Evening star., 1914-12-06

phrases to give them in why people
always return to
Jerry's Words Washington to
Remain a Classic. do On Jerrv
White House worker of years and
years service, gave an explanation
which remains classic. Jerry is dead
and gone. but his. homely philosophy
has not been forgotten. 'Dere's no way
of curing a taste of Washington but
blow in de head with big club.
I've knowed dem for years, with little
jobs and big ones, and, oh, Lord. it was
always de same: Once dey got here.
to. dey jist kept alive wild de hopes
the situation as Jerry and good
many people of greater renown, but
no more usefulness, have seen it.
Jerry used to worry, or at least pre-
tend he did. over the White House
ghost. which inhabited the attic, and
as he was the man to raise the flag
every morning and let it down every
evening with the Fort Myer sunset
gun. there was no way of avoiding
going up to the scary territory. No
body ever saw the ghost but the orig
inal dscoverer, who would find it
hard to believe now it ever existed in
the latest changes on the upper floor
which converted attic space into bed
chambers for guests and servants.
Apropos of the turning over the other
day to Gen. Hugh L. Scott of the office
of the chief
Heads of the Army of staff of
and Their Homes Here. une nnstos army my
Sherman after he took up his residence
here as the head of the army. The Sher-
mans lived down in that row of imposing
residences on 1 street near New Jersey
avenue. of which one is now the Juvenile
Court and the others continue as pri-
vate residences. It was from that house
that the elder daughter of the house.
hold. who died within the last year, went
to be married at st. Aloysius Church to
Lieut.. Fitch of the army. That wedding
stirred the official and social capital to
its depths, and its heights, too. 1t was
always so where Gen. Sherman was con-
cerned, whether in peace or war. Events
did not pile close to one another then
as now sometimes. The date was left
free and the joy of those who were
asked and the heartburnings of those
omitted are still fireside tales.
This bride had made herself niche
In the fame of that day, SO that the
interest about her wedding was not
entirely due to her fathers promi-
nence. She had refused to waltz with
visiting royalty, Prince Alexis of Rus
sia. 1t was said, because, being a devout
Catholic. she could not reconcile it
with her conscience to take part in an
enjoyment just then considered by her
churchmen an act which might lead to
grievous sin. Her example did much
10 40 away then with round dancing
as the necessary accompaniment to a
drawing room educational finish She
was the recipient also of wonderful
diamond necklace from an eastern
potentate. for which Congress gave
special permission to her to accept
1t was current history that the orna-
ment was subsequently divided be-
tween the four Sherman daughters 1t
was after the Shermans had moved into
uptown and much smaller quarters
the north half of the building now be-
ing reconstructed for business uses on
18th street north of the Southern build
ing-the site of the old ST. Matthew's
Church-that another wedding took
place in the family. 1t was that of
Eleanor Sherman, and the bridegroom
was another Pennsylvanian Alexan-
der NJ. Thackara, now United States
consul general in Paris. and until this
admlnistrdtlon noldlns similar once
in Berlin. When the fourth and young
est sister was married, now Mrs. Paul
Thorndike of Boston, her family no
longer had a Washington home, and
the ceremony was at the home of her
uncle, John Sherman, who had been
senator from Ohio and a Secretary of
the Treasury.
The house has been the japanese en-
bassy for several years. Mrs Thorn
dixie edited the letters which passed
between her father and his brother
during the civil war and which made
one of the most interesting historical
contributions to that period.
Gen. Sherman was devoted to the
theater and the circus and was rarely
missing at the spring comings of the
latter. The theater was his enjoy
ment the year round.
Gen. and Mrs. Sheridan occupied the
fine home at Rhode Island avenue and
18th street, but the latter and her