The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-01-15
LETTER
TCpprial CprraSnop6epc. !

the Kuklux Khan. the mysterious or
ganization that overthrow the cayr,e
bag governments in the south in re-
construction days. came from TenrrS-
see to attend the first session of the
Sixtieth congress in an official capac-
ity. They are General now Rcprc
%sentative) George W. Gordon, a Con
federate brigadier, the head Cyclops OF
Tennessee for the Kuklux Khan and
| the adjutant of General Forrest. in
command of the whole ''invisible ON
pire," as it was called; Laps D. Nc
Cord, private secretary to Senator Tay-
lor, better known as "Fiddling Bob
and Josiah L. Pearcy, Senator Taylor's
clerk.
Helped Form the kukiux 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,
used 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 vas paid to
It until some young man Of the town
insisted on icing initiated.
Frightened the Negroes.
The result was that a 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 committed, and
that after it had succeeded in it's pur-
pose and a disposition was shown to
use it merely to settle private scores 1t
was disbanded by Forrest.
Home of an Old Time Writer.
On the Georgetown bluff, overlook
Ing the Potomac and the fine old Nir-
glnia hills beyond, stands n little frame
| cottage with a 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.
T.. d. +. 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. G. Adams Died.
Charles +. 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
a 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
lllr CollItttlCllol W tIc StuNClliclit tlluS
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 a little piece Of
metal set in one of the square blocks
Of the marble flooring, and on it are
H., ->yJ aSVn1r nriyou npOS
Here" This is the full inscription. The
metal piece marks the spot where Adj
ans fell dead after years OF continued
service in the house of representatives.
The New House Office Building.
1t has been calculated that in proyid-
ing for the new house office building
with a room for each representative the
w%atchdogs 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 Il restaurant, bath
rooms, barber shops. reading room ant
all that the most fastillous parsonage
: could desire. while to the unpublished
. ones from the corntields and back
woods the establishment will be tit fol
: kings and captains of industry. Wha
c will add greatly to the convenience o
the new building will be the subwa.
leading from the office building to tn
capitol and the electric car scrvic,
= TINT will make quick transit possible
The subway has been about completed
The senate office building will not b
completed for about a year. 1t is les
c seriously needed than the house build
ing, and work on 1t has o been push
" ed so rapidly.
l>... c-.:.l AID