Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-04-01
NATIVES SOCIETY
BANQUET PLANNED
Bishop Freeman to Open An
nuaI Dinner to Be Held
April Is.

Right Rev. James E. Freeman,
D. D., Bishop of Washington. will
open the proceedings at the coming
annual banquet of the Society of Ma
tives of the District of Columbia, at
the Burlington Hotel on April Is. He
has communicated to'the society his
acceptance of the invitation to- de-
liver the invocation on that OCCASION
Plans are almost completed for the
anniversary celebration Among those
who Will participate In the program
are Mrs. Ethel HoltzcIaw Gawler
whose accompanist will be Mrs. Elsie
Cranmer; George H O'Connor. with
Matt Horn; W. Alfred Falconer, in
dialect stories; w. S. Santelmann, with
violin selections; Ambrose Durkin,
baritone; Arthur B. White, dramatic
features, and there will be song spe-
cialties in which the banQueters will
join. One of these is a new song for
the occasion by John Claggett Proc
tor. the president of the society.
While not officially listed among the
worlds leading silver throated warblers,
nor among Americas topnotch chorus
directors, Mr.. Proctor is a historical
poet OF the society and also the Asso-
citation of Oldest Inhabitants and the
Columbia Historical Society. and will
lead in person the singing Of this new
song tribute to Washington
To Commemorate Anniversary.
The dinner will commemorate the
134th anniversary of the laying of the
corner stone of the District of Column
bia at Jones Point, below Alexandria,
now Virginia, and the 125th anniver-
sary of the removal of the Federal
government from Philadelphia to
Washington The corner stone was
laid with Masonic ceremonies on April
Is, 1871, the first instance of a ma
tons founding Of its seat of gov
eminent on new ground by legislative
act 1t was on July 10, 1890, that
Congress, without fixing an exact. To-
cation, authorized the removal of the
seat of Government to d site some
where on the Potomac River between
the mouths of the Eastern Branch,
now southeast Washington, and of
the Connogochegue River, which is
seven miles from Hagerstown, Md,
and approximately 100 miles from
Washington, by December, 1900.
George Washington not only signed
the bill for the Territory of Column
ba." as the District was, first known,
but rode over the entire stretch of
available land along the banks of the
Potomac within the specified area be-
fore selecting the present site of the
National Capital, Just as the power
full Algonquins, for generations be-
fore, had selected the same section-i
what is known to Washingtonians as
Capitol Hill-as the common meeting
ground for their confederated IndianI
pow-wows.
Congress Chooses Site.
On May 10, 1909, Congress, then
meeting in Philadelphia, agreed to
hold it's next regular session in Wash
ington the following November Two
days later President Adams ordered
all Federal offices. records and per-
sonnet removed to Washington for
opening of business June Is and the
President left Philadelphia for Wash
ington on May 81, 1900.
The Society of Natives will cele-
brate these two events historically
vital to the National Capital. The
society was organized several years
ago to maintain this spirit of patri-
otto native pride. Its membership
comprises approximately 500 people,
many of them among the most repre-
sentative citizens of Washington. And
in keeping with the progress of the
Nation it's officers include representa-
tive women as well as men. Among
it's officers, for this reason, are Miss
Eta l.. Taggart, vice president, a
lawyer following the footsteps of her
father, who was long conspicuous in
the District bar; Miss Margaret E.
Forbes, a vice president, and Mrs
.Zell Weaver Oatley, chairman of the
entertainment committee. both promi-
nent in the educational circles of
Washington: Miss Emma A. Bright,
recording secretary, and Miss May
L. Hungerford, corresponding secre-
tary, respectively, identified with the
Government and Red Cross activities,
and Miss Maud Burr Morris, his
torian, who is an officer of the CO.
lumba Historical Society.
Other Officers Named.
Other officers of the Society of Ma
tives are: John Clagett Proctor, pres