The Washington times., 1903-04-19
Once HaHoUed Resting place
Of departed Georgetown
Pioneers Mop a Playground
For Noisy Urchn1s Tomb
stones Defaced and Sacred
6Iomrds SHADE the Damp
ing Place For the Neigh
borhood Debris. x X -

" ANDALISM and the tooth of time
Y have wrought ruin in the old
Presbyterian burying ground in George
town This ancient cemetery now pre-
sents SAD spectacle. Where once
graveled walks led past green mounds
and gave order and harmony to the
place of burial. the path of the careless
wayfsrer now goes over grave and tab
let in the shortest cut across the lot.
Where once the mourner trod with sor
row TO the new-made grave a denizen Of
the neighborhood passes at nightfall
whistling ragtirae, for his bucket Of
beer at the nearby saloon.
Noisy urchiDs have made a playground
OF the cemetery. They run and shout
above the dead. With the destructive
ness Of boyhood. they have broken down
tombstcnes and defaced many insCrip-
tions. Some of them, apparently with
the artistic instincts of the savage, have
scrawled rude skulls and cross bones
upon the monuments, and have lettered
III black paint filthy legends that seem
humorous to vicious minds.
Dumping Ground for Debris
The old graveyard is the dumping
ground OF old shoes tin cans, and debris
from the neighboring houses. Despite
the watch kept by the police, the design
ing and the careless viii throw rubbish
upon the lot by night, so that the place
is fast becoming q nuisance as well as
an unsightIy and abandoned cemetery
Reverence for the dead seemingly has
vanished from the youth of the neigh
bOrhood, and the old graveyard is the
rendezvous at night of those on mischief
bent Loafers gather on Sunday and
profsne the day and the place with ri
bald story and jest The old cemetery
IS an eyesore 10 Georgetown and an open
disgrace TO the Capital of the Nation
Nature More Kind Than Mankind.
Nature has dcne something to hide the
traces Of desecration. Violets bloom
and hoaeysuckle grows rank where
footpaths have not obliteTated vegeta-
ton Weeping willows. naples. lOcusts
and lone pine have grown almost q
the proportions of a forest Rows Of
large Usage orange trees. on three sides
of the cemetery. are the remains oi
n well kept hedge which once fncIosed
Gods Acre" Surface water flowing
down the footpaths with every rain has
dug deep guIIies along the slopes. AMI
The place IS not unlike a miniature
mountain range But among this will
and disordered vegetation are left the
marks of desecration as wanton as it
Is needless.
Cause for Spirits to Return.
a casual examination of this ruined
cemetery helps 70 dispeI The notion tha
the dead return to earth in spirit form
OF that ghosts walk on misty nights
near the graves where their bodies ii,
ent0mhed If ever disembodied spirtu
had righteous cause 10 return TO thei
former haunts and fFighten away TIT
intruder II would De found in this oil
graveyard The warrior sleeps there
the man OF affairs, and the youth GU
down IN his prime. II the dead knoy
what IS going on. and could strike ter
ror by appearing TO them. troop o
ghosts on fiery chargers standing suaT'
in the old Presbyterian burying groun,
would not be out Of place. The iivint
have failed to hallow their dust OF pre-
serve the tomb. and if it is ever dom
il must be by spirit hands.
The Presbyterian buTyiBg ground was
established before the beginning Of th'
last century, and is one Of the oides