to say that it is a sort of
underground trolley, and the great fight
has been to get permission to extend it
through the city. 1t is also known as the
uda-Pesth system So far as anything
can be stated with certainty of the action
of congress, the measure is defeated for
the present
Distribution of Wealth.
Incidentally it is of some interest to note
that the completed assessment shows
Washington to be not only a wealthy city,
but one where wealth is distributed with
surprising approach to equality. The en-
tire assessment of real estate in the Dis
trict is little over $191, 600, 600 and of
al ~
which the taxation is almost exactly u
per cent, SO tho District is not so badly OPP
pressed by taxation without representa-
ton 1t also appears that 20, 900 persons
pay taxes on less than $1O 900 each and
only 665 on $40, 900 or more each.
OF all the social or semiofficiaI events of
the season none has attracted such general
interest or brought out so many curious
facts as the dedication on the 10th inst. of
the monument at Fredericksburg, Va in
memory of Mary, the mother of Washing
ton AS was long announced in advance,
the president and many officials took part,
and there were many attending festivities
including a Masonic banquet. 1t has only
been four years or SO since the ladies or
ganized the Mary Washington Memorial
association, of which Mrs. Amelia c.
Waite is president-that is, president of
the lady. managers, though the nominal
first place is held by the president of the
United States. Mrs. Roger A. Pryor is
vice president, and other ladies of Wash
1ngton and Virginia hold various positions
The singular facts are that Mary Wash
1ngton, pursuant to her own request was
buried on a knoll on the plantation of her
only daughter, though her husband was
buried IN another place, and none of her |
family has ever been laid by her, nor has
any memorial ever been erected. There is |
not line to show that Washington ever
contemplated erecting even a tombstone. |
though he outlived her 20 years, nor does it |
seem that any Of the family took any ac-
ton in the matter. The only reasonable
conclusion Is that they thought her request |
TO be buried there was a mistake and ex- |
pected her remains to be removed to the |
family vault of the Washingtons on !
Bridges creek, in Westmoreland county, |
where her husband, Augustine Washing |
ton, was laid
Tardy Recognition.
About so years ago some New York gen |
tlemen visited her grave, finding it unpro- |
tected even by picket fence and trampled /
by the cattle and horses grazing in the old /
Held One of them was so affected by the /
sight that he Immediately ordered a small /
monument and fence, but as he died before /
the stone was erected it lay by the grave /
for many years until it became worthless |
for the purpose. And yet this is the grave |
or the woman who gave US our political /
moses. and according to one account pre-
vented his entering the British navy which |
would have assuredly made him a naval /
o1ncer of George III instead of the Father
OF His Country However, the American |
1aoles OF this day have done the honorable /
tnlng at last, and the occasion has been |
nttingly celebrated by officials and citizens |
A round Of the house committee rooms |
IN bneSe rather quiet times of that chamber
SHOWS that many PERSONS with local inter
80 are stli hannmering away despite the