Evening star., 1921-02-27

record Of a will by Margaret Ham
mersley or James or Mary Lati-
more or I.atimer has been found
Analostan Island evidently came into
the ownershop of Francis Hammer
sley, husband of the daughter of the
grantee Brandt, for he sold it to
George Mason, the date of the deed
being August %. 1717.
Analostan Island was mortgaged to
the Bank of the United States by Gen.
John Mason in 1926. In 1929 a second
splendid mansion to secure Gen. Ma
sons Endorsement of other mems
notes In 1888 the bank foreclosed
the mortgage. In 1912 the bank sold
the islands to John Carter. John Mar
bury. executor of the will of John
liam A. Bradley. In 1889 Reginald
Fendall. trustee under a deed of trust
from Powell NJ. Bradley. Frederick w.
Bradley and Maria G. Bradley, leased
the island to the Columbia Athletic
Club. the lease being signed by James
Perry. secretary of the club. This is
just sketch of the path which
stretches out ahead of the Rambler,
and he will not slight Tony Rodier's
long occupation of the island as an
excursion place.
ten about the house that stood on the
island, the people who lived there
and the children born there. The ruin
of the house. the west wall of which
is standing, the mounds Of debris, the
massive foundation walls and the
deep, wide cellars show that it was
one Of the great houses of this part of
the world The financial tragedy
which caused the loss Of this home to
its builder must be sad story. The
records in the office of recorder Of deeds
throw no light on why Gen. Mason need
ed the sums of money which he borrow
ed from the Bank of the United States
in 1925 The aggregate of several prom
issory notes signed by Gen. Mason
and his wife. Anna Maria Mason, in
that year was s2S.5o0. 1t must have
been an unfortunate business adven-
ture he entered upon. There is also
no light on the reason which caused
Gen. Mason and his wife to execute
a second deed of trust in 1929 to Sc
cure the Bank of the United States
on notes Endorsed by him, but which
were made by John w. Bronaugh.
John Cooke. William Brent, jr.; Edgar
McCarty and Brent and Cooke.
1t was after the loss of his beautiful
home and his beloved island that Gen.
Mason went to live at Clermont,
his possessions toi his wife and his
children, Catherine. James NJ. Mason
and Eilbeck Mason.
X *r*
In "The Chronicles of Georgetown
from 1851 to 1873" written by Richard
P. Jackson is this reference to the
Mason home on Analostan Island:
Just opposite the town id Analostan Island,
embracing near 100 acres, and is denominatrd
Mason's Island, being the former residence of
the late Gen. Mason. VIII" entertained Louis
Phillipe when Oh visit TO the United States
in 1913. james VI. Mason. late Confederate
minister TO Europe. was born there The
dweiing 1 In which so much much psinesiy Hospitality M
civil war. The island is now used as a pleas
ure resort. A stone causeway connects the is
ed in 1895. at heavy expense. for the pur-
pose Of improving the channel ~ the river by
throwing the whole body OF water on the east
ern side of the island. s- a.
AS the Rambler nears the close of
this narrative he wishes to bring up
causeway which connected Analostan
Island with the Virginia shore. He
wants to introduce you to Thomas
Moore, engineer in charge of that
work. and a man who has many other
claims to notice. Some of the facts
friend. Caleb S. Miller, descendant
Of the engineer.
Thomas Moore was, born June -,
1860, and was civil engineer. scien-
tific farmer and a clear and forcibIe
writer. His father. Thomas, a member
of the Society of Friends. came to this
country from Ireland about the mid
die of the eighteenth century and
settled in Pennsylvania. where he
married. He soon moved to Loudoun
county. Va. and settled at a place
then called AIilltown. He followed the
r n IN L, OF nd hao
man of influence in his community.
His influence is indicated by the fact
that when he proposed changing the
name of the settlement to Waterford,
after his native town in Ireland, the
change was made and it is Waterford
today. The son. Thomas. September
81. 1871, married Mary. daughter of
Roger and Mary Matthew's Brooke of
Sandy Spring, Md, and in 1874 he
moved to Maryland and began farm
ing on land owned by his wife near
Brookeville. He became one of tile
ducing methods which were of bene-
fit to agriculture. He invented a
number of useful things and among
these was the refrigerator, the fore :
runner of the devices now in use, and
the patent for the invention issued
in 1903. and signed by Thomas Jeffer-
son. President. and James Madison.
Secretary of State. is in possession of
Isabel and NJ. Janet Miller of Sandy
Spring. his great -gra nddaughteTs
Moore published book in 1901 bear
ing the title. The Great Error of
American Agriculture Exposed. and
Hints for Improvements Suggested"
One of his principal objects in writing
that book. "A copy of which is in the
Library of Congress. was to advocate
deep blowing and he seems to have
been a pioneer in this matter.
1t was as a civil engineer that he be-
came best known and he was engaged
iE several important undertakings which
he carried through with credit. In 1905
he was employed by the city of George
town to construct the causeway to con-