Evening journal., 1901-07-11
A QUAINT CEMETERY.
WHERE OVER 100 OF THE couNTRY's
EARLY LEGISLATORS SLEEP.

hfce Anterment OF C0ngrcssmeu
Dying Away From Home.
On the eastern outskirts Of washing
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 elghtscOre
cenotaphs, memorials of departed
statesmen. Years ago the tide of pop
ulation surged westward and north
ward, Overrunning the salubrious high
lands of those sections nnd 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
workhouse for neighbors. f4'f.
In it are 100 cenOtaphs to dead con-
gressmen, stretching in mOnotonous
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
oratlve of Henry Clay, John Quincy
Adams, Thaddeus Stevens and others,
merely stand in honor of those dis1
tingulshed names. Since 1876 the ptac1
tice of erecting cenotaphs, begun I'M
17J6, has been abandoned.
When the cemetery was established
in 1903, its projectors thought It iwonld|
be successful idea to secure the inter-
meht in the new cemetery Of congress1
meh who passed away while serving
their country in the then malarlal cli1
mate Of Washington and that it would
give this mortuary site distinction
above ordinary burying grounds.
So 400 burial sites were set apart foI
the free interment of congressman dyI
ing away from home. and the PLACED
was named the congressional cemetery
In those days it was impossible I'd
transport a body long distances with
out great expense and trouble, and the
purchasing of burial lots was expenI
sive, so the privilege thus extended.
was readily accepted. The funerals
were conducted with imposing ceremo'
nles, and the departed soions were laid
away with pomp and circumstance III
the spaces specially allotted and seiI
apart for them.
AS methods OF transportation improv|
ed, however, with the years, and tn I
families of the deceased found opporf
tunity to take the bodies home for I'M
terment, the practice fell into dlsuse
and ultimately law was enacted pro
viding that a cenotaph should be erect
ed in the cemetery to every congress-
man who died I'm the harness, and fo
a number Of years this custom was 10
lowed, so that many lof the monument
merely stand I'm memory OF the cor
gressmen without actually marking tn
burial sites.
In 1876 law was enacted providin
that no cenotaph should be erected ar
less interment was made in the cemt
terry, and there has not been a buria
Of congressman in the plot since tha
year.
The cenotaphs are plain blocks d
masonry, covered with cement to will
stand the ravages OF the clement
Each is inscribed with the name of I'll
dead man, the state he represented |
the house or senate and the date OF h
death. Some of the subscriptions ar
now illegible, but the oldest one d
cipherable is on a cenotaph in memoir
of Andrew p Butler. senator froI
/ the state of South Carolina, who die
in 1T9G. AS stated. all the cenotapI
i are OF uniform size and. shape. excel
in two instances. One is a marble mo
ument to Elbrldge Gerry Of Massach
setts. at one time vice president Of {
United States and famous In Revol
tionary history. 1t is pyramid shape
pile of marble about twice the heig
of the other cenotaphs, surmounted
an urn containing n representation
an undylng fame. The other is a mo
ument to George Clinton OF New Yor
also vice president Of the United Stat
and active in the war OF 1912.
J Among the cenotaphs is one to Pus
ma-ta-ha, a Choctaw chief, who, Il
inscription states, died OF Group in d
sixtieth year OF his age while visitiI
Washington in 1924. Beneath this
scription Is the statement that the n
chleftain in his last breath desired
big guns to be fred over him. He. b.
the salute he desired.
, 1t might be economy If the COVER
ment were content nowadays mere
! to honor the departed congressm
with a cenotaph, for the 16O memoirs
probably did not cost as much as hal
y dozen modern funerals OF defuT
E statesmen. Congressional funerals ne
|, are elaborate affairs. There must
3 a junket with every ceremony. 4
= body is transported to the home OF
deceased in a special car, accompani
by one or two Pullmans, containing
: more or less sorrOwing congressiOl
: escort, with a well stocked comm
sary, OF course. There are carrlal
c and flowers and mourning and a
d play Of white sashes quite imposing.
e Then some day special services
n held in the house and senate. and
: family Of the deceased is present
e hear him eulogized and endowed W.