Evening Star Newspaper, May 4, 1930, Page 99

i Fy i g2ysge eiky it about 65 years of age, tall and well proportioned, with fine features, straight hair and full beard, slightly gray. His wife was probably not ever 50; a handsome, matronly brunette, upon whom time and the cares of life evidently had rested lightly. *“Their youngest child, a girl of perhaps 15, a very pretty little blonde, seemed to be the pet of the family and a great favorite in the " oldest il et e E fi:g% Eae 2 H ' Fgit Fg Ji 23 gig for she had charms no other woman e'er pos- sess'd.’ ,‘ONEevenlnclnmee.flyputof Decem- ber a crowd of men were sitting in the little tavern in Georgetown awaiting the ar- rival of the Baltimore stage coach. As usual, their conversation was confined to the current subject—the Strathmores. Each one in his turn had some startling piece of news as to what had transpired lately on the island. One man was relating what Mrs. So and So had heard from somebody's Negro, who was well ac- quainted with the man who helped build Mr. Strathmore’s ferry boat. When the coach ar- rived there was but one passenger, a man not more than 30, of fair complexion, golden curly hair, heavy mustache, merry blue eyes with long dark lashes, exquisitely curved eyebrows, strength. The people stepped aside as he walked up to the register and wrote in & plain bold hand ‘Carlos Savoy, Twickenham Park, England.’ 8 “After supper he remarked to the landiord: “‘I understand a gentleman by the name of Strathmore has purchased preperty in your neighborhood; can you tell me where it is sit- uated, and the nearest road by which I can reach it?’ “The landlord answered his gquestion, de- lighted at the thought that at last he had met some one who could and would give him liable information regarding the isle, but much to his disgust, Mr, Savey, thanking him, merely asked that early, and went to his room. ‘The morning he proceeded to the island, where remained until nearly dark. After the guests had all retired that night, he inquired of landlord if he knew of any one the Indian language, as spoken by & he had a half breed scted as interpreter, Mr. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MAY 4, 1930 the Analostans—about a mile west town, on the banks of the Potomac. remained several hours, talking with of the tribe. s “DURING the 10 days that followed, Mr. Savoy remained at the hotel, talking with no one and exhibiting no interest in any- thing or any person except the interpreter. In company with him he would drive to the Indian camp every night, often not returning until nearly daybreak. The afternoon of the eleventh day an Indian sauntered into the hotel and inquired for the half-breed, who, after a few . words with him, took him to the Englishman’s ts. “That night was one probably never for- gotten by the old residents of Georgetown. Soon after dark a servant informed the landlord that the fireplace, while his guest, after locking the door, drew a chair close to his and a low tone inquired: ‘Can you keep a secret?’ “‘I reckon I kin if I choose.’ “Suppose I was to loan you 100 pounds, - out security, for an indefinite period, would ,that strengthen your resolution to keep my sécret?” “‘Wal, stranger, times is pretty hard just now, I think it would.’ “‘Promise me then, that you will, so far as lies in your power, do everything I ask tonight, and that what I am about to tell you shail not be spoken of by you for one month.’ “‘I swar,’ replied the landlord, clapping his right hand over his heart, and holding the left high in the air. * “‘Now,” continued Mr. Savoy, ‘tell me first, is there a minister or priest between here.and Alexandria, near the main road?’ “‘None that I knows of, 'cept the one to Falls Church, a leetle mor'n 5 miles outer your way.’ “‘Very well. I want a carriage, the best you have, with two of your fastest horses, to meet me at precisely 11 o'clock tonight on the op- posite side of the river, at the little black- o Tilting the ring on Analostan Island. "'so on until niné had gone, and none came back: when the chief Himself found a way to " deliver a note, and returned with a reply, un- seen, in safety. They now had their revenge, Nine of their best .warriors had been killed by, or through the orders of, Mr. Strathmere. ‘To burn him out seemed to them their duty; and they did it. The family remained in © Georgetown until the island was sold, when “that several years before Mr. Strathmore " came to this country his daughter Eileen was engaged to Mr. Savoy, the only son of a wealthy London danker. But a few weeks before the marriage was to have taken place, Mr, Strath- more became insane upon that one subject. His mania was that she should marry a member of the royal family or remain single. He would not listen to reason, and his physicians advised him to travel. This he did, pleased with the idea that he had broken off the engagement forever. “The fire on the island, together with the less of his beautiful daughter, seemed to have the effect of completely curing him; for in less than a year after his return home he advertised * in every country for Mr. Savoy and his wife, promising to do everything in his power to make them ‘happy if they would come back to * London and remain during his life. They were only too glad to accept his invitation, and after their reunion a happler family could not have been found in all England.” George Mason died at Gunston Hall in 1792 he devised Amnalostan Island to " his son John, the item reading: “I also give and devise to my said son John Mason and his heirs forever, in like manner my island in Po- tomack River the mouth of Rock Creek which I hold under a patent from the Lord Proprietor of Maryland by the name of Bar- badoes.” In this connection it is quite evident that the testator was a strong believer in pre- paredness, for his will bears date of March 20, 1773, 19 years before his death. It is really hard to imagine so good a scholar as George Mason making the misstatement that he obtained this particular piece of property “from the Lord Proprietor of Maryland,” when, as before said, we have the evidence of Mr. Taggart to prove that such was not the case. But fortunately, in addition to this, we have the statement of Miss Maud Burr-Morris, a very careful researcher, who gives us the suc- cessive ownership of the property down to Wiliam A. Bradley, who took title in 1851. The Masons, however, it is said, had quit the island before this, due to the great swarms of mosquitoes which infested the place in the season, and had moved back farther into Fairfax County. Here is Miss Morris’ chain of title: “The deed for this property described it as ‘all that tract called Analostan Island, lying in the Potomac River opposite George- town, and originally patented by Charles Lord Baron of Baltimore to Randolph Brunett in 682, for 75 years, and conveyed by Francis ey to George Mason in 1777, and de- him to his son, John Mason, and con- by Richard Smith, trustee, to John Car- ter in 1842. John Marbury, executor of John conveyed to Bradley.’” . ‘The Bradiey here mentioned was the eleventh yor of Washington, who died August 28, 1867. i i g il afi‘xigég ; War of 1812 we do not know, but it is eviden he believed, as so many did, in the Battle Bladensburg that “he who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day,” for we find the President retiring “from the mortifying scene * * ¢ on horseback, accompanied by Gen. Mason and Mr. Carroll.” We also find it stated that on the 24th of August, President Adams, Mr. Jones, then Secretary of the Navy; Gen. Mason of Analostan Island, Mr. Charles Carroll of Bellevue and Mr. Tench Ringgold took pains to view the burning of Washington at a safe distance. ’ Gen. Mason had a host of friends and admir- ers, and since he was fond of company, many were the gay parties held at his island home. Undoubtedly Gen. Washington stepped in to say a word when he was taking the ferry over the river, and Thomas Jefferson purposely stopped in occasionally to talk matter ower. Another of the many distinguished visitors to come to the island, at a very early date, was Louis Philippe, who left France, his native country, when so many heads were being chopped off with guillotine, including' in the number his own father, the Duke of Orleans, the richest man in Europe and chiefly noted for his reckless dissipation. Louis Philippe landed at Philadelphia after a most harrowing experience, evading those who relentlessly sought him for the sole purpose of decapitation, 'HIS was four years before the seat of Gov- ernment was moved to Washington, and limited to the extreme, indeed, were the ac- commodations in the Federal City for toyrists, even though they might happen to be of royal Bourbon blood, as was the case with the duke, and so he stopped at the Union Tavern, then just completed, at Thirtieth and M streets northwest, but which was later destroyed by fire in 1832, and replaced by the present build- ing in 1836. This hotel was not far from Analostan Island, where the lovers of republican institutions could always find a cordial welcome from the son of that noted American who wrote the bill of rights and other historic documents previously mentioned by the writer, and whe most likely assisted in providing funds with which to carry the distinguished visitor on his way, since while in this country he at times was almost compelled to live on charity, thoug® his father’s estate, valued at $100,000,000, ws§ soon afterward restored to him upon his return to France. It is indeed unfortunate that our lower-grade school histories do not deal more in the inti« mate and human side of such men as was this worthy monarch, who, on August 9, 1830, ascended the throne as Louis Philippe I, King of the French, and who served that country with marked distinction until deposed by the Revolution of 1848. Like many of the lives of our own great men, the character of Louis Philippe might well be taken as worthy of emulation. Born of a father of boundless wealth, who embraced the infidel philosophy, he, however, had the good fortune of having a mother noted for her piety and virtues and who secured for him as tutor uel Cooper, and whose daughter, Virtinh.hlll‘h Cooper, married Nicholas Dawson of Leesburg,