Evening star., 1926-10-31
Tales of Well Known Folk
In Social and Official Life
Maj. Grant to Beautify Byways of Capital-Mrs.
Medill Mccormick May Have Home
Here This Winter
BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.

BY MARGARET b. DOWNING.
Maj. U. s. Grant. Sd, superintend-
ent Of public buildings and grounds,
is with his staff making plans to have
the byways and roadsides about Wash
ington bloom from early Spring until
all vegetation is cut down by the
frost. This Is to be accomplished by
the scattering of seed in places whlch
seem congenial and by naturallZing
of bulbs and vines formerly wild in
these regions, but long since annihi-
lated by the wheels Of progress.
Next Spring, unless nature is par
ticularly stern and capricious, popples
will bloom in sunny spots along the
road and in shady spots violetS Will
again blossom in many shades, and
ycrbenas and wild geraniums will add
their banner of color to a gay scene.
All this has been happening in older
cities and their envirOnS for many
years past. Maj. Grant has many
times had his attention called to the
stiff, tall iron fence in front of the
White House, and so, too. had many
superintendents Of the public grounds
and running as far back as the time
uf Col Theodore Bingham. But, ap-
parently, nothing which would really
remedy the matter is feasible.
1t appears necessary to have Such a
stout, formidable barrier between the
Presidents home and the general pub
lie, though in these law-abiding days,
in Washington at least, 1t could be
imagined that one or two policemen
could keep out intruders and that
properly Worded signs would warn
owners of dogs not to permit them on
the lawn. This has been quite salts
factory in Lafayette Park, where dogs
are excluded merely because they
worry the squirrels and pigeons.
Lovers of beauty would rejoice to see
a low stone fence covered with vines
replace the lofty iron structure now in
service before the White House and
stone arches and sentry boxes placed
at the two carriage entrances.
Mrs. Coolidges love Of colonial
things extends to the colonial gardens,
and the women who planned those at
the rear Of the historic mansions re-
produced at the SeSquicentennial are
most anxious for the Presidents s wife
to see them now in the full pride of
Autumn beauty. Very rev were
planted when the President and Mrs.
Coolidge visited the centennial in
early Summer. The Society of Little
Gardens had this part Of the women's
work in charge and a daintier adver-
tiSement Of their methods could not
he conceived. Tiny hedges of box
not more than a foot and a half high
prevail in all the gardens, both to set
off the walks and to mark the formal
flower beds. Then tall. pale-blue and
deep-purple wild aster, with the sweet
nicotine in various shades OF red,
white and pink in between. are
planted against the fences, while the
1 l.;
nlarigold, the crisplooking bachelors
buttons and the stately amaranthus,
ill the flower beds.
only flowers known during ReVolu-
tionary days are in these little gar
dens and the flower lover of today Is
impressed to find how little real prog
ress has been made in the art of
making a perfect and enduring
scheme of bloom throughout the grow
ing season. The Society OF Little Gar
tlens, started some years ago In Phlla-
,elnhia in a civic effort to clean up
back yards and undesirable lots, has
a membership of thousands now ana
is extending into many other cities.
Thomas Jefferson's lodgings in old
High. now Market, street, in the Ses-
uuicentennial Exposition, are among
the quaintest bits of reproduction
which the woman's committee has
achieved. The old boarding house,
where for almost Il year the author
of the Declaration lived during the
sessions of the Continental Congress
and later when he was Secretary OF
state, was q low rambling domicile OF
brick and on the main floor to the |
left of the entrance was the private
Office OF the head of President Wash |
ington's cabinet. His bedroom was
immediately above on the second floor
and thus simply did the premier pur-
sue his duties, though in the following
summer. he found commodious and
well furnished house in Germantown. |
Many of the original pieces of fur
niture in both rooms were afterward
taken TO Monticello, whore they are |
now. Others were bought by Jeffer-
sons descendants and have been
loaned for the decoration Of his former
home on High street. A sturdy Penn
sylvania chair of the prevailing type
of the early 1770s is much inspected,
for. on the arm prop. the great states
man is said to have made corrections
Of and annotations to the momentous
document which he wrote in Month
cello and carried in his gig to Philadel-
phia. This possession he was unable
TO carry to Virginia. or when he went
TO France because of the unsettled
conditions all about the Quaker City,
and ne conf1ded 1t to the care Of an
old cabinet maker with whom he was
on the friendliest terms and from
whom he had bought the chair origin
ally and he reclaimed 1t on is return.
This venerable relic is now owned by
Col. Hollis II. Randolph. n grandson
three times removed. who lives In
Atlanta, Ga.
Lady Astor again raised the ques.
ton during her recent visit to Wash
ington of the eXpediency OF trans
forming the handsome terraces of the
Capitol into a succession Of glassed
and screened dining halls after the
manner of the British Parliament,
where the tearooms are as important
almost as the committee quarters.
But Washington does not take tea
SO seriously nor does the Senators or