The National tribune., 1909-12-23

playing about the streets of Gettysburg
at the time of the great battle, ana ms
people were neighborS of Mrs. McClel-
Ian, the two not having met before
since the war. Capt. Hull, of Iowa,
spent some little time in escorting the
Iowa guests about the Capitol and pre-
senting them to other distinguished
members of Congress.
At l o'clock the National President
and the National Secretary were enter
tained at an informal luncheon by Col.
John McElroy, of The National Trib-
une, at the Boston House. The Japan
ese tea room was almost transformed
into a tent by the drapery of large
Flags, and the table, with covers for
12;- was beautifully decorated by huge
white chrysanthemums, which were
later presented to the honored guests.
The places were designated by postal
card pictures of the Boston House, and
each was autographed by the guests,
making valuable souvenir of the oc-
casion.
Those invited by Col McElroy to
meet Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Mcclellan
were Gen. John c. Black and Gen. John
r. King, Past CommanderS-in-C Chief;
Mrs. Mary A Dow. President of the Po-
tomac, w. r. c.; Col. Edwin E. Hol-
brook, Commander of the Department
of the Potomac, and Mrs. Holbrook;
Capt. o. H OIdroyd, Assistant Adju-
tant-General of the Department of the
Potomac, and Mrs. Oldroyd. Past Ma
tional Junior Vice President: Mrs An
ME w. Johnson, Past Department Pres
ideDt, and Mrs. Isabel Worrell Ball.
Past National Officer.
The orchestra played National airs
and old war songs thruout luncheon,
and not infrequently the guests sang
the words to the familiar strains and
filled the great building with melody
At o'clock the National President,
National Secretary and Mrs. Annie w
Johnson accompanied Mrs. Ball on an
automobile trip to Fort Myer to spend
two delightful hours in viewing the
wonderful feats of horsemanship of the
cavalry troops stationed there, being
the guests of the officers and occupying
a box. From Fort Myer a visit was
paid to beautiful Arlington. where a
ride was taken around the old fortifi-
cations of Fort Mcpherson, the anchor
of the Maine, the Spanish War Monu-
ment and the Tomb of the Unknown
Dead, the Temple of Fame and the
|Amphitheater. The National Secretary
laid upon the Tomb of the Unknown
Dead the flowers that were presented
her at luncheon, and the National Pres
ident placed hers on the small square
headStones that are marked with the
single word Unknown"
On the return to the city a visit was
paid to the Francis Scott Key mansion,
where the manager, Mr. Charles II.
Weisgerber, received the National Pres
ident and National Secretary at the
door, and escorted them over the quaint
old home of the author of the Star
Spangled Banner" in which the Ma
tional President is much interested,
since the work of saving it to new gen.
eratiOnS has been fully indorsed by the
National Convention.
The last incident of the evening was
just after sunset, when a spooky visit
was made to Statuary Hall and the ro-
tunda of the Capitol and an inspection
of the various real and unreal effigies
which line the Hall of Horrors and the
pictures in the great dome of the Capt.
tol were inspected in the afterglow of
| a Winters sunset.
The last feature of the National
Presidents visit to Washington was to
stand for a few brief moments upon
the wide portico of the west front Of
the Capitol and view the city as the
electric lights began to twinkle and
CLEAN along the tree-shaded streets.
Limned against the red-streaked sky,
with all outlines softened by the on
coming darkness, was the great Pen
sion Office, the spires Of the many
churches and the tall white shaft dedi-
Gated to Washington, and down the
wide sweep of Pennsylvania avenue
Souid we SttIi tiic VI lflt IOSl
Office and Treasury Building, and just
beyond, more like shade than any
| thing else, a column or two of the
White House, and like a thread of sill
very light winding down to the sea
We're the waters of the Potomac, spark
ling and cleaning under the rays of
the young moon between the city Of
the living and the Marble City of the
Dead.
The National President and National
Secretary thought that they had never
seen a more beautiful or fascinating
sight, and declared that while life lasts
| that wonderful picture VIII remain
vivid in their memories
Mrs. Berry and Mrs. Mcclellan left
| for their home an hour or two later
| being accompanied to the station by
the President, Mrs. Mary A. Dow The
| distinguished guests by their sweet
| graciousness cndeared themselves to
everyone with whom they came in con-
tact in Washington, and left behind
| them many new friends in addition to
the old ones they had already made.