Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-04
St. ANDREWS SOCIETY
Reorganized in the Original
Meeting Place.
FORMED 81 YEARS AGO
Sessions Were Revivals of Tradition,
Poetry and Song.
HOME IS LODGE OF W. R. SMITH
Letters From President Buchanan
Read at Annual Dinners-Names
of Officers Elected.
HOME Is LODGE OF w. R. SMITH

In the National Inteliigencer of December
2. 1850. was published an account of the
nrst public dinner of the st. Andrews So
ciety of Washington. In a small room in
the house-or lodge as he calls it-of Will
lam Robertson Smith superintendent of the
Botanical Gardens, the ST. Andrews So
ciety was organized in October. 1855 by
twenty Scotchmen who We're there by nvi-
station of the host. of whose original men,
bership he and two others are all who are
alive.
g Many distinguished men from all sections
of the country attended and were spokes-
men at gatherings of early days. which
Were, in true sense, revivals of tradition,
poetry and song. Many bright and inter-
esting stories are told of the feasts of rea-
son and flow of soul that characterized the
celebration of ST. Andrews day, November
80, In the long ago.
= 1t was the custom OF President buchanan
to send a letter to be read at each recurring
st. Andrews dinner during his occupancy
of the White House. Simon Cameron,
then senator frequently attended. and
on one occasion presided at the banquet
Frank p. Blair became an honorary MEM
Der of the society, and on more than one
occasion lent his eloquent voice to the cele
bratio1 Gilbert Cameron, who built the
Smithsonian Institute and the Soldiers
Home, was the president of the society as
5long as he lived.
In view of the ceremonies soon to occur
at Annapolis, in connection with the rein
terment of the remains of John Paul
Jones In the soil of his adopted land, an
: old record of a toast proposed by John
Wise at the annual dinner in 1859 Is re-
called. 1t was 1.-THE memory of John Paul
Jones. the Scotchman by birth, the Ameri-
can by adoption. who sought the shores OF
his native land for the first naval battle
In the cause of American liberty"
Removal of the Capital.
At a subsequent dinner of the society in
1860 at the time when the question of the
removal of the capital was being agitated,
the following toast. bearing upon the Issue.
was proposed and response made by Mayor
Bowen:
z 1.-THE city Of washington-the best abused
the best located and the best designed
city IN the world. 1t will continue to be
the metropolis of the Union as long as its
noble founder is remembered by an appre-
eiative and grateful people The Star of
December l. 1S69 published two-column
report of Mayor Bowen's speech. which ap-
pears to have been most satisfactory con-
and their guests. A curious illustration
of the panic about removal that had taken
possession of the minds of many persons
here thirty-seven years age was an ed1- /
torial comment in a newspaper as follows:
For ten years past the st. Andrews So
ciety has been dormant, but two meetings
have been held within the last fortnight
and Monday evening last a reorganization
Of the old and honored society was COM
pleted in the same room where the orig
NAL meeting was held in October, 1850
William Small, formerly secretary of the
society, was made president; John McGreg-
or. vice president; Henry Small. treasurer.
and Mr. Bissett of Twin Oaks, secretary
John Clark. William Ramsay, William
Clark and Alex Mckirher are four of the
six managers, two of whom will be named
of tha next meeting Four stated
terly meetings of the society will be held
each year. and the annual celebration OF
st. Andrews day permanently revived.
"Aliuring arguments have been presented
to men already prejudiced in favor of the
west-have been placed in the hands of
each representative and senator, and are
certain to receive their attention, SO long
as our people neglect to prepare any coun-
ter arguments. Something must be done
In this regard or our people will wake up
some morning only to catch glimpse OF
the capital disappearing over the Blue
Ridge Procrastination will destroy US, and
really solid arguments must be offered to
and pressed on Congress or we are lost.
Gen. VIM. T. Sherman. then in st. Louis,
took an active interest in the discussion,
contributing several letters to the press
opposing the removal suggestion
A Most Interesting Spot.
A little 10 by 10 room in William R.
Smiths lodge at the Botanical Gardens.
where the St. Andrews Society was born
just one year more than half century
ago, and where 1t has just accomplished
its rebirth. 1t Is declared. must surely
be to the Scotch brain and heart, and per-
haps to all admirers of the gentle Scotch
bard Of every land and tongue who learn
its history. one OF the most interesting
spots on earth. About its walls and man
tel and center table have been collected
more than 200 pictures of Burns, and Of
the poets and philosophers who have writ