Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-03-04
Maryland Was First

~, Maryland, stands an interest,".
memorial to George Washino,o-
which is, moreover, the first mo.,.
ment actually erected to his memo
IN this country, according to ~.
Youths Companion. Although wor.
@as begun on the monument in Nor-.
Vernon place, Baltimore, some vea-.
-arlier, that shaft was not complete
until 1929, but the one on Sour
mountain was virtually built in on.
lay, the Fourth Of July, 1927.
At II o'clock on the morning NJ III.
day all the people of the little setIe
mcnt of Boonsboro-two>. years la,er
contained only twenty-nine houses
went in a body to the point the,
known as Blue Rocks. Some of n.
men had fought under Washington ~
the War of the Revolution. The r..
suit Of the days labor was a monu.
ment built of the stones found on m
mountain. 1t measured ffty-four fee,
in circumference and was raised 70
the height of fifteen feet that dav
Tradition says that that height was
increased to fifty feet in the next few.
days.
A central stairway leads to the sum.
nit. The outlook is over three Coin.
ties; 1t includes part of the route of
Washington's historic trip up the Pc.
tomac, the scene of the John Brown
tragedy, the Antietam battlefield and
a part Of, the old National road. A
white marble tablet was originally set
in the side of the monument. on which
was the inscription, Erected to tbr
memory of Washington, July q, 1927.
by the citizens of Boonsboro." The
slab has disappeared and all efforts 10
trace it have been in vain.
In the course of half a century m,
monument fell into decay. In 1882 il
was rebuilt by residents of Boonsboro.
but stroke of lightning has torn
away part of it. The people of
Washington county believe that If
would be fitting tribute from the
people of the whole country to restore
it, and the matter has been brought
before Congress by the represent
atives of Maryland. The fact that il
IS the first completed monument to
Washlngton-except one in Paris-is
settled by contemporary records.
Will Return Our Soldier Dead.
Colonel Woodson, in command of
me army recruiting service in the
State of West Virginia, has Just re-
ceived the following commune. cation
from the War Department, in the form
OF warning to those people who nave
soldier dead buried abroad: CHAR
private concerns are not to return sci.
der dead"
1t has recently come to the attention
OF the War Department that unscrun-
ulous parties have been collecting
money from relatives of American sol
dlers buried abroad uoon the repre-
Sentatlon that they are aolc to return
these bodies in advance of the GOV
eminent. Solicitations from interest
ca persons in foreign countries were
| iS atNtS conveying the
saric ctfer TO r"'url the bodies earlier
than can be ic"a by the war depart-
ment on condition 0f considerable
financial deposit
Relatives and friends Of America,
soldiers dead in European countries
are cautioned to avoid oil such
propositions. The burial place OF
American soldiers in the field az
operation Of he American Fxpcd:tion-
airy Forces sill remain in custody Of
the war department.
1t is not t~c intention of the de-
partment to r2linquish to private CON
Germs for transportation to the Uo,fed
States OF the soldier dead. All those
who are TO be brought home will be
brought ny the government and a. Is
expense; therefore, no money ,rould
DC paid to az" person for the purpuss
OF secur'T" The return of a body % thy
United States.
Lct'cr About Bob Wilkinson.
Editor Register see bv your pa
per OF recent date that Bob wilkin-
son had landed in good old Shepherds
Town. am lad to know that he got
back safe, for was very much con-
cerned abou; him. We were room
mates, 1nG became fast friends when
ne was here in the institution. He
leit cool record here-worked
steady every day. He cut about all
the wood in sight, looked around.
didn't see any more coming, threw up