The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1901-06-27
a QUAINT ell & Terry.
WHERE OVER 100 or Tas couNTRy's
EARLY LEGISLATORS SLEEP.

WHERE OVER 100 or TE.6 couNTRY'S
EARLY LEGISLATORS SLEEP.
Burial Sites In suburbs of Washing
ton That Were Set Apart For the
Free Interment of Congressmen
Dying Away From Home.
On the eastern outskirts of Washing-l
ton. where the city, struggling over the
commons and vacant squares. halts at
the edge of the marshes of the Ana
costa, river stands the old Congress
sional cemetery, with its eightscore
cenotaphs, memorials of departed
statesmen. Years ago the tide of pop,
ulation surged westward and north
ward. oveuunning the salubrious high;
lands of those sections and establish
Ing its burial grounds in the new re-
gions. But this little city of the dead
was left alone in the deserted quarter,
with the Jail. the almhouse and the
work house for neighbors. s ~
In it are 100 cenotaphs to dead con-
gressmen, stretching lin amonotonous
rows through the cemetery. all OF them,
with two exceptions, of uniform
shape and size, and erected at govern
ment expense to the memory OF the
governments dead representatives.
Some of the stones mark the actual
burying place Of the defunct states
men, but others, like those comment
orative of Henry Clay. John Quincy
Adams, Thaddeus Stevens and others,
merely stand in honor of those dis
tinguished names. Since 1876 the prac-
tice Of erecting cenotaphs. begun IN
1796, has been abandoned.
When the cemetery was established
in 1903, its projectors thought 1t would
be a successful idea to secure the inter-
ment in the new cemetery Of congress
men who passed away while serving
their country in the then malarial cli-
mate of Washington and that 1t would
give this mortuary site distinction
above ordinary burying grounds.
!, So 400 burial sites were set apart for
the free interment of congressman dy-
ing away from home. and the place
was named the Congressional cemetery.
In those days it was impossible to
transport body long distances with
out great expense and trouble, and the
purchasing of burial lots was .expen-
sive, so the privilege thus extended
was readily accepted. The funerals
were conducted with imposing ceremo-
MES, and the departed solons were laid
away with pomp and circumstance in
the spaces specially allotted and set
apart for them.
AS methods of transportation improv-
ed, however. with the years, and the
families of the deceased found oppor-
tunity to take the bodies home for in
terment. the practice fell into disuse,
and ultimately law was enacted pro-
viding that a cenotaph should be erect
ed in the cemetery to every congress
man who died in the harness. and for
q number Of years this custom was fol-
lowed, so that many of the monuments
merely stand in memory of the con-
gressmen without actually marking the
burial sites.
In 1876 law was enacted providing
that no cenotaph should be erected I'M
less interment was made in the Gene
terry. and there has not been a burial
of congressman in the plot since that
year. .-. -.
The cenotaphs are plain blocks of
masonry, covered with cement to with
stand the ravages of the elements.
Each is inscribed with the name of the
dead man, the state he represented in
the house or senate and the date of his
death. Some of the inscriptions are
now illegible, but the oldest one de-
+cipherable is on cenotaph in memory
of Andrew P. Butler, senator from
the state of South Carolina, who died
in 1796. AS stated. all the cenotaphs
are of uniform size and shape, except
in two instances. One is marble mon
ument to Elbridge Gerry Of Massachu-
sets. at one time vice president of the
United States and famous In Reyolu-
tionary history. 1t is pyramid shaped
pile Of marble about twice the height
of the other cenotaphs, surmounted by
an urn containing representation of
an undying fame. The other is mon
ument to George Clinton of New York,
also vice president of the United States
and active in the war of 1872.
Among the cenotaphs is one to Push
ma-ta-ha. Choctaw chief. who. the
inscription states. died of Group in the
sixtieth year of his age while visiting
Washington In 1924. Beneath this in
scription is the statement that the red
chieftain in his last breath desired the
big guns to be fired over him. He had
the salute he desired.
1T might be economy If the govern
ment were content nowadays merely
to honor the departed congressman
with a cenotaph, for the 160 memorials
probably did not cost as much as half a
dozen modern funerals of defunct
statesmen. Congressional funerals now
are elaborate affairs. There must be
a junket with every ceremony. The
body is transported to the home of the
deceased in q special car, accompanied
by one or two Pullmans. containing q
more or less sorrowing congressional
escort, with well stocked commits
sary, of course. There are carriages
and flowers and mourning and dis
play Of white sashes quite imposing.