Evening star., 1938-10-09
By John Clagen Proctor.


terday, and though We pride
ourselves upon being good American
citizens, few of us have any genera
idea as to what has transpired in this
country during that time. Few coulo
even tell, without looking the matter
up, what men have served as Presi-
dent during these years. what out
standing things they did, if any. ano
where they are buried.
Indeed, it is quite probable that the
average person would not make so pei
cent on this question, even if the time
were reduced to 20 years instead of
hundred, which clearly indicates how
very soon our conspicuous men pass
from memory.
OUR own Washington and Lincoln
will always be the best remem-
bered of our Presidents, and yet, If a
poll were taken, it is more than likely
that not more than one adult in four
could tell where either President is
buried.
But, after all, though this lack of
knowledge may seem lamentable, yet
1t only demonstrates that we are really
soon forgotten and that greatness
exists but for short while and then,
like John Browns body, lies moldering
in the grave for eternity.
America has brought forward many
important men, aside from those who
have held the Office of Chief Executive
and many of these, as in the case OF
our Presidents, have almost dropped
out of sight To the former group the
District of Columbia contributed one
very important national character, not
a native of the District, but one who
established himself here and claimed
this city as his official home. This
man was John Hay, statesman and
author, who, when assuming the office
of Secretary Of State, on September 80
1898, in the cabinet of President Nc
Kinley. did so as John Hay of the
District of Columbia"
OF course, it is very unusual for the
District to have accredited to it a
cabinet officer The only other occa-
sion when this occurred was when
President Lincoln made Montgomery
Blair his Postmaster General, unless
we include Secretary Daniel c. Roper,
who has lived here off and on, and
geherally on. long enough to qualify
for membership in the Association of
Oldest Inhabitants.
WHAT makes reference to John Hay
w OF particular interest at this time
Is the one.hundredth anniversary of
his birth, which occurred Yesterday,
he having been born at Salem,
Ind, on. October 8, 1888, his parents
being DR.. Charles Hay and Helen
Geonard) Hay. John Hays middle
name was Milton but this he dropped
when he left Brown University In an
address made by Mr.. Hay before the
Ohio Society of New York, January IT,
1903, he summed up his family con-
nections and his life's activities,
saying:
when I look back on the shifting
scenes of my life, if, I am not that
altogether deplorable creature, a man
without country, am, when it comes
to pull and prestige, almost equally
bereft as am man without State.
81 was born in Indiana, grew up
in Illinois, was educated in Rhode
Island, and it is no blame to that
scholarly community that I know so
1ift1o 7 Loo ad q in, Cr,rjn0 0f1n1d
and my politics in Washington, my
diplomacy in Europe, Asia and Africa
have farm in New Hampshire and
deskroom in the District of Columbia
When I look to the springs from
which my blood descends the first
ancestors I ever heard of were
Scotchman, who was half English, and
a German woman, who was half
French. OF my immediate progenitors,
my mother was from New England
and my father was from the South
In this bewilderment of origin and
experience I can only put on an aspect
of deep humility in any gathering of
favorite sons and confess that I am
nothing but an American"
John HAYS first residence in
Washington was at the White
assistant secretary to Mr.. Lincoln when
the martyr President came here in
1851. He was then % years old, a
graduate of Brown University, Provi-
dence, r. l., a city that has recently
undergone so much distress caused by
the ravages of the hurricane and tidal
wave that also did so much damage
to property in other parts of New
England, and which resulted in the loss
of many lives. He also studied law,
but seems to have preferred writing to
Blackstone's Commentaries, and it was
not long after he came to Washington
that we find him writing a story for
Harper's New Monthly Magazine on
Col. Edward Dickson Baker, United
States Senator from Oregon, who died
in battle near Conrads Ferry, October
21, 1861. This death was also CON-
memorated by lines written at the time
by the youthful son of the President,
William w. Lincoln, published in the
National Republican, November 4, 1851,
as follows:
Lines
On the Death of Col. Edward Baker.
There was no patriot like Baker
So noble and so true;
He fell as soldier on the field,
His face to the sky of blue.
His voice is silent in the hall
Which oft his presence grac'd,
No more he'll hear the loud acclaim