Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-19
To SAVE ANTIQUITIES
Representative Lacey's Bill
VIII Be ReintroduCed.
A PLAN AGREED UPON
REMARKABLE CAREER OF LADY
FLORENCE DIXIE.
Tragic Accident That Turned Her De-
votion to Hunting to a Strong
Aversion.
A PLAN AGREED UPON
BY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.

ANeISlOn.
by WILLIAM L. CURTIS.
written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Judge Lacey's bill for the preservation
of American antiquities in the southwest.
which are now exposed to the ravages OF
vtndals. will be introduced at the opening
of the coming session of Congress- and an
effort viii be made to secure its passage.
Several bills have been introduced for ne
same purpose, and several times have they
passed one house or the other; but UNI
fortunately, both houses have never passed
the same bill at the same session, and
there is no law on the statute books TO
preserve the relics and monuments of the
prehistoric and aboriginal peoples who have
occupied what are now the public lands
OF the United States
The Grand Canyon of the Colorado, tho
Fortified Forest, the Yosemite Valley, the
Big Tree groves. the Casa Grande ruin IN
Arizona (Which is the most extensive sin
gle monument of prehistoric age) a&i
several other of the most conspicuous n1'-
ural wonders and antiquities are protected
by special acts of Congress: but for seE-
oral years the Archaeological Institute OF
America, the American AnthropOlogical As
ISOLATION the Association for the Advance
mont of Science and the scientific branches
Of the government have been trying to So
cure a general law for the purpose of pre-
serving and protecting from deSpOila -:Cn
historic and prehistoric ruins. monuments,
archae geological objects and other antiquities
on the public lands, and placing them IN
Ger the care and custody of the Secretary
OF the Interior.
There has been some friction between
them. The objects which the law is
CURED 10 preserve are scattered over
wide area. and at present are under the
jurisdiction of several different branches o.
the government. The War Department
for example has control over all military
reservations; the Agricultural Department
over the forest reserves: the Interior De
pGrtmCnt over the national parks: the geo.
logical survey over the area to be reclaim
ed by irriEa ton: the Indian bureau over the
Indian reservations: but it seems 10 be
unnecessary to have the discussion pro
lOHEed
Custodian of Antiquities.
Everybody is in favor of preserving the
relics. and it should be easy for the sew
eral institutions to unite upon one agen;
or custodian. The Secretary of the Inte-
rior seems to he the right man, because
he has jurisdiction over public lands and
several Of the other reservations.
There has also been some difference OF
opinion as TO the regulations to be in
expeditions, working among the ruins; ana
as to the disposition of movable objects OF
interest discovered by explorers. After
conference at Washington last winter II
was agreed that the Secretary of the In
terror should he authorized to permit ex-
plOratiOus excavations and the collection
o; objects of interest within such reserva
tiCHs, subject to such rules and regulations
as he might deem eNIedient and necessary.
and that reputable museums, educational
and scientific Institutions should be per
mitted 10 make collections for the heneht
OF the public, but not for commercial pUr-
poses. No one, however, should be PEI
mitted to remove any object of value or i'm
IoTtdnCe. or to destroy any cave rum,
or inJuTe or waste anything of value; ana
ii was also agreed that the records of all
excavations and eXplora tons, with photo
graphs and other Illustrations, should he
prepared for preservation in the Smith
sonian Institution.
This plan was agreed to by representa-
tiVes of the most important scientific and
educational Institutions in the country ami
1t Is believed to be satisfactory TO nearly
every person concerned. 1t is expected
that Judge Lacey Will reintroduce his bIll
at the beginning of the session and en-
Geavor to secure its adoption as promptly
possible.
Death of a Remarkable Woman.
Lady Florence Dixie, a daughter of the
Marquis of Queensberry, who prepared the
rules under which prize fights are con-
Quoted, died the other day at her home
In Ireland. She was very active and YER
satile woman, a linguist. artist, a musi-
clan, a politician and social reformer: a
novelist, a writer of books of travel a war
correspondent, an expert rifle shot, a fear
less eqEeStrienne, a lOng-distance swim
mer, tennis champion, an all-around
athlete, a nurse and lecturer. l have
known other to
so many notable accomplishments. She
could talk, read and write in half a dozen
languages she was an influential home
rule politician in ireland, and she was
equally at ease on the lecture platform
in drawing room, in the saddle or at the
bedside of a patient in the hospital. Dur
ing the Boer war she was a correspondent
for the London Post, although her sympa-
sidcrcd the British South African policy
mcrcenaTy and unjust This was her sec
Ond experience in South Africa, for she
had spent several months there as a nurse
during the Zulu campaign and came home
on the same ship with the body of the
young Prince Napoleon. She spent the
next winter lecturing in almost every city
of Importance in England, defending the
Zulus and trying to create public opinion
in their behalf. She wrote a book on the
subject, and circulated thousands of copies
at her own expense.
She was one Of the most prominent and
England, and for several years appeared
almost constantly upon the platform in
support of that movement She was also
an earnest friend of the working women
and il is largely due to her influence that
the laws protecting women and girls who
work were enacted by parliament. Her
husband. Sir Beaumont Dixie ian Irish
peer was seldom seen and never heard
Very few people were aware of his exist
enCe, and supposed that the energetic and
ubiquitous Lady Florence was a spinster.
/ once asked two of her most intimate
friends who he was and what he did and
where he lived. Neither of them knew
anything about him. They believed, how
ever, that he was looking after the family
estates in Ireland.
Formerly a Famous Hunter.
Lady Florence was once famous hunter.
She shot big game in all the continents in
her younger days. in company with her
brother, the present Marquis of Queens
berry. She had killed almost every species