Evening star., 1942-08-09

A trip that | Jeanne bariho".
like to recall is one I made to his
toric Williamsburg, capital of Vlr-
ginia from 1899 to 1899 1t is only
100 miles from Washington-but, OF
course, that has become a great dis
tance these last few months.
Late in May, 1888, Miss Belt, my
sixth-grade teacher, told the class
how the town had been restored to
re-Revolutionary appearance by
John D. Rockefeller. jr,, and urged
us to visit it over Decoration Day.
I passed the advice along to my
father, who had read of the recon-
struction, and he said he'd like to
make the trip.
Arriving about noon at Williams
burg, was impressed by its appear
ance and surprised to see many au-
tomobiles from distant States. I
went through the Capitol, the Public
Gaol. the Raleigh Tavern, the Lud-
well-Paradise House and the Gov
ernor's Palace.
In the appropriately furnished,
spacious rooms of the palace and in
the ballroom it was easy to visualize
this place as the scene OF many ele-
CANT social functions.
There were many pretty gardens
and small buildings. The separate
kitchen was a good distance from
the dining rooms. Pewter plates,
with space for hot water under the
food to keep it warm, were used.
Spices were rare and so expensive
that they were kept locked up in an
ornate chest. During the rebuilding
a cellar found intact revealed sew
eral hundred bottles of wine.
Patrick Henry and Thomas JEFF
ferson. in turn, occupied the Execu-
tive Mansion. After the seat OF
Government was moved to Rich
mond the palace served as military
hospital for brief period. Wounded
soldiers from the Army of Gen.
Washington occupied it during the
seige of Yorktown. In December,
1881, it was almost completely de-
stroyed by fire. 1t was rebuilt in
recent years. however, over the
original stone floors, wall partitions
and chimney bases.
The Public Gaol disclosed a more
gruesome side OF Colonial life. The
bare cells, which were never heated,
contained only a heap of straw for
prisoners who could not provide
their own beds. The prison fare,
which consisted mostly of salt beef
and Indian meal, was received by
the inmates through shutters or 6
inches wide. The doors, about as
thick as walls, had immense keys.
Petty offenders we're punished by
having their arms, feet or head
placed in stocks close to the street
so that passersby could jeer at them.
With a little difficulty, we found
rooms for the night. We were told
that the previous night some visitors
had been obliged to sleep in their
cars.
After breakfast, I went to see
William and Mary College, the sec
ond oldest institution of higher
learning in the United States and
the alma mater of several Presi-
dents, including the revered Jeffer-
son, chairman of the committee that
drafted the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence.
Leaving Williamsburg, we drove to
Virginias first capital, Jamestown
about IL miles away Founded in
1907 by Capt. John Smith, it was
the first permanent English colony
in the New World. Pocahontas, ar
Indian princess, married John Rolfe
in a Jamestown church OF which
some of the original walls remain
She kept peace among the colonistS
and saved the life of Capt. Smith
when she tribesmen wanted to xii
him.
From jamestown, we went tt
Yorktown. where Maj. Gen. Charlie
CORVALLIS surrendered to Gen
Washington. This was the battl'
that gave us our independence.
We ferried across the York Rive
to Gloucester Point, at Fredericks
burg. I went through the hom,
which Mary Washington occupied
during the last II years of her life
! also saw the Block. the only horse
chestnut tree left of the l3 planted
by Washington, and the law office @
James Monroe.