The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-15

which 1 received your expressions or condolence and kind wishes for my happiness.
 If innumerable testimonies or respect and veneration paid to the memory of my dear departed husband, or if uni versal sympathy in my affecting loss could afford consolation mine would be complete. But while I see and ac- knowledge these with a grateful heart, I find consolation only in the bosom Of that Being by whose dispensation l have been afflicted.
 That your virtues may be exemplary, that your passage through life may be marked with the blessings of heaven, and that happiness hereafter may be your portion prays your friend and obedient servant, MARTHA WASHINGTON.
 Misses Julia Bowen. Mary B. Howell Sarah Halsey and Abby Chance.
 Each one of these ladies had a lock of George Washington's hair and each one had letter or a copy of the Martha Washington letter transcribed above. Of these four locks of hair two are still extant as far as is actually known, one being in the possession of the Rhode Island Historical society of this city and the other owned by Mrs. John Fiske widow of the historian, at Cambridge Mass.
 Of the four recipients of the locks of hair two were married. Mary B. Howell married Mason Shaw of Castine, Me-, and Julia Bowen married John D. Martin Mrs. Shaw died in 1911, aged S2, and Mrs. Martin died in 1905, aged 4 Miss Hal sey and Miss Chace Cor Chase), remained unmarried, the former dying in 1864, aged S5, and the latter in the same year at the age of A.
 oF e Brigham, the librarian of the Historical society, to ascertain what became of the four locks of hair, which, according to the letter sent by the young ladies to Mrs. Washington, were to be bequeathed to their descendants. Mr. Brigham first traced the letter written by Mrs Wash ington to the young ladies in 1900, and the copies of that and the young wom- ems letters. In the Chad Brown me morial it Is stated that Mary B. Howell gave the original letter to her sister, Mrs. Sarah H. Dwight who presented it many years later to her niece, Sally Brown CHowelD, Wilcox.
 This original letter, Mr. Brigham was informed had passed to Mrs. Can dace Wilcox Tappan of Brooklyn, N. Y., and at her death to her sister, Mrs. Juliet Reynolds of Battle Creek, Mich, in. whose possession it was supposed to be when Mr. Brigham began his inves- tigations. Following the matter up, it was discovered that a Dr. Joseph H. Caldwell of Saginaw, Mich, had in his possession the copies of the letters written by the four young ladies. Dr. Caldwell married Miss Elizabeth How ell, direct descendant of Mary B. Howell, and on the envelope which contains the copies Mrs. Howell wrote: Copies of correspondence relative to Ia oi,,fn nf Na sl1 iI1t tr toms hair to be put in rings. Miss How ell was the writer of the letter."
 Similar copies are owned by the fam fly of Charles F. Wilcox. It is evil dent that Miss Howell acted as the amanuensis of the four Providence girls of 100 years ago, but her original let ters have disappeared. Mrs. Washing tons original letter is in existence however, and is owned by Mr. William D. Ely of this city. occupying a prom inent place in his almost unequalled collection of autographs.
 According to a letter from Mrs. John Fiske written in 1904, this letter was disposed of by a descendant of Miss Chace to "a Providence autograph col Iector" As Mrs. FislSe owns one of tho locks of hair she has tried to get the letter granting the request for 1t. bet MT. Ely will not sell it. There is no
  been certified to by experts as Mr.. Washington's handwriting, and one eA pert who was sent to purchase it, of fered a large amount for 1t.
 Having settled the matter of the let ters, MT. Brigham next took up the work of finding out whether, as the recipients had promised. the locks ot hair were handed down to their de- scendants.
 First is the lock owned by the His torcal society, presented by MT. Joh, s. Slater. As MT. Brigham knows that the other three locks of hair are those originally belonging to Mary B. How ell Sarah Halsey and Abby Chace, it is evident that this one is the bequest of Julia Bowen.
 second lock, as has been said, is owned by Mrs. John Fiske. That is the one which Miss Abby Chace had re- ceived. and 1t passed to Mrs. Fiske by purchase but 1t is not known who sold it. There is no confusion as to the wehrea bouts of those two locks of hair and no mystery. They are genuine and tangible and that they are those which belonged respectively to Miss Julia Bowen and Miss Abby Chace is estab- lished beyond doubt. although it took MT. Brigham some hours of diligent research to trace them.
 This is not tn cease with respect to the other two locks of hair given to