Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-17
EREn EFIckSnrRG.
President Cleveland and His Cabinet
Attend the dwelling OF the Mary " FASH
in.tnn Monument,

Attend the dwelling oil the Mary Nash-
in:ton Monument.
FREDERICKsBuRo, Va, May 10
The special train with the Presidential
party for the ceremonies 81 the unveil-
ing pi the Mary Washington monument
left Washington at 0 o'clock this morn
ing
President Cleveland was in Pull
man in the rear with Secretaries
Gresham, Carlisle, Lamont, Bissell and
Morton and Private Secretary Thurber,
Mrs. Thurber, Mrs. Gresham, Mrs. Car
Isle and other ladies. Another car
carried Mrs. Waite, widow OF the late
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
who is president Of the National Mary
Washington Memorial Association,
Chief Justice Fuller and most of the
Virginia delegation in Congress. The
Daughters Of the Revolution Of Wash
ingtOn had two cars. The National
Marine Band another. Tie Alexandria
Light Infantry boarded the train at
that city.
The run to Fredericksburg was I'M
eventual. II occupied two hours. An
immense crowd surrounded the station,
aud as the train pulled in Presidential
salute boomed forth from the guns Of
the Richmond howitzers, and a scarlet
coated baud played "Hail Columbia
President Cleveland and his Cabinet
came 10 the rear platform OF their car,
where they were greeted by members OF
the reception committee, Of whom one
was Justice Harlan Of the United states
Supreme Court. The Richmond Light
/ Infantry, in dazzling uniforms of blue
and silver, kept back the crowds with
their bayonets.
Aligned along the adjoining streets
were various marching organizations,
! conspicuous among them the Con-
federate Veterans.
The procession was cheered by thou.
sands OF countrymen 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 revolutions and distinguished
| guests were assembled
The programme for the dedicatory
exercises was as follows:
Prayer by the Rev James P. Smith,
d. D.; address of welcome on the part
Of the city by Hon. A. Z. Rowe, mayor;
/ address Of welcome on the part of the
State Of Virginia by Governor Charles
I. O'Ferrall; Masonic ceremonies; adj
dress by Mr.. Lawrence Washington, d
| descendant of Mary Washington, aud
au Grafton by Senator John w. Daniel,
the orator Of the day,
| THE MONUMENT AND HOW ERECTED.
The monument was made at Buffalo
n. Y, and is plain granite monolith
90 feet high, standing upon base II
feet square. 1t bears the inscription:
MARY, THE MOTHER
OF
WASHINGTON
The monument was made possible by
the persistent efforts OF two patriotic
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 wa:
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 Nj
Silas L. Burroughs, prominent mer
chant of New York, offered to construc
in Fredericksburg, at his own expense
| memorial to the mother OF George
Washington. The work was begun, Blu
Mr.. Burroughs met with financial re
verses and was obliged to postpone the
completion Of his plan until he coulc
retrieve his fortunes and continue. Hi
died before he was able to resume thu
work.
In 1890, however, the Mary Washing
ton Memorial Association was formed
with Mrs. Waite at the head and Mrs
Hetzel as secretary, and the work o
raising money for the monument com
menced in earnest. All the work had L
be done over again, the stone work don,
under the direction of Mr.. Burrough.
having by this time crumbled away.
The monument does not stand upor
the site of the house in which Georg
Washington was born. He was bori
near the village Of Wakefield, on tho
bank of the Potomac river, 60 miles be
low Washington. The monument ha
been raised over his mothers lon,
neglected grave, quarter of a mile o
more beyond the city limits OF Fred
ericksburg, on what was once the farm
of Col. Fielding Lewis, husband of he
daughter Betty.