The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-27
T0PERPETUATE
MEMORY OF
LAFAYETTE

| New York. Feb. 27.--A memorial in
France to the Marquis do Lafayette,
to perRetuate the memory Of this
famous Frenchman through good
works, is the accomplishment in 4
period of four years of an American
society known as The Lafayette Me-
mortal, which has the support and
operation Of large number Of
prominent French and American
men and women. The memorial to-
day is not project, but 4. going
concern, taking the form Of II school
and orphanage; pre-tubercular
sanitarium, and finally museum.
1t is the purpose of the society to
maintain the Chateau Lafayette, in
central France rs Il permanent me-
mortal to the marquis and to the
memory of the allied heroes who were
killed in the world war. 1t should
become members of the society say,
an American national memorial like
Mt. Vernons on the Potomac, the
BIZ thplace of George Washington.
The memorial is located in the old
Lafayette chateau, at Chavagnac, $50
miles south of Paris, where the
marquis was born in 1857. This
property, consisting Of various build
ings and ITS acres OF land, has been
acquired by the society. The chateau
was the home of Lafayettc's ances-
tors for centuries, and here the
French hero of American independ-
ence- grew up to early manhoo The
h,,l
necessary, and made sound and solid
throughout. New structures have
been added to the group, and every
thing has been provided, in the way
Of improvements, for the health,
comfort and proper education Of the
children cared for by the memorial.
A modern water supply has been in
stalled, and modern plumbing and
sanitary equipment have been es-
tablished in all the buildings, which
are served by modern sewage
disposal plant. Electric light and
central heating have been put in, and
a modern dairy with fine herd has
been established to furnish the best
milk and butter. Part of the do
main' has been undermined and cx-
tended so as to afford the finest of
farm products. A cobblcr's shop has
been created to make boots for the
children, and there is carpenter
shop for estate repairs. Modern fire
protection has bccnj installed. There
ARE baseball and football fields, ten
mis- courts and swimming pool.
In the SCHOOL and preventori I'M
which house today a total of $50
children. war refugees and war or.
phans, the outdoor training of an
American school is given. The
young sters are taught boxing,
BASEBALL, etc, and also receive q
tirst-class training for the French
baccalauroate examination. When
they are O.d enough these boys will
he sent out to receive training in
the big businesses Of America
such as tlc Unitcds Stltcs Stec!
60, General Electric Company
etc. Forty of the boys in the
school are French. % Russians. 80
Polish and ten ITALIAN.
The lead Of the school is an cX-
perienced Anglo-SaXon master as
sisted by an able staff. It can
safely be said that nowhere in
France is there a groro of boys OF
similar ages, from s to 1G years,
receiving better education than
the boys in the Lafayette School,
The preventorium is run on the
lines employed by DR.. Roller in
Switzerland, and in cooperation
with the department Of public by
@iene OF the French government
Here some 200 de'inate children
from 5 to IL years old, threatened
with tuberculosis, are given sun
light, good food. and careful atten-
ton. When their health permits
they are given elementary educa-
ton. and later they may pass on to
the advanced school in the cha
teau. q.
The museum is housed in the
chateau itself and centers in the
room in which E1fayette WAS born.
| Here are manv interesting relies,
such as Washinton's duelline pis-
tolls, which were given by him to
Lafayette; the snuff box given to
Lafayette by the city of New York:
q ring of Benjamin Franklin with
some of his wife's hair in It, etc
There are also many relics of the
recent war. such as the uniforms
OF General Joffre and other lead
ers. guns, gas-masks. para chutes
| etc