The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-12-10
WASHINGTON LETTER
[special corresnondenoe. /

the Kuklux Khan. the mysterious or
ganization that overthrow tile carpet
bag governments in the south in re-
construction days, came from Tennes-
see to attend the first session of the
4 Sixtieth congress in an official capac-
! ttX They are General (now Repre-
sentative) George w. Gordon, a Con
federate brigadier, the head Cyclops of
I Tennessee for the Kuklux Khan and
the adjutant of General Forrest, In
command Of the whole sinyisible en-
I pire," as it was called; Laps D. Nc
/ Cord, private secretary to Senator Tay-
Tor, better known as "Fiddling Bob"
and Josiah L. Pearcy, Senator Taylor's
clerk.
Helped Form the Kuklux Khan.
1t was by chance merely that the or
ganization was formed. Pearcy and
eight other young fellows, .ex- Confeder-
ates and Greek letter fraternity men,
nsed to meet at Pulaski, Tenn, in the
cellar of the old home of Major Carter
and planned a sort of Greek letter fra
ternity of their own. 1t was known at
/ FIRST as Kuklas, a circle in the Greek
Language and no attention was paid to
it until some young man of the town
Insisted on being initiated.
Frightened the Negroes.
The result was that ritual was in
vented, and the candidate and the
members Of the fraternity rode through
the streets wearing white Ounce caps
and white cowls and astride white
mules. The demonstration was so
ghostly it frightened the negroes great
ly, and from this arose and grew with
Incredible rapidity the idea of spread
ing the organization all over the south
for the purpose of driving the negroes
out Of Office
The defenders of the organization
contend that the order has been blamed
for much that it never committed and
that after it had succeeded III its pur-
pose and disposition was shown to
use it merely to settle private scores it
was disbanded by Forrest.
Home of an Old Time Writer.
On the Georgetown bluff, overlook
ing the Potomac and the fine old Yir-
ginia hills beyond stands a little frame
cottage with silver plate on the door
bearing the name Southworth. In this
little home for years there lived in
poverty for a part of the time and in
prosperity for much Of the time Mrs.
E. d. E. N. Southworth, who wrote of
books more than a score and who in
her day had all the ''six best sellers to
her credit.
Washington holds the memory of this
writer in affection. The gray haired
readers of the old New York Ledger
make pilgrimages to the cottage on
the Georgetown hillside.
When j. @. Adams Died.
Charles f. Adams, a descendant of
John Adams and of John Quincy Ad-
ans, lives ON Massachusetts avenue in
a house formerly occupied by Bishop
Hurst. His brother, Henry Adams, has
home next to that of Mrs. John Hay
You will find descendants of the sec
ond president of the United States all
over the Union, and the smaller num-
Der of them bear the name Adams. 1t
Is a prolific family, and it is a stand
ing contradiction to the statement that
all of the old New England families of
great prominence have died out. Over
in the whispering gallery" at the cap
itol, which, by the way, is nothing
more or less than the old house of rep
resentatives, there is little piece of
metal set in one of the square blocks
of the marble flooring, and on it are
the words "John Quincy Adams.
Here" This is the full inscription. The
metal piece marks the spot where Adj
ans fell dead after years of continued
service i'll the house Representatives
The New House Office Building.
1t has been calculated that in provid-
ing for the new house office building
with room for each representative the
watchdogs of the treasury in congress
have given each member of the house
an $4,000 home
All the equipment and accessories are
palatial, and no expense is being spared
to make the building thoroughly COM
modious and convenient. The new
quarters will be in great contrast with
the cramped ones which many Of the
members have been compelled hitherto
| to occupy.
There will be restaurant, bath
rooms, barber shops, reading room and
all that the most fastidious parsonage
could desire, while to the unpublished
ones from the cornfelds and back
woods the establishment will be fit for
kings and captains of industry. What
will add greatly to the convenience Of
The new building will be the subway
leading from the Office building to the
capitol and the electric car service
that will make quick transit possible.
The subway has been about completed.
The senate Office building will not be
completed for about year. 1t is less
seriously needed than the house build
Ing; and work on 1t has not been push
ed so rapidly.
New Social Aids.
Three new social aids for the White
House have been selected by the presi-
dent. They are Captain r. o. Van
Horn of the Seventeenth infantry, Cap
lain Sherwood A. Cheney of the gem
pral staff of the army, assigned to the
war college, and Lieutenant Thomas
Holcomb. Jr., of the marine corps.
They are all soldiers with records to be
proud Of Lieutenant Holcomb Is the
4 champion rifle shot of the world, hav-