Evening star., 1937-08-29
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY,

Apropos OF the recent opening by King
George VI of the National Maritime
Museum at Greenwich, England, Repre-
sentative Schuyler Otis Bland, 4 Vir-
ginian Of the old school, calls attention
that this Nation has a splendid maritime
history and while there is no national
museum on this subject there is near the
city of Newport News, Va. the Mariners
Museum, nautical treasure house, inter-
national in scope This was founded in
1880 by Archer M. Huntington 1t was
created not merely for exhibiting inter-
estlng objects or marine curios. but its
character is primarily educational 1t
occupies a tract of 900 acres bordering
on the James River. formerly called
Powhatan after the Indian emperor, but
later changed in honor of the English
King. 1t is hard by jamestown. the first
English settlement in the New World.
This is all historical naval territory
In every epoch Of our national life. and
renowned for shipbuilding during 300 un-
broken years. On this reservation has
been formed Lake Maury. named in honor
of Matthew Fontaine Maury, celebrated
Virginia oceanographer lieutenant in
the United States Navy, author and later
commodore in the Confederate Navy
known as pathfinder Of the Seas" On
cidentally. Representative Maury Maver-
lex Of Texas is one of direct descendants
He had an important part in founding
the United States Naval Academy at
Annapolis
The entire history of water traffic is
covered In this collection including the
Eskimo kayak, Chinese sanpan, Virginia.
built dugout, various historic anchors,
including some barnacle- -encrusted speci-
mems from vessels trading the Spanish
Main: handsome bronze cannon which
originally guarded a Cuban fortress;
flgureheads on pilasters, dominated by
an enormous carved eagle with 16-foot
wing spread from the steam frigate
Lancaster, the finest workmanship OF the
master carver, John Hadley Bellamy.
The most arresting single exhibit Is
gargantuan Portuguese fishing boat.
There are paintings by the greatest
marine artists Of the world One collec-
ton of outstanding interest are objects
recovered from the British warships sunk
in the York River at the siege Of York
in the mud for century and a half.
There are models and half models Of
famous ships, including the Monitor and
the Virginia Merrimac. The history of
the whaling industry that made New
Bedford famous is told in exhibits. The
library on marine subjects contains
already more than 10000 volumes. The
reservation is also being developed as a
wild life refuge.
Folks who leave Washington for a
change Of scene in the Summer time and
to meet new faces often encounter old
and familiar ones. So testifies Roy l..
Whitman, one Of the official reports Of
debate in the House. Near the summit
Of Grandfathers Mountain at Linville
Falls, N. c., he met up with Eiler Unmack
Larsen, whom he had last seen on an F
street corner, clad in mountain garb,
hatless, and with luxuriant hair and
whiskers flowing in the breeze-accom-
panied by his dog Happy" Larsen sent
a greeting of good cheer to his many
friends In Observation-Disclosures he had
stopped off for 2h years, break in
his hike from Mount Katahdin. Me-. over
the Appalachian Trail to Florida. with a
60-mile detour to Washington, via Har-
pers Ferry and Great Falls, where Hap
py" annexed himself. His trip covers
more than 900 miles of mountain trails,
and he has already stopped in so c. c. c..
camps Whitman brought back q mes
sage of cheer and optimism from this
Old Man of the Mountains to those here
who knew him when"
Was Albert Gallatin the founder of the
Ways and Means Committee, the rev.
enue Legislation committee OF the
House? This question Is raised by Rep
resentative Albert J. Engel OF Michigan.
prompted by a report from the Library
Committee on resolution providing for
q pedestal for the Gallatin statue, which
gave him that credit.
"In the interest of accuracy and to
correct the record" Representative En-
gel submits the results of extensive re-
search to show that while "Mr Gallatin
was a great character in American his
tory" yet his studies disclose that
Thomas Fitzsimons Of Pennsylvania.
and not Albert Gallatin, was the first to
suggest the Ways and Means Committee;
that committee was organized In the
House six years before Gallatin was .
member" Mr.. Engel is prepared to sub
NIT his records to any authority inter-
estsd In determining the truth In this
coutroverU.