Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-08-07
WASHINGTON Letter
By HERBERT C. PLUAfNIER

WASHINGTON, Aug. Tn east Washington,
near the Anacostia river between Potomac and Penn
sylvania avenues. lies 31A acres Of ground-the
gloomiest spot in the national capital, yet one OF the
most historic.
1t is off the beaten track Of tourists. Unless the
visitor knows about the place and expresses a desire
to 60 there it more than likely will 60 unnoticed.
Since 1907 the place has been known as the Con-
gressional cemetery. Within are buried some of the
most illustrious people in the history Of this country.
1t is hard to imagine an enclosure more gloomy.
Located in the vicinity Of an almshouse and a work.
house. even the surrounding neighborhood is one that
definitely depresses.
The veStry Of Christ church in Washington found
ed the Congressional cemetery in 1907, when it issued
an appeal for funds to provide a place for interment
Of the bodies Of the prominent men in national life
who attended services there.
MARKERS FOR ALL
The original idea was to put up a stone for every
member Of congress who died during his term Of Of
flee, whether he was to be buried there or not. Thir-
teen United States senators, including William Pink
ney Of Maryland. and approximately so representa-
tives were buried there.
In 1876 congress took cognizance Of the rapid rate
in which the cemetery was being filled up. Conse-
quently, in that year a law was passed prohibiting the
erection Of cenotaphs to members Of congress unless
their bodies were actually inferred there. Some ITO
cenotaphs had been placed there, 100 Of which we're
for government officials and 76 for senators and rep
resentatives.
A stroll through these 3l4 acres and one will run
across the graves Of men who have long since been
forgotten, but who during their life played en- impor-
tant part in the history Of this country.
Tobias Lear. the long trusted private secretary
Of George Washington, was buried there after he had
committed suicide.
TWO IN SAME
The bodies Of Captain Beverley and Abel Upshur,
secretary Of state. lie in the same grave. resting ex-
actly as they died in the explosion Of the u. s. S.
Princeton.
Push Ma Ia Ha. the famous Choctaw indian chief.
rests there. He was a member Of the DELEGATION Of
his people who came to Washington in 1924. On
Christmas eve he died Of Group in the capital. His
last words, When I am gone. let the big guns be
fired over me" are inscribed on his tomb.
William Writ, who wrote The Life of Patrick
Henry" and was attorney general Of the United States
from 1917 to 1920, is buried there.
George Clinton. an early governor of New York
and vice president Of the United States, also rests
there.
One Of the most interesting graves Is that Of a
Count Gurowski He was the husband of the infanta
Of Spain and was a figure in civil war days. Gurow-
ski was intimately known to the diplomatic corps and
was generally deemed a SPY. His body lies under a
crested stone.
There are many others. Frederick William III,
king Of Prussia, ordered a monument erected over the
grave Of his resident minister, the Chevalier Freder-
lex Grehun, who died in 1923. which may still be seen.
Prime Minister Macdonald is in complete control
as long as he can please his own party and the Lib
erals and Observation-Disclosures News.