The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-06-26
A QUAINT CEMETERY.
WHERE OVER 100 OF THE COuNTRYs
EARLY LEGISLATORS SLEEP.


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
slonal cemetery, with its eightscore
cenotaphs, memorials of departed
statesmen. Years ago the tide OF pop
ulation surged westward and north
ward, overrunning the salubrlous high
lands of those sections and establish
ing It's 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.
In 1t 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
burylng place of the defunct states
men, but others, like those comment
oratve of Henry Clay, John Quincy
Adams, Thaddeus Stevens and others,
merely stand In honor Of those dis
tlnguished names. Since 1876 the prac-
tice of erecting cenotaphs, begun In
1916, has been abandoned.
When the cemetery was established
In 1903, it's projectors thought 1t would
be 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 eli
mate of Washington and that 1t would
give this mortuary site distinction
above ordinary burying grounds.
So 400 burial sites We're 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 a body long distances with
out great expense and trouble, and the
purchasing of burial lots was expen-
slye, so the privilege thus extended
was readily accepted. The funerals
were conducted with imposing ceremo-
nIes, 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 improy-
ed, however, with the years, and the
families of the deceased found oppor-
tunity TO take the bodies home for in
torment, the practice fell into disuse,
and ultimately Il law was enacted pro-
vidlng that n cenotaph should be erect
ed In the cemetery to every congress
man who died in the harness, and for
number of years this custom was fol
lowed, 80 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 burial
of n 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-
ciphcrable Is on Il cenotaph In memory
OF Nuaraw II R,ttlar-- cenatnr from
! tho state ot puu.n tur,iia, WHO uIvu
| In 1I96. AS stated, all the cenotaphs
are Of uniform size and shape, except
| In two instances. One IL II marble mon
ument to Elbridge Gerry of Massachu-
sets, ut one time vice president of the
| United States and famous In Revolu.
tlonary history. 1t is pyramid shaped
| pile of marble about twice the height
of the other cenotaphs, surmounted by
an urn containing n representation Of
an undylng flame. The other is n mon
ument to George Clinton of New York.
also vice president of the United States
and active In the war OF 1912.
Among the cenotaphs Is one to Push
| ma-ta-ha, Il Choctaw chief, who the
| inscription states, died of Group in the
slxtleth year or his age while visiting
Washington In 1924. Beneath this in
scriptlon is the statement that the red
chieftaln In his last breath desired the
big guns to be fired over him. He had
tho salute he desired.
1t might be economy IL the govern
ment were content nowadays merely
to honor the departed congressman
with Il cenotaph, for the 100 memorials
probably did not cost as much as half n
dozen modern funerals of defunet
statesmen. Congressional funerals now
are elaborate affairs. There must be
junket with every ceremony. The
body Is transported to the home OF thss
deceased In special car, accompanied
by one or two pullmans, containing n
more or less Borrowing congressional
escort, with n we'll stocked commits
sary, of course. There are carriages
and flowers and mourning and n dis
play of white sashes quite imposing.
Then some day special services are
held In the house and senate, and the
family of the deceased is present to
hear him eulogized and endowed with
more virtues than ever they dreamed
In his lifetime that he possessed. The
eulogies are afterward printed in mo-
rocco covered volumes ana distributed
among the friends and constituents.
after which congress. deeming that II
has performed its duty, dries its eyes
and proceeds again to business. Wash
ington Letter IN Los Angeles Times.
Too True.
Schools and colleges exist for the
purpose OF aiding us to keep up with
W aI,r ~