St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-06-25

GORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY"
| tional botanic garden just at the foot
of the capitol where Pennsylvania
avenue runs up against the capito
grounds, is presided over by William
R. Smith, the superintendent. who il
law under himself
Smith Is Scotch gardener with q
pronounced burr, who got his early
training in the Kew gardens in London
and he has been in command in his lit
tie domain for SO many years that
members of congress, who are nomi-
nally his superiors, would not think OF
interfering with the old mans wishes
So it happens that with the exception
of the white house grounds the botanic
garden is the only public reservation
in Washington which is now enclosed
by a fence.
Years ago high iron fences surround
ed every park and public place in the
national capitol, but by order of con-
gress they were taken down one by
one. Congress finally landed on the
botanic garden and somebody thought
lessly considered in an appropriation
bill provision for tearing down the
fence. Smith calmly ignored the law.
When the officials came to him to car
ry the law into execution he ordered
them off and informed them that so
long as he remained superintendent of
the botanic garden 1t was going to be
inclosed by a; fence as it had been ever
since he was put into control. When
congress came back they received the
old mans ultimatum with amused toll
erance and he received assurances that
he would never be annoyed again.
But few years later somebody else
absent-mindedly inserted second pro-
vision for tearing down the fence and
again the canny Scotchman ignored
the law of congress. This time the
thing went so far that the members Of
the appropriations committee who
were responsible for the slip came
down to the botanic garden and apollo
gized for their mistake
The Botanic Garden.
There is no more interesting spot In
Washington than this same botanic
garden which Superintendent Smith
guards SO jealousy. There is a flavor
of old time about it which makes it
different from any other spot and
which the fond superintendent protects
with all of his might.
Every tree in the place has history.
Most of them were set out by distin-
guished people to whom the old Scotch
man has taken a fancy One magnifi-
cent water beech was planted IS years
ago by John A. Bingham of Ohio
nearby it are two poplars, one Of which
was set out by Edwin Forest, the ira
gedian, the other by his friend, John
w. Forney. The wife of Jefferson Da-
Wis dedicated one tree still standing
when Davis was secretary Of war. In
short there are not many men who
have gained great distinction since
Smith has been superintendent OF the
gardens who have not been fattered
by him with an invitation to plant a
tree. The latest was Mark Hanna, who
promised to come to the garden Just
before he died, and in whose memory
The service has recently been rendered
BY his successor, Senator Dick.
Superintendent Smith lets very few
people know the name of his historic
trees; otherwise they would be hacked
to pieces by relic hunters.
OF equal interest with the garden it.
self. as may be imagined, is the old
5cotchman who is its presiding genius.
Not only is he horticulturist of rare
1evotion, but he is religiously attached
20 his national songster, Robert Burns,
md he possesses the finest collection
If editions of Burns works which can
'e found in the United States. He
Knows the poet by heart and no one
AN find way to his affections so east
y as by showing an interest in Burns
works.
To the mind Of Superintendent Smith |
he greatest Of all public men within |
lis memory was William Pitt Fessen-
len OF Maine. He ranks Fessenden on |
level with Lincoln as one Of the two |
men who saved the nation at the time
# the civil war and he has standing
grievance against every other native
t Maine because none of them has yet
hown sufficient devotion to Fessen-
lens memory to write his life.
In Smiths mind the greatest
achievement of the Maine statesman
vas in securing an appropriation for /
rection of the Conservatives in the
arden, which are the apple of Smiths
ye. Fessenden was chairman of the
library committee in the senate lust
It the close of the war. When Smith
vent before the committee timidly to
,et small appropriation to begin the
york, the Maine senator bluntly asked
low much it would cost to complete
he job and then insisted on making
he entire appropriation Of $4,000 at
,nce. LOUIS A. COOLIDGE
No Use for Russians.
The Japanese actor, Kawakami, once
layed in st. Petersburg, and made
UGH q good impression that the CA: