Evening star., 1934-05-27

mishing going on this morning in the vicinity
of Fort Massachusetts, (near Clagetts place.,
some miles out"
\A nth Gen. Early on the Confederate side
w was Brig. Gen. John C. Breckenridge, a
former Congressman and Vice President of the
United States, and one of the three candidates
who opposed Abraham Lincoln in the presi-
Dental election of 1860. Like Francis Preston
Blair, who came to Washington in 1881, at
the request of Andrew Jackson, and established
here the Globe, in that Presidents interest
Gen Breckenridge was from Kentucky and was
a cousin to the elder Blair Before the war
he had visited Silver Spring upon many occa-
sions. when it the country home of the
distinguished editor of the Globe.
A few days ago the president of the Bright
wood Citizens Association, Charles w. Ray
and the writer sat in the library in the
old Blair mansion, where the senior Blair had
argued and pleaded with Gen. Breckenridge.
then serving in Congress. not to vote for the
repeal OF the Missouri Compromise, which, in
his estimation, If accomplished meant a dec
laration of war against the Union by the
Southern leaders, which could not do otherwise
than end in blood. But Breckenridge did not
heed the advice. and July IL and IL. 1864,
found him occupying his cousins home as his
military headquarters now the residence
through inheritance, of Blair Lee, former
United States Senator from Maryland. through
his mother the wife of Admiral S. p. Lee and
the daughter of Francis P Blair.
1t is beautiful old home and according to
Senator Lee built by his grandfather in
1912 and in addition to meeting here the
Senator, the writer had the pleasure of making
the acquaintance of Maj. Brooke Lee, the son,
an outstanding power today in the Maryland
Democratic party
The Senator said that it was here where the
Republican party was started and many OF the
preliminary details worked out Many promi-
nent persons visited this hospitable home prior
to fha CiU Wor i1pln
Davis, and during the war the Great Emanci-
pator, Lincoln. Pictures of noted men of the
past hang on the walls of this historic resi-
dence, and a large engraving of Gen. Jackson
has particularly prominent setting. The city
is fast reaching out to Silver Spring and the
Blair estate is naturally losing what was once
a considerable acreage, through the residence
and the grounds now surrounding it are still
very attractive.
A AAJ. GIST BLAIR in his annals Of Silver
tNi Spring." gives an interesting account of
how his grandfather was prompted to pur-
chase this tract Of land upon which he later
built the present residence as his country home
making it his permanent residence subsequent
to 1884, when he gave his city home. opposite
the White House. to his son, Montgomery Blair.
Lincoln's Postmaster General The story told
by Maj. Blair follows:
MY grandfather, who had been brought
from Kentucky by Andrew Jackson, President
of the United States. soon after his election,
rode into its delightful wilds his horse
Selim and discovered the beautiful sparkling
spring from which its name IS derived. .
He had purchased this saddle horse from Gen.
William Lingan Gather, after whose family the
prosperous town of Gaithersburg, in Mont
gomery County, takes its name, then a repre-
sentative man, and while he was riding Selim
one day outside the boundary of the District
of Columbia his horse became frightened and
rider
thick growth of pines in the valley to the
west of the road which is now known
Georgia Avenue, in the District of Columbia,
formerly Seventh Street road, in the county.
HE followed his horse into the woods and
found him SHARED by the reins by bush which
had caught the reins dangling, and near the
place was beautiful spring full of white sand
and mica which the guSh of the water from
the earth forced into small column. sparkling
as it rose and fell like silver. He was charmed
with the spot and purchased the property. 1t
was not dear, and have parchment certit-
cate showing that some of the land was bought
direct from the State.
My earliest memory of Silver Spring in
cludeS this beauty of the spring described by
him and quite famous at the time, but, alas it
is now no longer the same. The column of
shining silver, sand and mica. ever risingS ever
falling, ever sparkling in the water and the
sunlight presided over by marble statue
of beautiful water nymph, placed there by
my grandfather and it was endless joy for me,
a little country boy, to sit and watch and
dream upon this exquisite combination of white
marble and living water. But, like many
dreams of childhood, it has gone. freshet
caused by heavy storm washed earth from
the surrounding country into the spring and
destroyed the sand and mica.
mo effort has since been able to renew the
simple beauty of that early Silver Spring The
sand does not sparkle as it did. nor the mica
shine in the sunlight, and have heard people