Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-12-27
New York Takes Interest In the
Jamestown Tercentenary

New York Takes Interest In the
Jamestown Tercentenary
The following editorial appear
cd recently il the Democrat and
Chronicle of Rochester, New
York:
Interest has been aroused in the
tercentennial anniversary of tie
settlement Of jamestown, Virginia,
by the English, in 1907, by the ap.
pointment Of T. B. Dunn. of this
city, as chief commissioner for the
state of New York. for the expo
sition to be held in 1907. New
York is the first of the original
thirteen states, outside of Virgin
Ia, to organize systematic endeav-
or to make the tercentennial expo
sition a success, q meeting Of the
State commission having been call
cd for Monday next.
Jamestown was founded in 1907
by los colonists sent out by the
London Company, under the COM
mand of Christopher Newport,
antedating the landing of the Pill
grim Fathers at Plymouth Rock
by thirteen years. jamestown thus
became the seat of the first English
settlement in America. The colo
nists took up their abode on a
prorontary projecting from the
north bank of the James river,
81 miles from It's mouth. Promi
nent among the colonists was Cap
tain John Smith, whose life the
iconoclasts insist was not saved by
the Indian maiden, Pocahontas,
but whose romance is inextlngujsh-
able.
1t was in the year 1919, one year
before the landing of the Pilgrims,
that the first colonial assembly
ever held in America convened at
jamestown, thus making it the seat
Of the first attempt at permanent
civilized government in the New
World. Three years later, en-
March %, 1922, it was the see ne
of an Indian massacre which Is
memorable in the history of Vir,
GINA, and in which several han.
dred colonists lest their lives. The
neck Of land upon which the set.
Element was tactically made to af-
ford defenss against the Indians
has been entirely washed away,
but the associations, history and
traditions Of the settlement still
remain and are of great interest.
While it is the intention of the
managers of the tercentennial Ct
the settlement of jamestown to af.
ford an opportunity for showing
the enormous strides in industrial
and commercial progress during
the past decade, it is understood
that the historical feature of the
occasion will be made very promi-
nent. 1t is to be a purely Ameri.
can. q United States exposition.
bu. will not be, for that reason, less
attractive. The event which the
exposition of 1907 will cOmnemo-
rate stands out 80 boldly in the hle-
tory of the United States that in
terest will by 90 means be confined
to the original thirteen states. As
so az lily said by Chef Com mission
er Dunn, in recent interview, it
is 4'the Mother State calling the
children home, pand 1t lie probable
that the social and sentimental
factors will predominant to
greater extent than in previous
large expositions. At the same
time an opportunity will be afford
ed for illustrating in many and
varied ways the great prosperity
in material things which has come
to the States which were the out
growth Of the fret settlement at
jamestown.
1t is still a habit to speak OF
the South as such, put in reality
the distinction between the North
and South is merely geographical.
In aims and purposes they are ore
with the East and the West. The
"coming together of the children"
in the summer of 1907 will be an
occasion to emphasize
this fact; and more States than
the original thirteen will follow
the example of New York and ac-
cspt the invitation with prompt
ness.