Evening star., 1917-03-18

W
Pocahontas will occur on March
81 next. According to cotem-
o porary chroniclers. this Indian
girl did more to influence the fate OF
the western continent than any other
woman except Isabella. for 1t was she
who kept alive the Feeble germ of the
first colony. planted in Jamestown,
which was to take root and grow, the
foremost unit in the group which be-
came the United States.
AT least ore organization will COM
memorate this anniversary with due
ceremony. This is the Pocahontas Me-
mortal Association, n society number
ing several thousand men and women
in every part of the United States.
whose aim has been to keep before
the eyes of the american people the
debt OF gratitude they owe to the
daughter Of PoWhatan. who saved
from annihiIation the Virginia colony.
ny not one. but by many deeds of hero
ism and sslf-S.tCTittCc, and who crow ned
her services hy becoming the first true
American ancestor Of the nIted states.
As tangible appreciation of the
services Of foCaloHtas to the nation.
the memorial ASSOCIATION Will celebrate
the precautionary of her death by the
erection Of statue "a jamestown.
Va. where I he learned to know and
trust and love the white settlers. where
throueh her efforts alone the colony
was able 10 survive and where she
finally married one of its members.
John Rolfe.
The bronze statue of Pocahontas the
work of William OrdWay Partridge. is
now complete and ready to he set upon
the pedestal awaiting II at the historic
landing place of the English colony. of
which John Smith was the strongest
low q nj -
$4,000. which has been met. with the
exception of a balance of $1,000 still
due the sculptor.
OWN to the desire of the Pocahon-
tas Memorial Association that the
statue be not set in place until the
memorial is entirely paid for: also be-
cause Of the uncertainty of the March
weather on jamestown Island. the
monument will not be unveiled until
l-.er in the season, and memorial ex-
ercises will be held in Washington.
The statue represents the Indian girl
at what was perhaps the most crucial
moment of her life, when through the
dark woods she came alone at night to
tell the members Of the colony of her
fathers intended treaChery. Her face
depicts the anguish of entreaty, while
her exquisite hands implore the men
TO prepare themselves to meet ii. This
single one of many of the devoted and
unseltish acts of the girl is in itself
worthy of national remcm brance, for
but for her foresight and heroism on
this occasion the jamestown colony
might have been wiped out and the
whole history of this country might
have been different.
In commemoration of the tercentenary
of the death of Pocahontas the Library
of Congress will also pay national
tribute to the first American ancestor
of the United States by holding an ex-
hibition during March and April of pic
lures, books and writings relating to
the Indian princess. To its own memen-
tos will be added those collected by
the Pocahontas Memorial Association
The story of Pocahontas and her rela-
tion to the first Anglo-Saxon colony to
take root in North America provides
the most romantic chapter which the
United States has to show, and It Is
only IN the perspective of time that it
stands out in all its true beauty and
significance. Old letters manuscripts
records and books, which have been un-
earthed and examined in recent years
all tend to verihcation of the belief
that Pocahontas was not only a pic
turesque. romantic and lovable figure
among those who had to do with the
roofing of the Anglo-Saxon nation in
the soil of America, but that her deeds
partook of the quality of greatness.
-
The child was from earliest accounts
most attractive elf, her very name,
which means "a sparkling stream be-
tween two hills" bcspeaking the bright
particular -pirit she was. After the
manner of her people, this tribal pet
name of Pocahontas was bestowed only
after she had betrayed some evidence
of her nature: the name given at birth
was Amonate and her secret or sacred
NTatN NOh
Snow Feather"
1t is in this wise that Thomas Studley.
the first cape merchant IN Virginia"
tells the story of the saving of Smith
by Pocahontas, Powhatan's favorite
daughter, who had doubtless come to
know and like the Englishman since
he had been held prisoner for six weeks
among her people:
Being ready with their clubs to beate
out his braines, she, when no entreaty
could prevaile, got his head in her
armes and laid her own upon his to
save hif from death: whereat the EN-
peror was contented he should live to
make him hatchets. and her bella,
beads and copper, for they thought him