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which he happily saw enacted into laws, and hia efforts so endeared himself, especially to the lower classes, that he gained by popular favor the title "Father of the People.” Tlie date of his arrival in Washington is given as February 23, 1795, and on March 20, 1700, just a little over a year later, he was married at the home of Dr. David Stuart, then living at Hope Park, in Fairfax County, Va„ to Elizabeth Parke Custis, daughter of John Parke CiLstls, then deceased, and granddaughter of Mrs. Washington. He was then 39, the bride 19. Soon after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Law UkjK up their residence in the range of houses now a part of the Potomac Hotel. However, except for the first few years, the union proved a very unhappy one, finally resulting in a mutual separation in the Summer of 1804, he taking the daughter, Eliza, to raise. Mrs. Law died in Richmond, Va„ on January 1, 1832 and is buried in the Washington Tomb at Mount Vernon. Thomas Law died here on July 31. 1834, and his death is recorded in the Intelligencer of the following day: "In this city, at 6 o'clock yesterday morning, after an illness of 8 or 10 days. Thomas Law', Esquire, aged about 70 years * * *. "The funeral of Mr. Law will take place from his residence on Capitol Hill, this afternoon at 4 o'clock, which his friends and acquaintances are invited to attend without further notice. "He lived to follow to the grave his whole family, three beloved sons, natives of India, and a no less beloved daughter, a native of this District.” He is said to have been buried in St. John's Cemetery, which at one time occupied the block between Twelfth and Thirteenth and H and S streets northwest, and when the bodies were removed from this place, his was taken to Rock Creek Cemetery, and today rests in an un identified grave. years after Conrad and McMunn ceased to keep a boarding house on this corner the place was kept by a Frenchman named Mitchel, subsequently becoming the Law House and the Varnum. For a number of years the place was leased to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, and it continued to be its home until it removed, about 1871, to the buildings farther up the block, erected in that year by Rich ardson Bros. Later the Government bought this building, and here this branch of the Fed eral service Iras made its home ever since. However, by the time this story appears In print it is quite probable that little of this building will remain standing, as the rear por tion. running back to South Capitol street, is already down. Everything in this block is slated to go, even to the old Ben Butler house, the large dark Marooned Eight Months was the kiM of some oakum from the seams, and site was refloated and anchored with what ground tackle we had. She was, however, ill starred. Within a month or so one of the worst storms I ever saw, whether on sea or land, made an end of her. Fascinated by a threatening aspect of the weather one evening in August, I scanned the sky. Its colors resembled those associated with typhoons; overhead, a dull and heavy gray; below and extending almost to the horizon from east through north to west, a sickly violet; beneath that lay copper to the dim line where sky and sea met. Little wind was blowing. When would the blast come? After waiting an hour I abandoned my watch and went t<» Redwood Cottage. "Have you,” I asked Jor gensen, "experienced any typhoons here?” He said he had not. "Unless I’m badly mistaken,” I continued, "we’re in for one. I hope this shanty will stand the gaff. Your work on it may be its salvation.” At 11 o'clock that night the blow struck us. The building, it seemed, must go. The storm raised a terrific noise. Not a soul could sleep; every one was on edge to feel the house demol ished at any moment. In their flimsy quarters the crew thought that the end of everything had come, and. abandoning .heir huts, they huddled under the lee of our veranda. In their shacks they had been panic-stricken; now crowded together, close to omnipotent white men. lords of tempest, they were far braver. At daybreak the wind still blew fiercely, driving before it a hell of sand that penetrated into all parts of the house; sand in our hair, ears, eyes, nostrils; sand everywhere; we breathed it, swallowed it, gritted between our teeth. Anxiety for the boat which Jorgenson and I generally used led me to suggest that we ven ture into the storm and ascertain whether it was all right. Out we sallied on the lee side of the house; as we rounded the corner the wind flung us back. To see was impossible; though the time was forenoon, a dun night enveloped the world, while rain and furious sand stung our faces like needles. We lashed on our cloth ing to prevent it being literally blown from our bodies; then we made another essay; yet still we could not stand against the storm, even by crouching almost to the ground, and at length we crawled. Finally we attained the place where we had left the boat. It had vanished. What now? Sitting with our backs to the gale, shouting mouth to ear in order to make ourselves heard above the awful elemental roar, we discussed our course. We decided to search for the boat to leeward, but not to venture too far, lest we lose all sense of direction and so fail to regain the house. Within 50 yards we stumbled upon the craft, half buried in sand, with some ot the planking broken; whether it had been dam aged otherwise we could not ascertain. r J' , HEN we retraced our steps; we crawled, rather, on the flats of our bellies, guessing our way; moving at the pace of a snail; holding our eyes shut fast against the flying sand. Our progress was small, and even that little THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C„ SEPTEMBER 20, 1020 Thomas Jmu\ “If ashingtons first rich man." granite building situated at the southwest cor ner of New Jersey avenue and B street, lately occupied by the Bureau of the Public Health. Though erected quite a while ago, yet the Butler house would not be classed as a land mark. and even its historic value hinges upon the fact of its having been built by Gen. Butler, and that for a while, in 1881, it served as the Executive Mansion, as had the old hotel at the south side of the block 80 years before. After the death of President Garfield, at Elbe ion, just 48 years ago the 19th of this month, Chester Alan Arthur took the oath of office as President of tire United Slates in New York City and accompanied to Washington the funeral party, which arrived here two days later. President Arthur then took up his resi dence in the Butler mansion, occupied at the time by Senator John P. Jones of Nevada, and remained there until the following December 7, when he removed to the White House. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, or "Spoony” Butler, as the South delighted to call this able soldier and legislator, was also noted for his shrewd ness in a business way, and the story is told that when he was about to ship the granite for the Butler house from the quarries of Mas sachusetts. which State he represented in the House, he learned that some Government ves sels were to leave Boston for Washington in ballast. It did not take him long to agree to furnish the ballast free and the granite was sf Guessing our way: kidding our eyes shut fust against the flying sand. Jor gensen was beginning to des/tair. *7 can go no farther. Camerontie moaned. might be in a wrong direction. Never have I had another such experience. We clutched each other’s hands, I slightly in the lead to shield Jorgensen, who was beginning to despair. "I can go no farther, Cameron," he moaned. "You fool!" roared I—" Roared” did I say? I must have squeaked like a bat in that hell— " You fool! What! Give up and die? Sand will bury you. We’re near the house. Spurt, and we’ll make it!” "I’m done for, Cameron,” he gasped. "Leave me here. You go on.” “See you damned first.” said I—and without me, damned he would have been. I clouted him hard in the face. A stiff blow to the jaw is an excellent spur, believe me. "Now will you try?” I demanded. He made an effort:—funked; rallied and again failed: but striking and cursing him and resting frequently. I got him to the hut. Each of us was soaking wet, grievously hungry; our faces were bloody from the scouring of the sand. Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, soon on the ground ready to be placed in his new home, greatly to the surprise of every one, who stood aghast at his nerve, and how he got by with it, yet the Government was bene fited by his thoughtfulness just as much as he was. INURING the Civil War, when the land and sea forces of the North were hammering away at the defenses of New Orleans, Butler was a major general, and when the city fell, after the bombardment which began on April 20, 1802. he took charge of the place as provost marshal. He forthwith had a census taken of the city, which showed that out of a popu lation of 160,000 inhabitants only 4,000 were willing to say they were not Confederate sym pathizers. Basing his action upon this, Butler took such jr ' Eliza Parko Custis (Mrs. Thomas Law). real and personal property as he deemed neces sary. Guilty or not guilty, naturally he was accused of everything but horse stealing, and out of it all grew the silver spoon story, at tributing the taking for his own benefit all the gold and silver loot of the town, which he denied. In after years some one asked Gen. Butler for his version of the silver spoon story, and the following account of the transaction is said to have been written or approved by him: "In July, 1862, he ordered all property in when it had blown for 16 hours, the storm suddenly died. What a sight we saw! Changed, remolded, was the whole island; the brush, scanty at best, was stripped of leaves and seemed scorched as by fire; all the grass was withered; here was a new’ mound, there an unexpected pit. Fortunately for us the birds had not been blown away, though I cannot understand why they were not. The boats, shanties and house all had been damaged to such an extent that repairs required a week. Far worse was the fate of the schooner; again she had been cast high upon the sand and now was beyond restoration; masts and rudder were gone and the port side was smashed. The typhoon had made sure that neither Walker nor Cameron would ever navigate that craft. Other woes pressed upon us. Soon after the typhoon the weather grew colder, indicating the approach of Winter and the probable dis appearance of the turtles and of many fowl. Already the number of birds had tectqie su New Orleans belonging to persons in the Con federate service to be declared confiscated to' the Untted States Government. Among thd* property seized under-this order was the hand-* some mansion of Gen. Twiggs of the Confed erate Army, who had been in command of New Orleans but had withdrawn to Georgia on hearing of the approach of the United States forces. To this mansion Gen. Butler trans ferred his headquarters from the St. Charleg Hotel. “Soon after his occupation here one of the family servants came to him carrying a load! of silver salvers, spoons, fo;ks, etc., and saying that his ‘old massa’ had meant to hide thens from the Yankees, but that he (the Negro) had ‘marked wliar de silber was buried, an’ hyaf, it all is, sure ‘nuff.’ Gen. Butler used this plate while he occupied the house, and when lie retired he turned every fork, spoon, etc, over to the quartermaster’s department. He asserts that he has in his possession to show that all these were pass'd over to the' Government, and when they subsequently diM appeared he says that he has no means of. knowing. Two handsome swords belonging tg Gen. Twiggs, one of which had been voted to him by Congress in recognition of his valuable services in the Mexican War, while tiff other, was the weapon which he used in the Con federate Army, were sent by Butler to thf Government at Washington, with the suggestion that one of them be donated to Ann&pohg Academy and the other to West Point, ‘as ex emplars of what base uses may be made of honorable weapons ’ His advice was not taken. The swords were locked up in one of the Treas ury vaults for safekeeping, and one of tbe du plicate keys was given to the general. M daughter of Gen. Twiggs went to Washington several years ago to obtain these swords, ans we think that they were restored to her. On making an application to Gen. Butler first, hf disclaimed all personal right to the property and referred her to the Government.” Not. nearly so many buildings will have ftp be removed for the House Office addition ag was the case with the original building in til# block on the east side of New Jersey Between B and C streets this square was solidljj built up with the old Congressional Hotel, frm quented by many important men, at the north end, while at the south stood another of thf Law houses, occupied for many years by Judgf Joseph Holt? cabinet officer and judge advga cate in the trial of the Lincoln conspirators. .. The laying of the corner stone of this buildldft was a notable event, President Theodore Rooahk velt being present and delivering his celebratgi address, “The Man with the Muck Rake# Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks aag Speaker Joseph G. Cannon. **■» not with of today, were present upon that occasion. small that our rations of eggs were and the creatures themselves, taught by experience, could be captured only on daily nights. “What about food in the Winter?" I Jorgensen. "Not much to be had, except fish.” said he despondently. “There are tov many of us.” Some of as, it was obviou% must depart. “Let's strengthen the boat we've been usings* I suggested to Jorgensen; “fit it out, and mafcV for Hawaii.” Although he approved the phuu he was none too sanguine of success. I had t# admit that we had no means of determining longitude, although my sextant would give ufl our latitude. We mulled over the prosjwctg* and eventually decided to run the risk. While we were planning the necessary altoe* tions to the boat, Prank Lord, the cook, aal American, one of the few white men of ou? company, stole a march on us. He and founjoj the crew cleared out the best of the thred*BßlV With consummate secrecy they executed thettf design; I at least had not the slightest inkling: of the stupid thing they were about to do until we missed them one morning. Soon we ob* served their boat rounding the western point ofl Eastern Island, under full sail, with a fresh breeze blowing; it headed for the passage and the open sea; and Prank Lord and his four fellow imbeciles vanished from the face of tM earth. What became of the idiots? Did they start* or, more happily, drown? They had no com* pass, no means whatever of ascertaining thtf course to steer. Perhaps they were led to taU such a desperate chance by the hope that # vessel would pick them up at sea, or that they would arrive at Ocean Island, some 50 mile* to the west, where food had been cached the Hawaiian government for castaways. What* ever they expected to accomplish, wherever they!' expected to land, no matter what miracle thejf hoped for, they died, one and all, somewhere' in the broad Pacific. (Copyright. 1028.) High-Priced Chiy 1-7 VEN clay seems to be high priced in tlMd J days. Kaolin, from which high-grade pottery, porcelain, wall paper, oilcloth and other products are made, was produced to the extent! of 496.000 tons last year, and the value, at approximately $8 a ton, was $4,088,003. than 4.000,000 tons of all types of clay wfiW produced, and the total value was $14,000,00*/ Wheat in Maryland yy’HEAT, which is one of the important crepe of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, to carried to market in the schooners which pte up and down tfct bay and rivers emptying into it. The whea> is weighed and dumped into the hold, from which it is later sucked out through special openings, at the elevatore to? Baltimore. 19