Evening star., 1908-01-12
@NoRk}A N@pon

the wife OF George Bomford, an officer
| of distinction in the army. and Tom Bar
| low. nephew and ward, who had mar
ried during the stay in Paris and had
brought home a young French wife.
About 1918 Mrs. Wilson, who had been
the wife of Theobald Wolfe Tone. the
Irish patriot, the hero of the revolution
of 1913. and whom the Barlows had
known In the early Paris days. now
widowed for the second time and seeking
a home in America, was invited to come
to kalorama. The west wing was built
for her occupancy. 1t was peculiar In that
1t contained only two very large apart
ments, with stairways both in front and
dying in Georgetown in 1S4S. Her only
son became an officer in the United
States Army. He had been educated at
st. Cyr as award of the French repub-
lie and had served in the army under the
great Napoleon. Upon the return Of the
Bourbons to power he had not found
France a desirable place of residence.
Joel Barlow had selected his nephew
Tom for his heir. having no children of
his own, and Mrs. Barlow had left by
Their brother. Henry Baldwin, then in
Congress. bought both claims to sell
later to Col. Bomford. who occupied the
home for nearly thirty years.
edly refers to the ladies of Kalorama in
her letters recently published. always
with admiration and affection In a let
ter written in January, 1917, she tells OF
a large party given by her in which
Mrs. Barlow seemed about as anxious
if it had been her own party. and
wished me to make use of her servants
and everything in her house which could
add to the elegance Of the party. l ac-
cepted but small portion of what she
offered. The kind Mrs Bomford came
early in the morning and assisted in all
the arrangements" Ten years later:
"On Christmas we were very happy as
well as gay Dear Mrs. Bomford and
all her family came early in the morn
ing and stayed until late at night.
Whatever she (Mrs. Bomford) does
is with her whole heart. in private kind
ness and friendship she is equally zeal
ous.. do love her, and SO does every
one"
Col. and Mrs Bomford We're people of
high culture and well sustained the So
cial reputation of kalorama. Mrs Bonn
ford was an enthusiastic norlst In her
gardens was one of the choicest collec-
tions of rare trees and plants to be found
in America. friends had brought contri-
buttons from many foreign countries. an
ivy from Melrose Abbey clambered over
the portico orchids from the tropics
the conservatories-a sago palm which
the Botanic Garden acquired from her at
tracted crowds to see its blooming in 1874
the first sugar beets grew in her garden.
Col. BOmIOTQ was an engineer oI great
merit He was the inventor of the CO.
lumbiad mortar-so called in honor of
Barlow's poem-which was used in the
ordnance throughout the civil war.
The three brothers of these ladies were
also men of national renown. The eldest |
Abraham Baldwin. the intimate friend |
and associate of Joel Barlow. went early |
to Georgia. was one Of the founders of the |
Georgia State University. its first presi- |
dent. was a member of the. constitutional |
and for several terms a sena-
tor in Congress. Another, Dudley. re-
mained in Connecticut and became a ia
nous lawyer. While Henry. also a law