Evening star., 1940-05-26

Eleanor Fuller) Martin, Mrs. Sarah
Patterson (HeiskelD Williamson,
Mrs. Emma Josephine (Parker)
Karr. Carrie Emeline Marsh, Benja-
min P. Watrous and Mrs. Cornelia
(Hascy) Young.
The Presidents pioneer ancestor,
Claes Martenszen Van Rosenvelt,
did not arrive in the New World un-
til 1649, and then undoubtedly land
ed at New Amsterdam, now New
York, which was taken possession Of
by Henry Hudson in 1909, in the
name of the Dutch East India Co.,
and settled by the Dutch In 1913.
Captain In Revolution.
One authority tells us that this
Claes Van Rosenvelt had a son
named Nicholas who was an alder
man of the Leislerian party, and
although burger of the major
right" espoused the popular side Of
the contest of the colonies with the
mother country. After Nicholas, we
are told, came Johannes, and then
Jacobus Roosevelt, father and son.
who attained no special prominence,
and next, James I. Roosevelt, who
was a captain In the New York
State troops during the American
Revolution. and of blood relation.
ship to the Bogerts, Van Schaicks,
Verplanks, Van Dykes and Schuy-
lers.
The word "Van," as here used,
stands for son." just as 20" and
Mac" substantially mean in Irish
and Scotch.
Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, an
uncle of President Theodore Roose-
welt, but more like our present Chief
Executive in politics, was appointed
by President Grover Cleveland, in
1888, minister to The Hague. where
he remained until 1890. In the Boer
War, his sympathies were with the
Dutch and he was member Of all
the committees to aid them in their
war with England. Naturally, there
has always been a warm feeling be-
tween the Roosevelt clan and the
people of the Netherlands, and the
celebrated Holland Society of New
York has always had among its
membership prominent members Of
this great family.
Bonds Floated.
Somehow, when we are criticiSing
this country or that country for
not paying its just debts to Uncle
Sam, and they certainly should do
so, we rarely, if ever, consider the
times when our own city and the
United States as we'll had to 60
abroad to float its bonds, and the
chances, too, that the other coun-
try was taking at the time.
One Of these instances occurred
back in the days when the Chesa-
peake & Ohio Canal was under con-
struction and heroic efforts were
being made to make Washington a
great trade center. 1t was in 1927
that this city subscribed for $1,000,-
900 for stock in this company, and
Georgetown and Alexandria $125 900
each. Apparently, these cities did
not have a cent at the time. In
order to pay their subscriptions,
Richard Rush was authorized to
negotiate loan in Europe, and one
was obtained in Holland from the
firm of Crommelin & Sons of Am
sterdam in 1929. The loan was
due in 1885, and Congress-, which
had urged the cities mentioned to
participate in the investment, was
forced to come to the Districts res
cue to keep it from going into bank
ruptcy.
Nearly all tourists take in the
Island of Marken when visiting
Holland, and well they should, for
it is about the only place in the
Netherlands that one sees the ma
tives in the costumes shown In pic
lures. When our own Helen Hayes,
as a child years of age, started
her theatrical career, she sang at
the Belasco Theater in Miss Minnie
E. Hawkes. players, Down by the
Zuider," in costume such as one
might see on Marken Island.