Evening star., 1936-03-22
Exhibit of Priceless antiques
Is Scheduled In GeOrgetOUn
Treasures of Past and Present to Be
Placed on Display April Is to II in
Parish Hall of Christ Church.
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
PRINGTIME'S challenge, Come,
let's be journeying." is in the
air in Georgetown. All Of
Christ Church's parishioners
who have felt the urge are on a treas
ure hunt, the like of which has never
been known there before. The steer
ing committee is headed by Henry S.
Matthews, jr., aided by such valiant
marshals as N. w. Dorsey. Mrs. H.
Hollerith, Mrs. Louis Mackall, Miss
Emily C. Matthews, Miss Leila Mech
lin, Ernest Mechlin and Mrs Spencer
S. Wood. Each in turn heads special
searching parties with jealous lieuten-
ants organizing still other groups. In
fact Chairman Matthews aim is that
the entire church parish shall consti-
tute itself committee of the whole
so that not a single treasure in
Georgetown shall have escaped the
attention of the various scouting par
ties. What are they seeking? George
towns antiques; those treasures of her
past and present now held in priceless
custody by their owners.
The plan is to have them on display
in the Parish Hall of Christ Church
at Thirty-first and o streets on three
days during Easter week, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday, April IS to IT,
from 10 am. until pm
To bring this about, the grandsires,
grandmothers, the fathers and sons,
the mothers and their pretty debutante
daughters of old Georgetown, aided
and abetted by those Georgetown has
adopted because of their appreciation
of those things Georgetown cheriShes,
are banded together in a trail Of treas
ure-hunting that promises treasure
house of heirlooms undreamed of by
the motivators of the idea. 1t Is even
the plan of the committee to have a
luncheon or a friendly cup of tea
served in hospitable fashion to those
who journey to this rendezvous of
Georgetown's treasures with its inevi-
table turning back Of the pages Of
history. local and national.
Nor is it the committees idea to
have this display just heterogeneous
collection Of antiques as such, but
rather to have them so arranged that
the charm of Georgetown home of
the long ago. will be simulated. with
various members Of the committee
serving as friendly host and hostess
guides.
Comments Are Overheard.
Over the telephone. in committee
meetings. on the streets, in drawing
rooms and even in church aisles you
will hear such exclamations as these:
Yes, Cousin Georgana really is 60
ing to lend us the chair in which
Henry Clay sat for his portrait which
hangs in the Senate gallery"
"Great-aunt Susan is sending that
sampler done by little Sophia Cropley
in 1909"
well, you should see the letter
from Gen. Lee which grandfather has
promised me-"
I have secured the ribbons that
adorned the ill-starred Maximillian
at gala fete when he was Emperor
of Mexico"
Prepare to turn green with envy
when you see the gown worn at La
fayette's ball, which is my treasure
trove," says a pretty debutante. III
can squeeze myself into it, may
appear in an impersonation of my
ancestress."
If you will" challenges the elderly
scion of one of Georgetowns most
honored families, IN let you pose
for your picture in that dining room
chair from Mount Vernon, whose legs
| were sawed down to accommodate
Mistress Washington's lesser height
| than her liege lords. I have never
been able to bring myself to part with
( 1t, even to complete the set of IL of
which they have II at Mount Vernon
But I'll send it visiting Just this once. "
oh" calculates another triumphant
treasure seeker, your finds are just
hopeleSSly modern. Wait until YOU
glimpse the silver tea -caddy which has
been promised me with the date 1850
| stamped on its back. Did you know
that it went quite empty for a long
time during Colonial days? We didn't
have Boston tea party here in
Georgetown, but some prominent cit
izens of the port just ordered ships
carrying tea not to land but to return
| to England, and this tea-caddy was
purely ornamental for quite a while
| afterward."
Offers Table From RosedaIe.
whist players please take note"
| says some one, II am to exhibit the
table that used to sit on the porch at
RoSedale, Gen. Forests farm house,
which is now owned and preserved by
Mrs. Avery Coonley in Cleveland Park
Gen. Forrest and his distinguished
friend. Gen. Washington, used to sit
occasionally about this table at q
game of whist"
That's an idea" remarks a friend.
We have on our very own mantel an
old French clock which was the gift
of Gen. Lafayette to Gen. Forrest
I'll lend it,
"And speaking Of the French, some
one ought to have Cousin Sally send
that silver dish of hers with a tor
which Napoleon presented to one OF
his marshals, can't for the life ot
me remember the special one, but she
keeps all Of the data about it on a
paper inside of it."
Maybe you aren't aware of this
chimes in another. "but Georgetown
had silversmith by the name OF
C. A. Burnett, who was as famous in
this section as Paul Revere was in
New England. Aunt Susanah has
more Burnett treasure-trove than any
one else in Georgetown. I know she
will let us make a special exhibit OF
her silver"
Would you like to display some
200-year-old bed quilts?" inquiries one
who has a special fondness for them
II can lend you Gen. Augustine
Willett's Revolutionary War commits
sion and a cabin compass owned and
used by Commodore Truxton when he
was in command of the Constellation,
If you would care to display them" !"
offers another old resident.