The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-24
CAPT. JOHN SMITH.
PersIInmOn Plate Designed I'm Com
memoration of Great COIonizer.


How many readers Of The washington
Herald are aware Of the existence OF the
Washington Branch Association for the
Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, CT
which Miss Virginia Miller is the direc-
/ tress; Mrs. Herbert Claiborne wilkins.
| recording secretary; Miss Elizabeth Mar
shall Robinson, corresponding secretary,
and Miss /. McLain, treasurer
Yet It is a most active and hard-worE-
ling association, having in the past done
much to preserve the historic spots in the
4 Old Dominion and the memory OF her
great sons Its work in the past year has
/ been especially noteworthy. for not only
I have many Of its members contributed
and collected the money for restoring
/ pews in Old BrUton Church. Williams
/ burg, Va, which are memorials to such
men as Washington, Marshall. Richard
Henry Lee, Francis LightfoOt Lee. Page,
| Nelson. PendIeton, Mason, and others.
I but they are having a brass tablet en-
graved to be placed in the church at
jamestown, which is to be restored by the
/ National Society. Colonial Danes Of
America This tablet is a memorial to
/ that wonderful man, "Captaine John
Smith" and is to be an exact reproduc-
/ ton Of the one placed over his grave in
| st. SepUlchre's Church. London. about 1913.
/ To enable this branch 10 do this work,
and also In commemoration of Smiths
work IN helping 10 civilize and Christian
| lie when ne landed In this country IN
/ 1901. and wrote his fascinating Historic
/ Of the new land and its products. they
/ have had John Smith, OF '-pUtchamin'
/ plate made which is one Of the most arts
tic and unique souvenirs Of the ter-cen-
tennial year.
/ During colonial times most Of the earth
/ enware used, whether fine or coarse, was
imported from England or China. Soon
after the Revolution plates were printed
/ COMMUNICATING. more or less skillfully.
1 the deeds of Washington. Jefferson, and
/ Lafayette. 4 Staffordshire pitcher bears
/ the legend, &c. W. who emancipated
/ America from slavery" another has pic
lures upon it Of Columbus. Raleigh. Wash
ington. and Franklin. but neither pitcher
nor plate ever seems TO have been made
I TO commemorate the founding Of James
town. the heroism % "Captaine John
/ Smith" or the tender heart of POcahon-
tas. The first permanent settlement Of
] Englishmen in Virginia decided the posses
sion Of the greater part Of North America.
[ The Pilgrims had not yet arrived at Ply
mouth Rock when these enterprising colo
nists were manufacturing glass beads 10
trade with the Indians, planting orchards,
and raising silk worms. The fruits native
10 the soil were wild cherries. grapes. the
+ Virginia persimmon, and the blue haw.
The putchamin or persimmon plate was
proposed at meeting of the District Of
Columbia Society of Colonial Danes, as
a colonial design to be sold al their bazaar
! in jamestown. The idea of the persimmon
was suggested in the witty quotation
made by Mrs. Janin from John Smiths
/ entertaining memoirs. The design was
roughly indicated by Mrs Turner, but the
graceful grouping, c0lOring, and spacing
are all due 10 the skillful and beauty-giv-
ing fingers Of Miss Bertha Perrie. vice
president of the Washington Society Of
Water COlorists.
Mrs. Turner very generously offered her
design 10 the 4. P. V a for their work
With most grateful and appreciative feel
the plate had TO be made suitable 10 their
plans. so they decided 10 have Smiths
romantic crest and coat Of arms Cthe same
that is to be on the brass tablet hand
painted on the plate, as wei as the quo
tatiOn from his memoirs about "putcha-
Minis" This crest and coat of arms
granted TO the greatest Of the Smiths by
King Sigismuud of Poland were careful
" drawn and verified by Miss Susan Rcb-
inson, an authority in such matters. The
crest Of an ostrich holding a silver horse
shoe in its beak is believed 20 refer to
Smiths exploits in Africa, and the three
Turks heads on the shield commemorate
his skill as a swOrdsman, for we have
kings word that the strenuous John cut
them off with his sword. The motto.
''Accordamus vincere est vivere," BELTS
man whose exploits will live 10 the last
syllable Of recorded time
John Fiske. the historian. affirms the
/ truth of the story of Pocohontas. or Ma
toaca, whose wOmanly courage saved the
pale face hero from the rage Of her father
King POwhatan, and her name is so indis-