The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-09-21
NEVADA LETTER Of
|. WASHINGTON NEWS
ESPECIAL CoRREsPoNpENcEl

OtpltHiDeT 10 Ichiiiiucu Ihc Wlitc
of a promise to tell more of th'
young lady's experiences while sh'
was being chaperoned by Mrs
Tasker L. Oddie in Washington.
Mrs. Oddie had invited Mrs
George Mills, Mrs. C. d. Ayres an,
Mrs. Rose V. S. Berry, all Ne
vadans at heart, to help enter
tain the Rodeo Queen" while max
ing the trip to Arlington, Alexandra
and Mount Vernon. Mrs. Mills ha
since returned to Nevada. Mrs
Berry, who formerly lived in Tono
pah and Carson City, is chairman
of fine arts department of the Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs. She il
doing research work at Corcorai
Art Gallery and living at the newt.
acquired headquarters of the fed
Grafton on N street.
The first stop was at Arlington
where Miss Harrington visited the
grave of Darrell M. Dunkel. In case
other Nevadans may want to find il
while in Washington it may be wei
to say that it is grave 1926. Mrs
Oddie frequently takes flowers Out
to decorate it. Many remark that
they wish all parents whose sons are
buried at that wonderful cemetery
might visit the place and feel the
sense of life-not death-that is
there. Hundreds visit it daily and
it is far from being a lonely, de.
serted place.
1t is no great distnace from Ar
lington to Alexandria and Christ
church where Washington wor-
shipped. The members of the party
sat for a few moments in the pew
formerly occupied by George Wash
ington. An organist was playing as
they enterde and again was apparent
the sense of peace. "Verily their
works do live after them
Then came a visit to Carlyle
House where the first thought Of
the Constitution of the United
States was born. Some time was
spent in the room where the little
band of loyal Americans drew the
first draft of that revered document.
After a few moments of contempla-
ton, visit to the cellar with its
tomblike room where Indians were
imprisoned during that very time
gave an added insight into the cri-
cumstances that had helped to make
those signers so fitted to know what
the future needs of the country
would be.
After leaving Carlyle House Mrs.
Oddie, who is splendid driver,
parked her car under a big oak
tree and produced delightful
lunch which had been prepared for
her at the Senate dining room,
Her guests showed their apprecia-
ton of her thoughtfulness both by
word and action.
Upon arriving at Mount Vernon
the alertness of the hostess was
again apparent, as she evidently had
friends at court" and had made
arrangements for the Nevada ladies
to be admitted to rooms not open
to the general public. The room
in which Washington died was
noticeable for its simplicity. 1t
seems that it used to be the custom
to close room for months after a
death had occurred, so Mrs. Wash
ington took the room directly over
that one because it overlooked her
husbands tomb, and she sat at the
window for hours daily.
The women who have given so
much time and thought to restor-
ing Mount Vernon to its original
state have certainly worked under
difficulties. The dining room table
is not the one used by Washing
ton, because the man who has the
original refuses to sell it for less
than $125,OO0.
In what is called 1.-THE River
Room" guest room overlooking
the Potomac, Mrs. Washington's
eldest granddaughter had written
with her diamond ring on the win
dow pane her name and the date
August 2, 1892. Names written
in the same way on other windows
in two of the guest rooms were as
follows: Sarah Champs Broken
brough, Port Royal, July a, 1929;
Mamie Alexander, Charlotte Alex
ander, 1850; Jennie C. Washington,
October, 1857; Cornelia Lee, March.
1856; Jennie Lloyd, Frances Fitz-
gerald Lee, June, 1889.
While admitting their love for
the sagebrush the Nevadans fingered
for some time in Mrs. Washington's
garden, especially admiring the box
hedge which she planted so long
ago. Our guide informed us that
Lord Balfour when in Washington
remarked that Mrs. Washington's
hedge was the most beautiful that
he had ever seen. And England is
noted for its beautiful box.
The return trip was made Just
in time to see glorious sunset