Evening star., 1909-05-19
BRYCE IS TO Be ORATOR
Will Deliver Address at Unveil-
ing of Witherspoon Statue.
SIGNER OF DECLARATION
Descendant in Sixth Generation to
Release Draperies.
VICE PRESIDENT TO SPEAK
Exercises Tomorrow Afternoon at
$3.50 O'Clock in Church of Cove
nant-Oration by Dr.. Wilson.

The statue in honor of Rev. DR.. With
) erspoon, patriot, philanthropist, Presby-
terian clergyman and signer of the Dec
Iaration of independence, which has been
erected in the small triangle at Connec-
ticut avenue and n street, will be un-
veiled with appropriate ceremonies to-
morrow afternoon.
a This is the first statue 10 be erected in
!, the National Capital to any one of the
) signers of the Declaration. The unvel-
ing will constitute the elimination of
several years of work by the Wither-
spoon Memorial Association, which Sc
cured the contributions of hundreds of
4 patriotic persons throughout the United
States.
Descendant to Unveil Statue.
William Banks Withers, the seven-year-
old son of Prof. Withers of the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College of North
Carolina, a lineal descendant of John
Witherspoon in the sixth generation, will
4 pull the silken cord to release the drapery
which now hides the statue.
The ceremonies proper Will be held In
the Church of the Covenant, just across
the street from the statue. There will
assemble notable gathering, including
Vice President Sherman, members of the
diplomatic corps, men prominent in the
world of science and letters, government
officials and nearly 200 descendants of
Witherspoon who have come from all
sections OF the United States.
Former Secretary of State John w.
Foster chairman of the board of trustees
of the Witherspoon Memorial Associa-
ton, will preside over the exercises,
which will begin at $50 o'clock.
1, Ambassador Bryce to Speak.
The Rev DR.. Jerry Witherspoon, pas
tor of the Second Presbyterian Church
of Richmond, Va, also a lineal descend
ant of the signer, will deliver the in
vocation. Ambassador James Bryce of
/ Great Britain Will make the opening ad-
dress.
i Mr. Bryce will talk on The Contribu-
i tions of Scotland to America" He will
/ be followed by President Woodrow Will
/ son of Princeton University, whose sub
/ ject will be The Review of the Life
| and Service of Witherspoon.
| Vice President Sherman will deliver
i short talk. Commissioner Macfarand
| will make the final address.
Secretary of the Navy Never has or
| dered the Marine Band to furnish pa
,riotic music. The benediction will be
| pronounced by Rev. David A. Wood of
| Gettysburg, Pa. descendant of Wither-
| spoon, and author Of the Life of With
| erspoon
| The trustees of the Witherspoon Me-
| mortal Association, to whom belong the
/ honor of promoting the erection of the
/ Witherspoon statue, are Gen John w.
Foster, chairman; Andrew Carnegie,
Morris X. Jessup of New York, Repre-
sentative William B. Mckinley of Illi-
| nois, Z. Southard Parker. treasurer of
| the association: Senator Stephen B. Ell
kins of West Virginia, Mrs. Stanley B.
| Matthews of Washington. John Wanna
/ maker of Philadelphia and Henry b. F.
| Macfarland of this city.
! Witherspoon was born in Scotland in
| 1722, and was a descendant of John Knox.
/ He came to America ct an early age, and
in 1868 became president of Princeton
University. He was the only minister
/ who signed the Declaration Of Independ-
ence. He died in 1894
Preparations for Ceremony.
| For several days past the work of set
| ting up the pedestal and figure of DIR.
| John Witherspoon, the work of William
| Couper, sculptor, of New York, has been
| going on under the direction of Col
| Spencer Cosby of the office of public
| buildings and grounds, F. +. Gillen in
| charge Today the stand and arrange
ments for the exercises have been begun.
| Those who are favored with tickets to
| the church should read them carefully,
as those holding white tickets should pre-
| sent them at the street entrance to the
chapel. those with the red at the north
| door and those having blue tickets at the
| south door of the church
| The Marine Band will furnish music
| from 3 to $50 O'Clock in front of the
| church and during the exercises.
| The decorations and many of the details
| for the unveiling have been worked out
| by Frederick d. Owen by invitation and
| under the direction of John w. Foster,
| chairman of the commission.
| The fact that DR.. Witherspoon, in addi-
| tion to signing the articles of confedera-
| ton. was a member of the Continental
| Congress when the American flag was
| adopted as the nations emblem. will be
| made a new feature in the unVeiling ar
| rangements by Mr. Owen.
| The flags. when the cord is drawn by
Master William Banks Withers of Ra-
| leigh, \. c., will be dipped in honor of
| DIR. Witherspoon and the occasion and
| then raised over the head of the figure to
| float during the remainder of the cere-
mony.
| The names of the thirteen original states
| in wreaths will be placed around in a
| semi-circle and joined by long loops of
| laurel garlands, which will also embrace
the speakers stand. Princeton Unver-
Sity coors, together with many Unit ed
States flags. will be placed around the
auditorium with plants and shields bear
ing the legend. John Witherspoon,"
President of Princeton College" "Signer
of the Declaration of independence and
Presbyterian minister
The procession from the church to the
outside platform, where the concluding
part of the exercises will take place, will
Of members of the local societies. S. A.
citation.