Evening star., 1953-01-11
By Jessie Font Evons

Mrs. Charles Thomas Watson
of this city is the possessor Of
the diaries of her grandmother.
Elizabeth Steel Wright, from her
wedding day in May, 1845. when
she was 81. until her death in
1913 at the age of 88. This
span Of 81 years, covered in
II volumes. constitutes one of
the longest. continuous examples
of diary-keeping in existence, l"
Mrs. Watson believes.
This feminine Pepys. who
shares his gift "for recording
small events and large in a lively
and interesting manner" mar
ried John E. Wright, we'll
known science teacher and lee
turer Of his day. AS a bride
and later as the mother of their
three children, she accompanied
him on his far-flung journeys,
north, east. south and west.
meeting unbelievably primitive
living conditions with a matter
of-fact philosophy. For in
stance, there is this early entry
made in Illinois in 1847, 1--WE
sleptup aloft in a one-room log
house and any one can sleep as
well aloft as anywhere if they
think So."
A cousin of Noah Webster
through her grandfather, Josiah
Steele, Connecticut Revolution
airy patriot. Elizabeth Steele
Wright's diary entries do credit
to her famous kinSman, who
compiled the first "Webster's
Dictionary" and Spelling Book. F"
Invariably they are set down in
clear, concise phraseology, with
only very rarely a mispelled
word.
Born during the early days
of John Quincy Adams admin
istration she lived to witness the
Inauguration of President Will
son.
Her saga of the itenerary upon
which she accompanied her
husband is an Americana of the
development of our Nation from
tinder box, flint and steel to the
approach of the Civil War,
when he was accidentally killed
in a hunting accident. It also
constitutes a veritable travellers
directory of the roads they ira
versed, and the streams they
forded or were ferried across.
An entry of April 8. 1850, con-
Germs their first trip to the Ma
tion's Capital. Gen. Zachary
Taylor was in the White House,
successful candidate of the
Wings in the last election this
party was to win. She writes:
stopped overnight at Occo-
quan, which will never be large.
1t is too near Alexandria. From
Alexandria had pike the re-
manning 8 miles. Crossed the Po-
tomac on a mile-long but rath-
er Indifferent bridge. However,
1t serves the purpose. Found to
our regret John c. Calhoun had
been buried at noon. We should
have liked to honor his memory
by attending his funeral. Walked
to the Capitol Building and
found it inspiring with its beau
tifully laid-out grounds, planting
chiefly evergreens, white pine
and arbor vitae. It's two foun-
tains were not playing. Liked
particularly the pictures in the
interior of George Washington
and the Embarkation of the Pill
grims."
OF their visit to the Presidents
House (the White House, she
says: "It is much better looking
than we expected from the de-
scriptions of it. We happened to
meet "Old Zack" president Tay-
lori standing before his door.
He urged us to come in but we
declined and continued our stroll
through the grounds" This cas-
ual time in the little town of
Washington on the banks of the
Potomac was at a time when res
olutions requesting the admis-
sion of California as a State and
the organization of New Mexico
and Utah as Territories were be-
fore the Congress of the United
States.
Another visit to this. city dur
ing Senator Blaine's time (the
red brick residence which he oc-
cupied Is standing fronting Mas
sachusetts avenue above Dupont
Circle brings forth this COM
ment: "His daughter has just
been married to some German