Evening star., 1925-08-16
Tales of Well Known Folk 4
In Social and Official Life
Washingtonians Doubt That the President Has
Chosen White Court as Permanent Summer
White House-Caf 1t Improbable

Prather Fletcher. has passed one of
/ the busiest Summers which has been
! his lot since he entered the foreign
service, for an endless procession of
| Americans wendS it's way to the
Eternal City, some pilgrim to the
shrines Of the Holy year and as many
attracted to the italian capital by the
picturesque scenes to be witnessed
during a pilgrimage period. One of
the many beautiful spectacles to be
seen in late July was the feats OF the
flowers In the small village Of Gen.
zano, in the Alban Hills, perched high
above the Roman Campagna. For CEN
turies a floral carpet has been woven
OF wild and cultivated blossoms, a
task which occupies the people of the
village all day long and when the car
pet is laid there Is a grand procession
of the sacrament in which all the
mountaineers and residents of Cen
zano join: The carpet stretches the
entire length of the principal street
and would be perhaps a third of a
mile in length. The Ambassador and
Mrs. Fletcher, with a number of
friends, motored up the hills to Gen
zano In time to see the carpet laid and
1t was an unique experience. Each
household along the route takes care
OF certain amount of space and be-
sides displays flowers in windows.
Senator Tasker Lowndes Oddie of
Nevada Is invariably named among
those members of the high legislative
chambers, whose terms are about to
expire, as rather uncertain of future
success. But recently Senator Oddie's
chances seem TO show and upward
trend and the general verdict is that
he is due to have another term In the
halls of legislature. Which" Is agree
able news to Washington for the Capt.
tai has a special claim on the states
man from Nevada and looks to him to
continue his good work In the matter
OF his great-grandfather, Benjamin
Stoddert, first Secreatry of the Navy.
Mr.. Stoddert is the only instance
which a citizen of the District Of Co
lumbia securing such a plum as being
appointed in the cabinet He is Off
cially listed among the counselors of
John Adams as of Maryland and he
had substantial interests in and about
BladenSburg. which was his birth
place. But he lived in Washington's
mother city, Georgetown. when he
was invited into the cabinet of Presi-
dent John Adams, to make its sixth
member and to represent the sea de-
IeIlSS nOIOF6O Tor the UrSC time with
portfolio of It's own.
This was in 1898 and the splendid
mansion designed and built by Ben
tamin Latrobe sat in a spacious park
known then as now as Prospect HILL
The grounds descended in terraces to
the Potomac, where Mr.. Stoddert's
great warehouses were filled with pro-
duce which his ships carried to every
port in the known world. A renowned
rNf eAt I've
father-in-law, Christopher Lowndes of
Bladensburg. Col. Stoddert won this
title most gallantly at the battle of
the Brandywine and built such ships
as the Constitution, the Constellation,
the United States, and some half a
dozen others. Yet the Capital City has
utterly neglected this notable son, and
the present generation looks to his de-
scendant now in the Senate to repair
this long neglect A statue Of this ex-
cellent citizen of the District of Co
lumbia would look very fine in the
green space before the present NAVY
Department.
Mrs. Robert Bacon has just termi-
mated the friendly court proceedings
with the other heirs of the late Secre-
tary of State and Ambassador to
France and has come into complete
possession of the beautiful estate in
the Westbury section of Long Island.
Representative Robert Low Bacon has
smaller place quite near his mother
which is all he can attend to at pres
ent with his legislative duties and
private interests in New York City,
and he gladly sold his claims to the
property as did the other heirs Mrs.
Bacon, who hovered for a time be-
tween establishing a year-round house
in Westbury, or in Newport, where
she has been spending the Summer
with the three small daughters of her
son in her charge, has finally de-
cided on Westbury, and will soon be-
gin certain remodeling of the man
sion she has had in mind for some
years.
Mrs Bacon has been conspicuous in
the activities of Westbury for so long
that her decision to remain there has
called forth an ovation. She will be-
gin her repairs at once and hopes to
be In possession of the family estate
before Christmas. Representative and
Mrs. Bacon, who are now in Manila,
expect to return early next month, but
they will remain only briefly on Long
Island, as their three little girls at