The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-11-20
MEMORIALS TO NOTED CATHOLICS

One of the best guides of the many
at the national capitol incidentally
he is Catholic) enlightened the
occupants Of his crowded sightseeing
automobile recently (and among
them were several of Washington's
Oldest residents), when he pointed
out and described in hurried way,
the number Of statues and memorials
which dot the "City Beautiful" of
Catholic patriots and others.
Starting from the union station
plaza, the imposing memorial to Co.
lumbus, who made America possible,
was the first to please and greet our
eyes, as it faces the broad expanse
to the capitol building crowned with
the goddess of liberty. The dedica-
tion of this memorial to him, who has
been styled Americas first Catho-
lic," is still fresh in the memory of
Catholics, and especially, the Knights
of Columbus, when they came from
far and near, In the greatest assembly
that that noble body Of men ever had
and under whose auspices this i'm.
maculate memorial was unveiled.
At the capitol. the bust of Chief
Justice Taney, Maryland Catholic,
was shown. He was the chief justice
of the United States from 1885 to
1864. Here also we saw the bronze
life-sized statue of Charles Carroll
of Carrollton, the Catholic patriot who
made the Declaration of independence
what it is.
Rolling along historic Pennsylvania
avenue, a stop was made in front of
the White House. while the three stat
ues of the three Catholic compatrfots
of George Washington were given an
elaborate description, which they
merit. They occupy prominent po.
sition on the corners of pretty Lafay-
cite Square, and are those of Lafay-
cite, Rochambeau and Koscfusko
with that of Won Steuben on the
fourth corner) as silent guard of
honor to the executive mansion across
the way.
Leaving here, the party whirled out
into Fourteenth street. and passing
the beautiful Franklin park, was be.
held the statue of Commodore John
Barry ("Saucy Jack"), by John Boyle.
erected at cost of $4,000 to the
Father of the American Navy.
Passing on through the fashionable
northwest, the homes of Chief Justice
White, Justice McKenna, of the su.
preme court, and Mrs. Sheridan, the
widow of the general. are shown the
party, while almost in front of the
Sheridan residence is the famous
equestrian memorial to Gallant
Phil" on spirited charger. and show
ing the animal in action. This re-
minds one of From Winchester to
Cedar Creek and Sheridan twenty
miles away"
On the way to Arlington National
Cemetery we stopped by Georgetown
University and on entering the CAM
pus, the statue of John Carroll, the
founder of the college In 1929, and
the first Archbishop of Baltimore
greets you.
Down the hill and crossing the
aqueduct bridge, over the Potomac
and into Virginia, we were soon in
Arlington, the old home of the Lees,
and the well-kept roads and driveways
have at intervals iron tablets bearing
lines or stanzas selected from Colonel
Theodore O'Hara's eloquent poem,
"The Bivouac of the Dead"
In front of the Lee mansion, we see
the resting place Of General Philip H.
Sheridan, beneath grand memorial
of stone. Farther along the gigantic
memorial to General Harney of the
famous Second Dragons, and so on
through the historic cemetery we find
memorials of gallant Catholic heroes
who gave up their lives for love of
country.
The ones mentioned in the forego-
| ing are only few of the many Catho-
lie men who loved, fought for and
died, that their country might live.