Evening star., 1933-09-17
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.


One Of the very interesting places in
the Capital, little visited by the tour
ist throng. is the Congressional Gene
terry, comprising about 80 acres at the
extreme Southeast. corner of the city.
Its official title is THE Washington
Parish Burial Ground" When it was
established in 1907 by the Vestry of
Christ Church, 1t was designated by
Congress as the place of interment for
practically all Senators, Representa-
tives and executive officers who died in
Office 1t was used extensively for this
purpose up until 1885, and less fire.
quently until 1855.
A feature of the cemetery are the
cenotaphs or official monuments erected
by Congress in memory Of each Senator
CT Representative who died in office, re-
gardless of the fact that in most cases
he was buried elsewhere. The first of
these monuments was erected by the
Government in 1907 for Senator Uriah
Tracy of Connecticut, and the custom
was abolished by act of Congress on
molten of Senator George F. Hoar of
Massachusetts in 1877, who argued that
lit certainly added new terrors to death
to propose that in any contingency
whatever might be the poverty or
degradation of any member of Con-
greSs, his body should be put under q
structure similar to these now there
They have long been described as
unique in their ugliness." They are
of sandstone and consist of a six-foot-
square base, surmounted by a pyram-
idal top to a height of about five feet
The inscriptions were often very care
.leSsly done.
TIE cfficial interments include 1C
Senator'S, IA Representatives and %
other civil and military officials.
One of the arresting cenotaphs, sur.
mounted by an urn and flaming torch
was erected by the Government In
memory Of Elbridge Gerry of Massachu-
setts, a signer and Vice President OF
the United States, whose name gave
us the verb ito gerrymander" The
inscription includes Gerrys memorable
injunction, 1T is the duty of every
citizen, though he have but one day
to live, to devote that day to the good
OF his country" Nearby is the old
fashioned fiat monument to Tobias
Lear, the last private secretary oi
George Washington.
Other monuments of interest are
those to:
Richard Bland Lee. a distinguished
Virginia.
Capt. Hugh George Campbell, U. S
NJ, volunteer on the first vessel OF
war in ITS.
Chevalier Frederick Grehum. German
Minister to the United States. and this
monument was erected "by order of His
Majesty Frederick William III, King
of Prussia
Catherine de Bresson. wife of an
attache of the French ministry
Pushmataha a Choctaw chief, whc
served loyally under Jackson with $500
braves in the Pensacola campaign, and
who in 1924 came to Washington from
Arkansas at the head of a delegation
/ Ito brighten the chain of peace be-
tween the Americans and the Choc-
taws." He died following a visit to Gen
Lafayette. John Randolph of Roanoke
pronounced the eulogy, quotation
from which is on the monument
"Pushmataha was warrior OF grea.
distinction. He was wise in counsel
eloquent in an extraordinary degree
and. on all occasions and under all cir
cumstances. the white mans friend
William Thornton. the original de-
signer of the Capitol. with his wife
Anna. and her mother
George Hadheld and William Elliott
both architects on the Capitol.
William Jones, who served in tbs
battle of Bladensburg, and for nearly
40 years was brigadier general Of the
District Of Columbia Militia
| Gen. Jacob Brown. at the time OF
his death commanding general of the
American Army.
Philip Pendleton Barbour. justice o.
the United States Supreme Court.
Joseph Lowell, surgeon general of the
United States Army.
John w. Maury and John T Powers
once mayors of the Capital City.
| President Taylor. John C. Calhoun
| and Mistress Dolly Madison are among
| those whose remains temporarily restec
| in this cemetery.
:: * x
| Adjoining the Office of Col Edwin A
| Halsey, secretary of the United State
Senate. the first to ever work his wa.
| upward to that Office from a pag
| through more than 80 years of service
is large framed photograph Of Samue
Allyne Otis. the first secretary of tn
| United States Senate This recent ad
dition to the historic furnishings, which
is attracting much attention. and o
which Col. Halsey is especially proud
resulted from curiosity on the part o
| the Senate Librarian. James D. Preston
who also came up from page and ha
co-operated closely with Col Halsey TO
three decades Together they are EN-
hasizing for future generations, ant
making available for the public viey
the priceless original manuscripts Whicl
record the history of the Senate.
II looking through the early files o
the Senate, in quest of the most i'm
| frp
quently came across papers bearing tn
signature of Otis and often caught him
self trying to picture Just what sort o
looking man Otis had been. Recent,
Mr.. Preston went to Boston, ostensibl
| for vacation, but in reality to indulg
his passion for browsing among histori
documents. So he visited the numerou
libraries and historical association
within a 50-mile radius of Boston. H
had an Otis complex bad
In the Athenaeum. on Beacon street
Boston. in collection Of prints Of por
traits by Gilbert Stuart, Mr.. PreStol
came across one which clmaxed hi
search. In all the mental pictures h
had created of Samuel Allyne Otis h
had fallen far short of the aristocra
upon. he frankly admits. His researcl
disclosed that the original portrait
now owned by a great-great-gran
of Otis, living in Boston. but all hi
efforts to meet this gentleman wer
failures.
When he began to realize that he wa
| going to have to return to Washington
without attaining success in his quest,
suggestion was made that he try tn
mother Of the owner Of the portrait
Here he was well repaid for his efforts
This woman, Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis
was so impressed by the enthusiasm h
manifested over the portrait and hi
zeal that it should have proper his
toric place in the Capitol, that sh
promptly offered him the copy tina
was then hanging on a wall in he
Marlborough street home. Mr.. Prestol
believes he made record time in reach
ing that house, and later. when smil
ingly he emerged, he carried under hi
arm large brown paper package tina
to him contained the crowning achieve