davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1928-06-17

mystic rites ahead Of the breeder, max
ing misa.liance.
The seal is broken from the waiting
flower, and now the breeder duSts the
pollen on the rose that has waited to
receive 1t. And once more sealing I'D
his handwork, the breeder must now
abide the decisions of chance as to the
quantity Of progeny that will result
from such cross. Endless disappoint-
ments. sometimes 100 per cent failure.
often follow weeks of the most palms.
taking work. To have produced half a
dozen famous roses in a lifetime Is
rightly deemed an accomplishment al
most TO claim immortality.
DR.. Van Fleet, self-made man. or
at least selt-made scientist, carried In
his head the thousands of crosses. Of
pedigrees. not only of his rose hybrids
but of chestnut. Gamma and gladiolus
experiments also. where other men
would have recorded them in vo!um-
inouS stud books. The unfortunate re-
suit of this is that after his death his
hybrids. unlabeled or ticketed only with
numbers or abbrevsationS ineligible
chiefly to himself, are now almost un-
known quantities, No one can tell
what these plants represent. what their
parentage or their potentialities. He
took these secrets with him into an
other world
His work goes fordward at Bell. Md.
Many thousands of seedlings have been
propGgatcd from his pioneering work.
The American Pillar rose alone would
atone for all the records that DR.. Van
Fleet did not keep. And today all over
Washington in little hackyartls, In parks
an graciou. gardens ar blooming liv-
ing monuments to the man whose life
was dedicated to the rose.
Evening star., 1928-06-17

composer. had Tyre with tbe legend,
"AiWayg III Tune"
LeZaI skaIs have always gone hand
in hand with letter Eeais. The absurd
little object 10 frequently encountered
in legst documentS--the bit OF red.
green or blue paper or daub Of sealing
Waz receives fT0fn lawyers n degree
0f Importance, the only excuse for
which would seem ~ lie In its antiquity,
Certain of cur States nave virtually
abolished the seal, thus depTiying IL ci
any Legal significance Whatever. In
others, however, II continues 70 be used
in all seriousness and sOlenlnity, Many
Judges haze attached " u at almost
magical value,
Eonae years ago an American died
/ Leaving part of his estate to another
. W enjoy while he lived, With ttlf
privilege of deYisiHg IL al his death n
others whom he might select under ila
hand and seal" A document was exc
csitsd 10 6svjeing, the property, hut II
yaA contested by others claiming tas
! property On the ground that the paper
/ contained no zeal after the signature
! and that The devise WaA therefore void
/ A wise Judge after a eiDsH scrutiny
/ ~ ttls signature and d patient ilstEnini
] W the arguments Of counsel, decided
/ thGt ~ tEe snd ~ the signature theri
/ WIS 81 ezsFa scroll 0F flourish f1sds
| with the pen with Wbieh the signature
Vas made, 6gld that this Neg E1ftleien
! jE IsH W constitute real SEAL
Evening star., 1928-06-17

ington that he received world fame and
that honors crowned his long labors.
In 1918 DR.. Van Fleet was awarded by
the Massachusetts, Horticultural Society
what Is perhaps the greatest honor an
American plantsman can receive-the
George White medal for distinguished
services In horticulture. His rose, Miss
Mary Wallace" alone won him three
medals. Then very suddenly death
found him In Miami in 1922. On the
very day of his burial, by a dramatic
coincidence. the city of Portland, Greg.
was to have bestowed upon him a medal
for the Mary Wallace
To appreciate the rare skill OF Van
Fleets creations 1t Is necessary to I'M
derstand something of rose hybridiza-
ton and Its technique. First must be
born In the hybridist's imagination an
idea, or. rather. the ideal which ''e
wishes to attain. Merely to make a
series Of blind crosses would boot the
world but little. But the hybridist, see
ing paramount In one rose faultlesS
color and In another hardness, con-
ceives a rose that shall blend perfectly
these two strains, and sets to work.
Some warm, dewy June morning the
hybridist sets forth into the neatly
marshaled rows OF the experimental gar
den and cuts flower In It's first fresh
ness and carries 1t under a little glass
bell to the species with which 1t is to
be mated.
On the flower that Is to receive the
pollen is generally bag or other cover
ing that has already been secured dur
ing the budhood Of this rose. lest some
wandering bee come marauding, pollen
laden, and unwittingly perform the
Evening star., 1928-06-17

ton and Fort Foote were Government
properties. liquors were not sold on the
premises. On other regular excursion
trips, however, beer was freely sold on
the boat and on the grounds at Marshall
Hall as well.
The Mary Washington had q carry
ing capacity Of 1900 people and in her
day she is said TO have carried more
passengers than any other vessel on the
Potomac. At an early date she was
sold 10 Capt. e. 8. Randall, and she ran
for years between Washington and
River View. until she was succeeded by
the Samuel j. Pentz. After this the
Washington was used for colored ex-
cursion parties to Motley Hall and other
points On the river. Later the vessel
was sold TO Robert Hoffman. who con-
verted IL into clubhouse and anchored
1t at Anaiostan Island. near George
town. Her boiler and machinery were
taken out before 1t became the property
OF Mr. Holtzman, and part Of the ma
chinery may still be in Use in other
boats on the river.
Like 20 many people who. when they
start on the downward grade, are kick
Evening star., 1928-06-17

the proprietor made soap. He also had
guano factory.
No doubt the happiest part Of going
away from home Is the returning, and
quite true this was after a long trip
to Lower Cedar Point or Colonial Beach,
and it was indeed glad lot of young
folks when the band struck up Home,
Sweet Home
Soon We were alongside OF the Arsenal
wall, and the vessel was using its
searchlight to find the dock or TO keep
within the channel. OF course, the
latter was hardly necessary with the
Mary Washington, for her light draught
made 1t almost impossible for her TO
run aground.
Speaking Of steamboats, on the Poto-
mac. It might be Of interest that. in
1913. there were no steamboats, south
of Philadelphia except what Is said TO
have been "a clumsy. nat-bottomed
steamboat called the Columbian" which
had been used on the Potomac TO carry
grain and wood to this city. w. B.
Bryan. In his excellent history of the
National Capital. tells US OF the inter-
estir1g part played by the City OF WASH
Evening star., 1928-06-17
Dr. Walter Van Fleet Long Associated With Fame District Rose C
Gave Life Work in Service of Non-Hs Ambition Was Give to
Every Home in America Perfect Rose Variety

defied the tropic wilderness, and the
call Of that challenge reached Walter
Van Fleet, far away In peaceful PENN
syiyania.
Sterniy his father forbade this mad
cap scheme But the bow had reached
| the age when youth decides for itself
in its own irnpulsiye way. and young
Walter did not hesitate. For many
days no one knew where ne had gone.
A letter brought the news at last 10 the
distraught parents that their son was
already aboard the steamer outward
bound for Brazil.
Even as Lincoln spllt rails, so this
hardy boy worked out his meager pay
in chopping wood for the construction
gang. On and on the two iron rails
pushed into the wilderness. but the
jungle had not yet played It's trumps.
Hostile natives Taided the engineering
camps and many were held as prisoners
young Van Fleet escaped. but then
Brazil played her crueIcst card.
Van Fleet fell Ill with a wasting tropic
fever and lay for burning days and
nights at the door of death. Only re-
turn 10 a healthy climate could save
him, but those who joined construction
parties In the Amazon were usually ac~
ceptEd for their posts on contract, the
railway owners well knowing that were
their iaborere free To leave At the first
touch of fever or their first horneaick~
ness their project would naHer see COM
pletion. 80 Walter Van Fleet lay dying,
practically the tungie's prisoner.
But The fates we're not ready 10 cut
the thread, and In the form Of an ftaI-
ian noblenan travelling In Brazil they
intefyened He saw the dying boy,
rescued him and secretly conveyed him
a great distance down the Amazon,
there W snuggie him OH board a
steamer 10 take him back 10 America.
Even this dose Of the tropics did not
discourage the young nature lover, for
| he was W return 10 Brazil TO collect
rare butterflies for Harvard University.
| Later he visited the isthmus Of Pan
ANA during the unlucky years when DE
| Ikeseps, who had made such q great
success with the Euez, was 10 fall No
sadly IN the attempt w cut the first
canal. Van Fleet made with photo
| graphs q valuable historic record Of that
brave defeat.
Seeking now serious profession In
| life, Van Fleet turned 10 medicine. and
| In 1880 he VISA graduated from the
| Hannemann Medical Coliege In Phila-
deipf1ia with high h0nors. After gradu-
ate work at the Jefferson Medical Coli
iAge, be received an appointment that
| many doctors might have envisd, that
NJ physician 10 the Pennsylvania Rail-
road at Remove, Pa.
But the keen sensibiiitieg of the fI-
tlrf breeder OF Sewers were incapable
Of suffering Lnf gruesoFne nature OF his
duties, whiHh consisted iargeiy In 0per~
aLiDg On the p61f souls who had been
injured by trains. He turned now 10
tins South. and settled down 10 a naedi-
Evening star., 1928-06-17

classic soil, was on the Rumson road
near Little Silver, N. j.
Hltner ne brought with him the four
rose slips that were all that had ma
tured OF carefully planned hybrid be-
tween the old-fashioned tea rose "Sa.
irano. and the more stylish, modern
hybrid Souvenir du President Carnot. .
But these little sacks were to prove
pags OF gold, for In the Fall OF 1899 and
IN 1901 the seeding bloomed at Little
Silver.
Out of about $50 other sorts of roses
IN bloom at the same time Patrick
' Mara celebrated nurseryman in the
employ OF Peter Henderson & Co.
picked out the new hybrid that DR.. and
MRS. Van Fleet had named "Daybreak. /"
OMara purchased the dark-horse rose
and prepared TO startle the world
with 1t. But, unfortunately, In q dis
advantageous season the whole stock
was lost.
Luckily, single plant had been saved
by the doctor, and Antoine Winter, the
great Gamma hybridist OF West Grove,
"a. propaeated 1t and gave 1t to the
world as the DIR Van Fleet rose" over
the protests OF It's modest originator.
Today this rose, so nearly lost TO Amer
lean gardens, Is peerless in It's class as
an all-American hardy pink climber.
And out OF the same box what should
rise TO the delighted gaze of the world
but the Silver Moon" the most widely
known Of DR.. Van Fleets creations, as
beautiful as and far harder than the
beloved old-fashioned Cherokee"
Such work could not but attract the
attention OF the United States Depart-
ment OF Agriculture. which In their
time magnetizes n fair share OF the
great hybridizers and scientists OF the
country At first In charge of the 'lu-
reau OF Plant Industry's new introduc-
ton garden at Chico. Calf. then occu-
pied In investigations OF drug plants at
the Government farm across the Poto-
mac, Van Fleet finally settled down In
rose covered cottage at Bell, Md,
there TO spend with his wife the re-
naming days of his life.
LIS lifelong companion. Sarah He'll
mann Van Fleet was not only his
great romance but NJ ell times his
ardent helper. There Is q story that In
his early married life an opportunity TO
so to Egypt In archaeological work came
to the future rose specialist and that
his wife urged him to accept IL and 60,
He proceeded aa far as New York, and
there he turned In his footsteps and
went back 10 his wife.
Was great Egyptologlst lost thereby? |?
Might Van Fleet have been one OF those
who In later years was TO open the gor-
geous tomb OF Tut -ankh-Amen7 II fate
iealoualy kept him from archaeology, 1t
was To preserve 10 posterity the man
who would create the three finest
American climbing roses In his genera
ton.
The work of the doctor at Bell, Md,
Ii famous now. II was during these
latter years Of his life here In WASH
Evening star., 1928-06-17

be in George WaShington's class for
truthfulneSs. agreed TO catch the
branches Of cherries as threw them to
the ground, and which we were later TO
divide. Up to the top Of the tree
went and laboriously began my part of
the contract. So did the boy on the
ground-for a time But when he had
his fill OF the cherries thrown down
and he made a clean job OF 1t, too--he
departed, and was left to provide for
myself which I did by filling all my
pockets, even to my pants pockets, with
the cherries.
It was quite a job getting out OF the
tree. When I arrived on the ground
looked more like dyed egg than any
thing else one can imagine. Cherries
from head 10 foot, and every pocket
filled with jani--cherry jam The boy?
don't believe have laid eyes on him
from that day TO this. and don't care
to.
One of the places on the river close
TO Washington on the Maryland side,
and which was decidedly noted In the
days Of Mary Washington, was Patsy
Manns "odoriess t?) factory" There
Evening star., 1928-06-17
BY DONALD CuLRoss PEATTIE.

n TOW. when roses bloom in every
N Washington garden. spiliing
NJ over old Georgetown walls,
4 making q bower OF streets In
TakonlA Park and touching
with glory, for a moment, even the
l1urnblest cottage In the suburbs, Wash
ington stops on this day 10 do honor 70
the birthday Of DR.. Waiter Van Fleet,
perhaps the greatest Of all American
rose breeders and son Of the Capital.
II Is strange, some may think, that
Washington should claim a man born
in 1851 in Piermont~on-tile- Hudson,
VINO died In Miami, Fia., In 1922. But
1s1et as Illinois claims Lincoln. who was
born III Kentucky and breatned his last
st the Capital, 50 the District Of Co
iunabss Is proud 10 own as son this
wonder worker in the queen Of flowers,
whose great labosg we're given 10 the
Department of Agriculture, or the C0T-
ernnentE experimental farm a. Bell.
Nd. Just outside the District. The
world that knew him and best honored
him, rose breeders and rose growers all
over the colantTy--all oyer the globe,
indeec~~tnouabt Of him az Washing
tonian.
But even many arden. rose lovers DO
not realize how many Of their fayOrite
varieties they owe " this unaSsuming,
uDhsral1ec country doctor. II was MS
dream 10 give 70 every home IN America
a perfect rose variety that would suit It's
i1eslity and be within the means of the
most modest purchaser.
In i3ls vision he saw ROSE for every
kol1se IN the country. for the little sub
prban bzck yard no less than the mil
ixFlAiFe's miles If white walls around
his estate: for tt7F chill asDeFity Of New
England So;i no less than the luscious
ssygEcaFce u the Eastern Shore. A,ose
ell he stYoyt ~ create for the farm wife
IN the 6esolzte Northwestern plains a
Yass that fi7oslIe snare with her the
Evening star., 1928-06-17
Breeder of Roses to Be Honored by Washington on Birth

hardship Of life there and bring her
every year perennial Joy mad beauty.
Almost every gardener knows his
greatest triumphs, the Silver Moon. the
American Pillar and the DR. Van Fleet,
which. In spite Of the finest work Of
later hybridizers the world over, have
never been surpassed In popular favor.
Each In their class, these three roses
in recent countrywide census were
voted near the top Of mighty list.
Clara Barton, the Lovett Sisters and
Miss Mary Wallace, named for the
daughter Of the late Secretary Of Agri-
culture under whom Van Fleet worked,
are almost equally famous. But many
people. enjoying their blooms today,
have forgotten their kindly creator. and
fewer still remember that from his
skilled hands came such lovely prin-
ceSses among the flowers as Bess, Aida.
Mary, Aunt Harriet, and that In cannag
and giadioh, 100, his genius was dis
played.
FROM his idyilic childhood, spent
with his sisters on q storied coun-
try estate near WiilianSport, Walter Van
Fleet passed 10 life full Of amazing
adventures. Now 1t was his life Itself
now q precious seeding rose destined TO
future greatness that barely escaped
being lost 70 the world forever Born
Of Dutch ancestry, Or. Van Fleet In
herited the racial love Of flowers aid
skill In their culture for which Holland
has through history been famous. Some
ot the native genius Of the tulip breed
ers Of 400 years ago must have been
bred into his finger tips.
The Iad was hut 10 years Of age when
he Was offered job with a e0nstruc~
ton gang In the Brazilian Iungles, part
of q great project that was no less
than the building of railway up the
valley of the Amazon. Here In the
spot that has been called THE White
Mans Grave" once more the white man
Evening star., 1928-06-17
Curious Place Names.
ORIGINALLY Hyde Park, in Lond1

ORIGINALLY Hyde Park. in London.
was the site of the ancient manor
OF Hyde and belonged 20 the Monastery
OF st. Peter, Westminster At the time
IL covered nearly 400 acres. In 1895 II
was conveyed to King Henry VII. In
1862 the Park was cc1c:ibed as THAT
impalGd ground called Hyde Park" and
was sold by order OF the Parliament for
the sum OF 1900 pounds sterling. DE
Grammont referred To Hyde Park as q
barren field In the time of Charles ii.
Although nowadays II is the rendezvous
OF fashion, at one time II was let out In
farms.
Londons famous Rotten Row. II is
interesting 10 know. Is derived from the
French Route du Rot" which meant
the Kings Drive"
Pail Mall gets its name from being
the grounds where King Charles and
his courtiers played the game that was
called pale maiile That game, Some-
times known as paille maille (malletl
through an iron hoop that hung i.am
IN arm on an iron pole.
Evening star., 1928-06-17

sfS eur from a 'fs g. ifasss assn S %
'"s NY father. M.S Ne Alfred Mordsesi, wa.
yoans ;s At tree o pfsn,ed in % front Of bis aO once,
! unfortunately too near the pump that sup
roots soon Stocked up the well. SO the tree
sn:sss ssas s s.i. SsRi H., ii. i Soal: s od m
nc: sure that those S the spesdTay are
The Forestry ASSOCIATION
in speaking Of the weeping willow in
Potomac Park and elsewhere" states
that 1t Is IAN Asiatic species" and as
this authority is conclusive, one cannot
help but agree that from whatever place
they may have come to us. they origi-
nally came from somewhere in Asia
The arsenal grounds themselves are
replete with history. Early known as
, GreenleafS Point, 1t forms a peninsular,
with the Potomac River on one side
and the James Creek Canal on the
other. and was probably first used by
the Government In 1903, when an Army
| supply depot was established there.
| One Of the earliest improvements was
/ the building on both sides of sea wa1
| purposes, many of which stood until
| removed in 1904 to make way for the
Engineer Corps buildings and the Army
War College. The original bounds of
| the grounds are said to have included
73 acres. which, through the reclama-
! ton OF submerged areas, gives 1t now
| something like 80 acres
y y y
DURING its existence as an arsenal
two very serious explosions oc-
CURED here. One Of these took place
August IS, 1914, when the British were
wreaking vengeance on Washington.
DR.. James Ewell. who gave medical at
tention to the wounded. leaves the fol-
| lowing account Of the disaster:
| About q O'Clock on the 25th a British
| captain with a company OF soldiers marched
| down on GreenleafS Point to destroy the
! powder masazine. On reaching the spot,
they found the masazine empty. the powder
| the day before having been taken out and
| thrown into a dry well. The British, being
strangers TO this fact. thre~ lishted
explosion ensned. whereby the ofhcers. and
about 30 OF the men were killed and the
rest most shockingly mangled. Some OF
Evening star., 1928-06-17

tured al last 10 throw himself whole-
hsartedly into the profession that was
10 make his great reputation.
Az new associate editor OF that In
fiusntial farm paper, the Rural New
Yorker, he began what he called the
Rural Grounds" on experimental Prov
ing field for piantA OF all sorts, espe-
cially roses, This spot, now nearly
Evening star., 1928-06-17

ceitful and he imagines that he Is
either falling or rising from the earth
There Is close relationship between
the nerves of the eye and those OF
the internal ear, and some skillful ply
sicians have declared that the doctor
VINO Is summoned To a case of eve
trouble should begin his diagnosis by
careful examination of the periphery
of the outer ear, as well as the mecha-
nism OF the internal ear centers.
Evening star., 1928-06-17

cal practice In the pretty town ot RUS
kin, Tenn.
COME time. no one knows Just when.
- the doctor, during his medical
practice, had begun ~ an amateur 10
explore the magic world Df plant breed
Ing, particularly OF the hybridizAtion Of
rose varieties II was not until 1892,
however. that DR.. Van Fleet. at 80, ysIl~
Evening star., 1928-06-17

ed just a little bit further, SO 1t was
with the Mary Washington, which was
taken from Anaiostan Island and an
chored near Four-Mile Run. where, after
a short period, she was practically aban-
doned and any one who cared TO do so
was permitted to carry away from it
pieces Of lumber or whatever was de-
tachable. Finally, on November 81,
1902, II caught fire in some way and was
entirely destroyed. and that was the
last Of the Mary Washington.
ONE Of the earliest excursions 10 Fort
Washington vividly recall through
an incident which resulted disastrously
for me at that time. 1t was a Sunday
school outing. and naturally we were
all dressed up for this occasion, my
outfit being a light suit OF some sort OF
material. At the Fort at this time
were some cherry trees, quite high ones.
and the sergeant in charge OF the
grounds gave permission TO the boys TO
"help themselves" Forthwith we pro-
ceeded TO do so. One OF my Sunday
school companions. one who will never
Evening star., 1928-06-17

N TOW. when roses bloom In every
Nj Washington garden. spiliing
VI over old Georgetown wallis,
v making bower Of streets In
erniEc...na "a ~ aaA Acaaeiais.n
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-08-13
VISITOR F 70
CHINA IS
FETED

The Minister Of China, DR.. AL
fred SIC, viii entertain at dinner
this evening at the Chevy Chase
Club IL compliment to DR.. Sun
70 the Chinese minister OF recon-
structfon 81 the Nationalist gov
eminent, who is In Washington
for d. day or two. There will be
20 in the company which will I'M
cIude officials and diplomats.
DR.. Sze will return To- Buena
Vista, Pa. where his family IL
established for the summer the
latter part of this week. Desun
SEE, younger son Of the Minister
and Nine. SEE, has arrived at
Buena Vista from England, where
re Is attending school.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-08-13
DAUGHTER OF
Elk -SENATOR
TO WE'D
Victoria Frelinghuysen to
Marry Broker From
New York

The little long.haired Girl, who
used to go with her mother some
times to. the White House to cali
on the First Lady IN the early
days OF the Harding administra-
tion, Is all grown up and is 60
ing to be married very soon.
washington society remembers
her only as this little girl. for,
while her mother has returned
frequently to the Capital fiji her
role as ID. al. Il. official, her elder
daughter has been here but sci.
dom. Had her father been able
ID win re-election To the Senate
over his Democratic opponent,
Senator Edward i. Edwards, some
years ago washington would
have had an outstanding bud M
the Senatorial group last season.
ia New Jersey
Az ii Ii. society here viii have
IA interest IN, but little repre-.
sentation st. the wedding Of Miss
victoria Frelinghuysen, daughter
of former senator and Mrs. 10.
seph s. Fre1Inghuysen, 81 New
Jersey to John GrenviIle Bates,
jr., son of Mr.. and Mrs. John
Grenville Bates. of Morrlstown,
II. j., which will take place on
september 6
The ceremony will be per-
formed Iii st. Bernards Church,
Bernardsvflle N. IT., and recep-
tien viii Be- held at Broolxwood. the
Freling huysen estate All Far Hills,
N. D.
The brides father Is the fourth
member 81 the family who has
been sent to Congress as SEN
ator. she Is y great great era nd
daughter 0f Gen. Frederick Ere.
linghuyseri, who was on the staff
of washington and who served
III the Continental Congress-,
The prospective brides room Is
u member 0f Taylor. Rafes &
Co.. and holds seat on the New
york Stock Exchange.