Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1899 — IN HONOR OF WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

IN HONOR OF WASHINGTON.

Exercises Commemorating the lOOth Anniversary of Hie Death. The 100th anniversary of the death of George Washington, the liberty loving revolutionary leader and first President, was observed throughout the United States! Thursday. In Washington City and at Mount Vernon the anniversary was celebrated with impressive Masonic ceremonies. President McKinley and his cabinet took part in the exercises, as well as delegations from about fifty lodges throughout the United States, England, Canada, Nova Scotia and New Zealand. At sunrise guns from Fort Washington began sending their noisy tribute to the honored dead lying at Mount Vernon on the opposite bank of the historic Potomac. The echoes reached Washington city and gave the signal to the host of Masons gathered from far and near that the ceremonies of the day had begun. The procession to Washington's tomb was composed of the Master Masons of the District of Columbia. Following these came the officers of the grand lodges of the District and of Virginia and the grand representatives of the lodges of twenty States, together with various civic, and military organizations. An interesting figure in the procession was George Washington of Shepherdstown, W. Va., the grand nephew of President Washington and the son of the last Washington to own Mount Vernon. R. T. W. Duke of Virginia, the eighth descendant from Gen. Washington, also took part in the procession. The procession, headed by the Third United States cavalry band, marched down Pennsylvania avenue and Seventh street to the river, where boats were taken for Mount Vernon. Meanwhile, at 10 o’clock, President McKinley boarded a special electric train to go to Mount Vernon. He was accompanied by the members of his cabinet and invited guests. On arriving at Mount Vernon the procession was reformed and moved to the historic mansion, where President McKinley joined the column. It then marched to the old vault, to which the remains of Washington were consigned Dec. 18, 1799, moving by the same path and in the same order as in the fun-eral procession of 100 years ago. The places of honor at the vault were given to the representatives of the lodges with which Washington was identified in his lifetime. A solemn dirge by a band was followed by prayer by Bishop Randolph of the Southern Episcopal diocese of Virginia.