The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-26


the fun significance of the commemora-
ton of the settling of jamestown to be
celebrated by the exposition which opens
at Norfolk to-day? The manner in which
the cornerstone of this great nation was
laid in the Virginia wilderness Is one OF
the most stirring tales in the long record
Of mans adventures. On board the Susan
Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discoy-
cry, which were battered for sixteen
weeks between wind and wave, were los
soldiers Of fortune, with not a woman or
child among them. They were a turbu-
lent restless crowd that alternately diced
and prayed, and more than once threat
ened 10 throw good Master Hunt over
board because his petitions could not stop
the storms that sorely harassed them.
Fresh from the Continental wars. where
they had seen kingdoms rise and fan at
the whim Of a leader. they grew suspi-
cious of one OF their number, Capt John
Smith, and had him imprisoned under
charge of planning to murder the other
leaders and make himself king of Vir-
GINA
Had they not heard tales OF him in
London as they sat over their tankards
OF ale at the Mermaid. or between acts
when they went TO Black Friars Thea
ter TO hear Master William Shakespeare
in his own tragedies? Had they not
heard how he left England an orphan
youth. unknown and unloved. 10 become
a soldier in Flanders, how he served with
distinction under Sigismund Bathori in
the war against the Turks. how he tTav-
eled in Russia, Germany. France. Spain,
and Morocco, TO return TO England Ia
1901 knight and "A famous man at the
age of twenty-five? They felt they must
needs fear so capable and powerful a
man.
When the sails of their storm-tossed
ship finally beat their way between two
sheltering arms Of land one spring morn
ing. and they passed "A friendly place
where the winds and the waves were
kind 20 them, they called the place Point
Comfort, and it is still so named. One
evening. some days later, they swung
forty miles up a strange river. and
dropped anchor By a long fiat island that
lay midsTeam. a few adventurous souls
sprang ashore 10 see the wonderland,
whose breath Of spring flowers was watt
ed to them through the evening shadows
crowding close to the river bank. The
men feasted their sea-weary eyes on the
gorgeous spring blossoms along the shore
The d0gWOOd, hOneysuckle, and Judas
trees were in bloom. 1t was the Moon
of Strawberries" and the hungry ad-
venturers found the lucious wild fruit
clustered thick on the river bank Capt
Smith, in a glow OF joyous enthusiasm.
exclaimed; Heaven and earth have new
rs.
mans habitation."
The original landing place was about
1,5o0 feet TO the west of the present
wharf and was swept away by the lap
ping waters of the river many years ago.
The rest of the island lies to-day very
much as it did then. According TO Ralph
HamOr, an early secretary Of the colony,
it was two and three-quarters miles long
and from 800 yards TO one and one-quarter |
miles wide A neck of land at first con- |
nected il with the mainland. but this was I
washed away in the succeeding years and
left the island of James Cittie. as We
now see IT. They were religious. these
early settlers. and one of their first acts
on landing was 10 stretch an old sail
cloth on a tree and give thanks 10 God
that they had at last reached this para
disc of their dreams The company In
cluded 'hfty-four gentlemen, four carpen-
tiers, ana twelve labOrers.
When they landed on the island May
b. 1901, few knew how 70 work. nor
cared TO- until Smith required that an
who ate, must earn their food Gov
eminent was at first a. difficult matter. /
for King James, with ever love of mys-
terry. had put the names of the council !
ors in a sealed box. which was not to
be opened until the new land was reach |
ed. All those named proved failures ex-
cept Smith, and on the work of this man,
and the charity of the little Indian prin- /
cess, PoCahOntas. the cornerstone of this /
great nation may be safely said to have
been built
A triangular fort was built 70 guard
the approach over the neck of land from
the mainland. and a palisade fifteen feet
high protected the log cabins and church
that made up the village. Over on the
opposite bank glass factory was in
operation as early as 1868. That same
year few more colonists came over.
among them being Mrs. Forrest and her /
little fouTteen-year-old maid. Anne Bur
rus. Women We're glorious beings to the |
homeless, Wireless men. and Immediately |
one john Layton. proposed marriage to |
little Anne The wedding in the log
church was the first Episcopal marriage /
service in the new world. The next year /
the first Episcopal baptismal service was |
said over little Virginia Laydon. John /
Rolfe adopted the idea OF Cultivating to- /
baccO from the Indians. and sold his first 1
crop ia London for $3.50 a pound Short 4
ly afterward il became form Of cur
rency in the colony. and before the cen /
fury was out the women went trading /
followed by a cart of green tobacco in |
charge Of their servants.
As the colony prospered better houses /
We're built a larger church followed the /
hrst one. and when my Lord Delaware
came over in 1910 20 take the governor
ship. he came 10 church in great state.
attended by a relocated guard of honor.
and sat on a velvet chair with a velvet
cushion TO kneel upon. He had pews.
pulpit. and windows of cedar. and every
day fresh flowers were placed on the al
tar. II was here that Pocahontas was
married TO John ROlfe. a proceeding that
caused King James some alarm for as
the heiress of King PoWhatan she and
her children might inherit the kingdom of
Virginia, and so jeopardize the English
kings interests there. Perhaps he was a
far-seeing monarch. for among the RAN
dolphs, descendants OF POcahontas. the
new nation found good leaders in after
years. One of this American princess
descendants is Harry St George Tucker.
president Of the jamestown Exposition.