Evening star., 1934-06-17
ST. MARYS CROWDI
SWELLS TO 3O,O(O|
Tribute Paid Free State
Founders as Pageant
Ends.
BY JOHN L. HACKNEY.
Star Correspondent of The Star.

Washington and Baltimore congeSted
with the cars of close to $4,000
people.
After a somewhat slack opening
day, automobiles from all parts OF the
North Atlantic coast filled Southern
Marylands limited roads to pay trib-
ute to Leonard Calvert and the ad-
venturous gentlemen and ladies who
Joined him to come from Cowes 300
years ago, bearing the charter OF
Lord Baltimore to set up a free state
where civil and religious freedom was
unquestioned.
This historic region was fortunate
in having a typical Southern Mary
land Summer day. There were no
clouds to mar the ceremonies. but at
noon the heat reached point which
made it almost impossible for the
thousands to keep their seats in the
temporary stadium on Governors
Field.
Many Treated for Heat.
The 1O4th Maryland Medical Regi-
ment maintained a field hospital and
kept more than two dozen little crews
UuSy ylllS lIlC N1NIAhAo Vi eAiS ASoV
to the field station opposite the re-
produced State House that was dedi-
Gated in the forenoon by Gov. Albert
c. Ritchie.
In spite of the excessive heat that
sent close to 100 people to the hos
pital, there was only one serious ac-
cident. Corp. Arthur w. Plummer
of Catonsville, Md, State policeman,
was thrown from his motor cycle less
than three miles from st. Marys City
and because of his injuries had to be
taken to the Maryland General Hos
pital at Baltimore.
Up to o'clock last night only one
Washingtonian had been treated for
heat prostration. Ralph Williams, AZ,
first block of Rhode Island avenue,
collapsed in the grandstand just as
the Piscataway Indians were making
their way to shore to greet the Ark
and the Dove Calvert's two boats.
The ceremonies this afternoon re-
peated the pageantry of Friday, but
the cast, responding to the effects of
a larger audience, put snap and grace
in their performance that was a great
improvement over the first days
production.
Ritchie Accepts Building.
Only about half the days crowd
was present when Gov. Ritchie ac-
cepted the reproduced State House.
Judge T Scott Offut Of Towson pre-
sented the historic building in an
address in which he reviewed the sue
cessful efforts of Maryland's first
colonists to make their own laws and
worship as they saw, fit. The example
set then Judge Offut said, has given
to the world a precedent Of freedom
that is now the custom of the world
but then was an innovation of bravery
and daring.
The Governor IN response sum-
married the occasion with the state
ment my only purpose today is to
justify the name which Maryland
earned through Lord Baltimore's
policies and practices, the cradle of
civil liberty" e.
Because of the excessive heat the
morning program was cut short and,
while officials considered poStponing
the afternoon pageant, the Indians
and Calvert gentlemen stepped on
the stage promptly on time. Even
as the Ark and Dove rounded Chan
cellors Point, the crowd defied the
sun and crowded into the grand
stand and along the bluff that forms
the campus of old ST. Mary'S Acad-
emy to see the first Marylanders land.
Leonard Calvert, played by William
G.. Fenwick, direct descendant of Will
liam FenWick of the original party,
sent ashore the colorS of the CalvertS
and a few minutes later landed,
wrapped in the heavy robes of 300
years ago.
Gov Ritchie last night was host to
Capt. w. H. G. Fallowfleld, COM
mander of the British cruiser Dun
dee, aboard the Dupont of the Mary
land State fleet Added to the party
today were the Governors two Secre-
taries, Miss Elizabeth w. Smith of
Annapolis and Miss Virginia Ellinger
of Baltimore, who came down by spe-
cial plane shortly before noon.
An interlude, unexpected and sur
prising, was the arrival at the State
House of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Ed
wards of St. Georges Island to pre-
sent to Mayor Frank Jackson of
Baltimore pan full of biscuits. Ed
wards rowed to st. Marys in tiny
skiff to bring the food to Baltimore's
first citizen.
Tonight all of ST. Marys River was
aglow with the fleet of private boats,
Navy vessels and river packets that
have been moored off shore since
early yesterday. During last night.
several score additional boats, most
of them from the Maryland Yacht
Club at Baltimore, put in, and all
during today and tonight the river
was a scene of activity and unplanned
pageantry.
Included in the boats to arrive today
was the steamer Potomac from WASH
ington that brought down several
hundred employees of the National
Recovery Administration. They brought
along their base ball team to meet a
Southern Maryland team from the
Civilian Conservation Corps, but be-
cause of the heat the game was called
off.
Dances End Celebration.
The pageant and celebration ended
by a series of dances and receptions
aboard the boats anchored off shore
There were exchanges of visits between
the British and American Seamen, but
no salutes were fired, and the entire
social aspect of the evening was in
formal.
But formality remained on the
streets and roads of this section of
Maryland because of the continued
prevalence of seventeenth century
costumes. Even though the pageant
and celebration was over. players in
the historic perturbation of Maryland's
founding didn't take time out to take
off their costumes. Most of them de-
fed the extreme heat to remain as
lords and ladies, but the good-natured
atmosphere and typical Southern
Maryland hospitality made up for the
suffering caused by the capes and
coats that added grace but no COM
fort to the Calvertians.
Police made special point of escort
ing any one in costume bound north
"a