Evening star., 1954-10-10
Constitution Signers' Letters
Will Be Presented to OAR

| Will Be Presen
The National Society, Daugh-
tiers of the American Revolution.
on Tuesday will come into pos
session of an important collec-
ton Of letters and other docu-
ments of the signers of the Con-
stitution. Papers of other Revo-
lutionary War figures are also
included.
In the collection are letters Of
George Washington. Benjamin
Franklin. John Dickinson, Alex
ander Hamilton, Hugh William
son, Thomas FitzSimons and
Daniel of st. Thomas Jenifer
(the "of st. Thomas is a middle
name carried for generations in
his family.
Originally the collection was
assembled by the late Emil
Hurja, Washington newspaper
man. The donor OF the collec-
ton to the Daughters is Mrs.
Wade H. Ellis, widow Of the for
mer attorney general of Ohio
and former assistant to the At
torney General of the United
States. A constitutional law ex-
pert. he practiced law here for
many years.
A member of the Susan Riviere
Hetzel Chapter of the Daughters
here, Mrs. Ellis is giving the COL
lection in honor OF her sister,
Miss Luella P. Chase, national
museum adviser Of the National
Society, OAR. The collection will
be added to the OAR museum
here
Formal Presentation.
The formal presentation will
take place at the museum, 1776
D street NV, at 4:30 pm. Tues.
day. Guests will include mem
bers of the national board, ma
tional chairman and state
regents of the OAR.
The principal address will be
made by DR.. Wayne C. Grover,
Archivist of the United States.
The original Washington let
ter, included in his leading
biographies. is addressed to the
Rev. Jonathan Boucher. tutor Of
Washington's stepson, John
Parke Custis. ~.
Dated at Mount Vernon, Janu-
ary 2, It'll, it reads in part:
"In respect to the kind and
manner Of his studying, leave
it wholely to your better judg-
ment-had he begun. or rather
pursued his study of the Greek
language, I should have thought
it no bad acquisition, but whether
to acquire this now, he may not
forego some other useful
branches of learning is a matter
worthy of consideration. To be
acquainted with the French
Tongue Is become part of polite
Education: and to a man who
has the prospect of mixing in
a large Circle absolutely neces-
sary. Without Arithmetick, the
common affairs of Life are not
to be managed with success. The
study of Geometry and the
Mathematics with due regard
to the limites of IT'D is equally
advantageous. The principles
of Philosophy Moral. Natural. &c.
I should think very desirable for
a Gentleman; but as I said, I
leave the whole to your direction,
with this earnest request that,
in whatever kind of study you
think proper to engage him, he
may be kept diligently to it. for
he has no time to loose"
Benjamin Franklin, a good
penman and a printer. in It'll
wrote to a friend about a few
seeds from India. On April %,
1893, Alexander Hamilton de-
livered an opinion about insur-
ance on the Schooner Belfry."
Funds for the Friends.
On December Il, 1885, John
Dickinson, then a member Of
Congress from Delaware. wrote
to his cousin, James Pemberton.
turning over 200 pounds to the
Society of Friends in Philadel-
phia for the relief Of "those
poor who may be sick and in
prison."
Hugh Williamson Of North
Carolina, heroic war surgeon Of
the Revolution, wrote q letter
to Thomas Hutchins about con-
gressional discussion Of an ofil-
cial geographer or land surveyor.
This is dated from Annapolis,
May 10. 1884.
Thomas FitzSimons Of Phila-
delphia. whose picture is the
only one missing In every collec-
tion Of signers Of the Constitu-
ton, is represented in the collec-
ton by a letter dated July 5.
1886. This was written to Mich
olas Low, ESQ.,, on behalf Of q
friend in financial difficulties.
Other Documents.
Other letters and documents
In the collection to be presented