Smyrna times., 1901-08-07
A QUAINT CEMETERY.
WHERE OVER 100 OF THE cOUNTRYS
EARLY LEGISLATORS SLEEP.

Burial Sites In Suburbs of Washing
ton That Were Set Apart For the
Free Interment OF Congressman
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 eightscOre
cenOtaphs, memorials of departed
statesmen. Years ago the tide of pop
ulatOn surged westward and north
ward, Overrunning 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
! workhouse for neighbors.
| In it are 100 cenotaphs to dead con-
gressmen, stretching in mOnOtOnOus
rows through the cemetery, all of them,
with two exceptions, of Il 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 cOmmem-
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 III
1906 has been abandoned.
When the cemetery was established
in 1908, it's projectors thought it would
be successful idea to secure the inter-
, ment in the new cemetery of congress-
, men who passed awEy while serving
, their country in the then malarial eli
I mate of Washington and that it would
give this mortuary site distinction
p above ordinary burying grounds.
\ So 400 burial sites were set apart for
the free interment of congressman dy-
4 ing away from home, and the place
was named the Congressional cemetery.
/. In those days it was impossible to
4 transport body long distances with
}. out great expense and trouble, and the
n purchasing of burial lots was eXpen-
sive, so the privilege thus extended
# was readily accepted. The funerals
a were conducted with imposing ceremO-
Q MES. and the departed solons were laid
q away with pOmp and circumstance in
N the spaces specially allotted and set
10 apart for them.
IS AS methods of transportation imprOv-
t, ed. however. with the years, and the
le families of the deceased found OppOr-
lg tunity to take the bodies home for in
l terment, the practice fell into disuSe
le and ultimately law was enacted pro
hs vding that cenOtaph should be erect
I'd ed in the cemetery to every congress
ad man who died in the harness. and fol
es a number of years this custom was fol
ic lowed, so that many of the monuments
he merely stand in memory of the con
he gressmen without actually marking the
he burial sites.
IS. In 1876 law was enacted providing
us that no cenotaph should be erected un
IN less interment was made in the ceme
ne terry, and there has not been buria
of a congressman in the plot since tha
year.
The cenOtaphs are plain blocks o
,ss masonry. covered with cement to will
-es stand the ravages of the elements
,ts Each is inscribed with the name of th
nd dead man, the state he represented i
,in the house or senate and the date of hi
ng death. some vi tne inscilP''OnS a.
rn. now illegible, but the oldest one dt
cipherable is Oil cenOtaph in memOr
for of Andrew F. Butler, senator frol
md the state of South Carolina, who die
ost in 1876. As stated, all the cenOtapl
xiv are of uniform size and shape, eXcel
itb in two instances. One is a marble mo-
ument to Elbridge Gerry of Massach
ME setts. at one time vice president of Il
hot United States and famous in RevOl
a If tionary history. 1t is a pyramid shape
VIII pile of marble about twice the heig
hat of the other cenotaphs, surmOunted
an urn containing a representation
fun an undyng flame. The other is a mo
.ins ument to George Clinton of New YoT
also vice president of the United Stat
she and active in the war of 1912.
saw Among the cenotaphs is one to Pus
,ov ma-ta-ha, a Choctaw chief, who, t
inn inscription states, died of Group in t
har- siXtieth year of his age while visit
washington in 1924. Beneath this
Iifa scription is the statement that the r
tho chieftain in his last breath desired
pro- big guns to be fired over him. He h
,tis- the salute he desired.
get 1t might De ECONOMY II the soVeI
ment were content nowadays mere
TO honor the departed cOngressm
with a cenOtaph. for the 100 memori
who probably did not cost as much as hal
his uOzeH lnou'i"
.,,os statesmen. Congressional funerals n
rho are elaborate affairs. There must
nora iunket with every ceremony ]
vpre body is transported to the home of
nior deceased in a special car, accompan
Cris by one or two Pullmans, containing
,e of more or less sorrowing congressio
Is in escort, with a well stocked conn
and sary. Of course. There are carria
chiv. and flowers and mourning and
skin play of white sashes quite imposing
Then some day special services