The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-10
in HONOR OF MARY.
The Mother of Washington is
COmmemOrated
In a Beautiful Monument at
fredericksburg.
CLEVELAND is THERE.
Many Other Distinguished
Guests Present.
Made a Gala Day by the
People.
CLEVELAND is THERE.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va, May 10.-Ihe
special train with the presidential party
for the ceremony of unwilling the Mary
Washington monument, left Washington
at o'clock. President Cleveland was
in Pullman car in the rear with Sec
Bissell and Morton and private
Secretary Thurber, Mrs. Gresham, Mrs.
Carlisle and other ladies.
Another car with Mrs. Waite, widow Of
the late Chief Justice Waite, who is pres
ident of the Mary Washington Memorial
association, Chief Justice Fuller and
Daughters of the Revolution had two
cars.
The National Marine band was in an
other. The Alexandria infantry boarded
the train at that city. The run to Fred
ericksburg occupied two hours.
An immense crowd surrounded the
station as the train pulled in, presi-
Dental salute doomed forth from the
guns of the Richmond and scarlet
coated band played "Hail Columbia"
President Cleveland and his cabi-
net came to the platform Of
their car, where they were greeted
by means of a reception committee
of whom one was Justice Harlan of lhe
United States supreme court. The
Richmond Light Infantry ia dazzling uni
forms of blue and silver, kept back the
crowds with their bayomets.
The procession was cheeTed by thous-
and of country men as it wound Its way
through the little town from the station
to the green knoll topped with wooden
stands hidden in patriotic bunting
where the Sons and Daughters of the
Revolution, and distinguished guests,
were assembled. One OF the features of
the procession was the ladies on horse
back, who led the way.
Then came the grand marshal, Adjutant
General Charles j. Anderson of Rich
and hia a$aff fOllouya1 nv Vim II
Crawford, the architect of the mon
ument Then followed President Cleve-
land, Vice President Stevenson
and members of the cabinet in
carriages, followed by the governor and
staff and military organizations and So
cret societies, conspicuous among them
being the members of the Fredericks-
burg and Alexandria lodges of Masons,
in which Washington had taken his de-
grees.
The programme for the dedicatory ex-
ercises included addresses of welcome by
Mayor A. p Rowe and Gov. Charles
O'Ferrel, Masonic ceremonies an ad-
dress by Lawrence Washington, a de-
scendant of Mary Washington, and an
Grafton by Senator John w. Daniel, the
orator of the day.
The monument was made at Buffalo, N.
Y. and is plain granite monOlith, 90
feet high, standing upon a base eleven
feet square. 1t bears the inscription:
MARY the Mother of Washing
ton" The monument was made posi-
BILE by the persistant efforts of two Patri-
otic women-Mrs. Amelia G. Waite,
widow of the late chief justice of the
United States supreme court and Mrs.
Margaret Hetzel, of Clifton Station, Va.
1t was paid for by the contributions from
almost every state in the union.
The idea of building this monument
has existed ever since 1880, In 1888, Mr..
Silas E. Burrough, a prominent mer-
chant of New York offered TO
construct in Fredericksburg at his own
expense a memorial to the mother of
Washington. The work was begun, but
Mr. Burroughs met with financial re-
verses and died before he was able to
resume work. In 1890, the Mary Wash
ington memorial association was formed
with Mrs. Waite and Mrs. Hetzel at the
head and the work of raising money for
the monument commenced in earnest.
All the work had To be done over again.
the stone work done under the direction
of Mr.. Burroughs having by this time
crumbled away.
The monument does not stand upon the
site of the house in which George Wash
inpton was born. He was born near the
village of Wakefield on the bank OF the
Potomac river. sixty-fve miles below
Washington. The monument has been
raised over his mothers long neglected
grave, a quarter of mile or more be-
yond the city of Fredericksburg or what
was once the farm of Col Fielding
Lewis. husband of her daughter Betty.