The evening times., 1898-11-03
MRS. RICHARDSON'S VISIT
President of George Washing
ton Memorial Association.
TALKS OF THE ENTERPRISE
Her Trip West Crowned With Sue
cess-COrner Stone to He Laid One
Year From Next Month-WOmcn of
the West Enthusiastic Upon the
SubIect-Returning From Omaha.

Mrs Ellen A. Richardson and Mrs.
George B. Bigelow, president and core
spending secretary. respectively. of the
George Washington Memorial Association,
spent several hours at the Raleigh Hotel
yesterday. They are en- route to their
Boston homes from a tour of the West in
the interests of the association.
Their objective point West was Omaha,
where they were in attendance as patrons
Women, and their stay in Washington
was for the purpose OF meeting the exec
utive committee of the association and
perfecting local arrangements for the
annual meeting which will be held in this
city for three days. beginning with the
third Wednesday in December next.
Mrs. Richardson is a large, hand
some woman, with the brightest of
speaking brown eyes and black hair and
a distinct personality which impresses
one most agreeably In her favor. She is
a rapid, earnest talker and has a splen-
did command of language. She is an
enthusiast on the subject of the Wash
ington memorial and has every detail of
what has turned out 10 be gigantic
movement indelibly impressed upon her
mind
When asked by an interviewer who
ment there was a modest lowering of the
eyes which answered the question. But
Mrs Richardson said: That Is a point
| seldom speak of. The thought came
10 me in 1897, when / was in the presence
of a learned gathering, where questions
OF the higher education were being dis
cussed. A lady speaking to me said: 1t
is a great pity that in this country there
is no institution where these problems
can be answered From that remark the
little acron grew, as il were, that is now
assuming such wonderful proportions"
George Washington ardently desired TO
see a foundation laid by Congress for a
central university for advanced learning
at the National Capital, and made vari-
Gus efforts to that end. One result was
the setting apart of piece of land as the
site for university in case one should
ever be established. Washington be-
queathed i'm his will the sum of SIS. 900 in
bonds to Congress, in trust. TO be de-
voted TO the advancement of his idea.
Nothing came of it and the value of the
legacy was lost.
To-day as the result Of the efforts of
ar organized body. now working under a
charter the sum of sl0,0e0 for building
purposes has been contributed, with
100000 for endowment, and 1900 for cur
rent expenses.
We do not want 10 conflict with the
universities of the country, and there
will be no comparison between the ma
tional university and these now in exist
ence our aim is for the higher learn
ing, postgraduate university, that
shall complete the American system of
public education and furnish facilities
for the deepest research and the diffu-
sion of knowledge.
We now have executive committees In
forty-four States. Anyone is eligible "a
membership who is of good moral char
acter and has an earnest belief in the
purpose OF the organization. II is not
necessary that ones grandfather should
have been revolutionary soldier Mrs
Richardson added, with a little laugh
Continuing. she said: I'VE have now an
open charter which will close on Decem-
ber Il, 1880, the date marking the one
hundredth anniversary of the original day
Of the bequeSt. A peculiar coincidence
lies in the fact that The first meeting oi
the association was held on December
il, In tho Raleigh, I'm this city without
however. any generalization on the part
Of the committee. In December, 1S99 we
hope to witness the laying of the corner
stone Of the university building so that
the new century may see the work wei
begun
our trip West was most successful
said Mrs. Richardson, and our member
ship was greatly increased. 1t kept Mrs
Bigelow busy enrolling new names. and
the Western women We're enthusiastic
over the movement
Mrs. Richardson proudly displayed hel
badge and explained the design tasl
she is well able to do, since she was it:
designer. She describes it in these words
The design for the pin is as significan
| and beautiful as our movement is earnes
and serious. The central feature of tht
device is a scroll, bearing the miniatur.
reproduction Of Washingtons will ant
sigma ture; this IL surrounded by a whit,
enameled circle with the words, The
George Washington Memorial Associa
ton in gold lettering. On the lower rol
of the scroll is the place for the nam,
| of the State which the member may rep
resent. Below this. on the white enam
eled ring, appears the date of the year
The circle is incrusted with thirteer
stars, in memory of the original Colonia
States.
The whole as thus far described il
laid upon a larger circle of the nationa
| blue (of enameD and is dropped to tn,
! lower part of the larger circle; from th
| stars lines of gold radiate through tn
| dark blue enamel TO the edge of the QUITE
| circumference. In the upper part of thi
| larger circle against the blue enamel
| pen and sword are crossed In slight re
| lief, indicative of the well-known adag
| that the pen is mightier than the sword
and upon them lies a wreath of laure
symboliZing victory. In small gold let
| tering just within the circumference O
the outer circle appear the words En-
lightened Liberty Around the golden rim
are set, as if TO complete the design o
the emblem, fifty stars symbolizing tn
fifty States and Territories of the grea
| Republic
The thirteen stars on Mrs. Richardson
1 badge are replaced by an equal numbe
| Of pearls, the gems signifying a specia
mark OF honor, conferred for noteworth
| work done for the cause.
/ TnTTTRT