Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL r. KENNEDY.


Like many another distinguished
Kentuckian, Jouett ShouSe, who now
conducts the activities OF the national
Democratic COMMITTEES in Washington
and who has taken heart especially over
the recent Democratic landslide in the
second congressional district of MaSsa-
ch,Isetts. harks back to historic Virginia
ancestry. A remarkable episode in which
one of his family figured during the
Revolution is described by Representa-
tive r. Walton Moore of Virginia, whose
district includes Louisa County, where
Jack Jouett began his famous horseback
ride that will never be forgotten.
an 1871 the military activities OF
CORVALLIS had compelled Gov. jefferson
and the Virginia Legislature to move
from Richmond to Charlottesville, -
says Representative Moore. In June
/ of that year Lieut.. Col. Tarleton started
on a Cavalry expedition to Charlottes-
Vile with a view to capturing the gov
ernor and members of the Ler stature
He marched as swiftly and as S. ealthily
as possible, and he would have been
successful but for the warning given BY
Jack Jolett, a young captain Of the
Albemarle Militia"
Jouett happening to be at the
| Cuckoo Tavern in Louisa on the night
Of June 3. heard Of the plan, and Al
once, before midnight, mounted his
horse, said to have been the best bred
and f1eeteSt of foDt Of any nag in sever
counties, and began his race for the
safety OF his countrymen. The distance
over the rough byways and trails which
he traversed was approximately sc
miles, and he reached Charlottesville 8
| few minutes in advance of Tarleton, but
in time to enable Jefferson to escape
from Monticello and all of the members
Of the Legislature but six to make theil
escape.
He Travelled much further than Pau
Revere and over q more difficult coun.
| try, but he has been without the koot
fortune Of Paul Revere to have his mid,
night ride celebrated by q gifted poet.
At Cuckoo, which is on the presen
Jefferson Highway, few miles south
Of Louisa Court House, and also IL
| Charlottesville, at the end of the ride
are small monuments commemorative
Jouett's exploit, except for which thu
author Of the Declaration of Independ
ence and three Of the signers who were
members of the observation-disclosures
Henry Lee, Thomas Nelson, who sue
ceeded Jefferson as governor, and Ben
| jamin Harrison, the ancestor Of TIVE
Presidents Of the United States--woulC
4 4 +
Mount Weather, in the Blue Ridg
Mountains OF Virginia. which fOrme
President Calvin Coolidge asked Con
gresS properly to outfit as a Summe
sentative r. Walton Moore of Virginia
in whose district, in historic Loudoul
| County, it is located, should be used TO
! the proposed tuberculosis sanitariun
| for the National Capital.
The state of Virginia maintains sim
| liar sa1itarium in the Blue Ridg
Mountains, and on account of the alti
! ttde and the climate 1t has been fount
that the results are highly satisfactory
| Although there do not attach Il
Mount weather the historic memorie
which belong to so many places In Wiz
ginia, nevertheless it has had q prett.
lively history in the last two decades
It IL tract of land containing abou
ment nearly 20 years ago for use by tn
Weather Bureau, and 1t was activel
used in that way for several years
Then the weather service was discon
| tinued, and since then the tolerabl
expensive and elaborate buildings whicl
were constructed have been In charg
of a caretaker.
Congress authorized the sale o
Mount Weather, and in the Harding
administration q strenuous effort wa
made to have the land taken over 70
the establishment Of q penal institution
for women, but this met such genera
objection that the plan was abandoned
President Coolidge, attracted by tn
proximity of Mount Weather to Wash
| ington, and by the beauty of its loca
ton, suggested that it be withdraw
from the market and permission givel
to the President to have 1t put in con
| dition to have it placed at the disposa
of the President as sort of resting
place for the Executive. Legislation a
requested by Mr.. Coolidge was enacted
But President Hoover fixed on anothe
place in Virginia, farther from Wash
tngton, and so Mount Weather fade
out of the presidential picture.
Now it Is again to be offered for sal
under a provision of the agriculture
appropriation bill which has passes
the House. The highways connectin
washington with Mount Weather ar
Delng made all that any one can desire
and because of It's extraordinary ad
vantages, there are many who believ
that this reservation should be put T.
some such public use as site for tn
new District Of Columbia tuberculosis
sanitar1um.
+
N these Gays or presidential impetu
70 the bodybuilding program, with tn
Federal Government matching tn
States in improvement of q great ma
Honal highway system, there Is dee
Interest shown by many members G
Congress in an old post-road map 9
the United States, published by .-.bra
| ham nr0 d1ou af naArnAfnvlgf1 n ~ 40
actly one century ago. This Abraham
Bradley was at one time Assistant Post
master General Of the United States
The map was presented to the library b.
a descendant, Miss Kate Bradley o
Washington.
It is interesting to recall that in 1907
when the photographic outfit Of tn
Library Of Congress was tiny, post
road map published in 1898 by the sam
Bradley was part of the equipment.