New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-25
FROM MOUNT VERNON TO M1RSHFIELD.
Correspondence Of The NJ Y. Tribune.

WASHINGTON, June, 1853.
think one OF the most remarkable peculiaritiss
of this queer lie of earth is the unexpect-
edness with which things are brought. about. No
man can say what tomorrow will bring forth.
Several times have been within . few miles of
Mount Vernon and within few miles Of Marsh
field without going to visit either. let circum'
stances wholly unforeseen, led me recently to visit
both places, with an interval of time so short that
may say went from one to the Other-that is,
from Mount Vernon to MaIshneld.
To 90 to Mount Vernon from Washington, you
have your choice of ways. You can 90 by steam
boat which leaves the Federal City every Tuesday
and Friday morning; or you can take the steamer
which goes several time day to Alexandria, and
where you can have carriage and drive to Mount
Vernon. chose the latter mode; and after long
and intensely hot ride, through WORKOUT, barren
aud almost uDpeoped country, reached Mount Yer
non, in company with three or four others, just as
the steamboat party were going away. We were
refused admission TO the house. for the reason that
il was after the steamboat hours. had to content
myself therefore, with an examination of the
grounds, of the tomb and Of the exterior Of the
mansion,
was much struck with the extreme beauty Of
Inc sludtOD. i nc nOuee Is oil u ugu DUH lou
feet above the Potomac, which there bends abrupt
", ard flows around the base of the bluff in such
way that from the great yeranda in front of the
mansion you have through fine foreground of
trees, view OF the ajestlc river directly before
you ard again at your right hand. Such a varied
and picturesque mipgling of land and water have
seen nowhere else except upon the Hudson. The
site of the place, and the generous scale on which
il was laid out and planted does credit to the taste
~. 4 g DIT =,
sad state of neglect. The main feature of the man.
sion, the noble yeranda is ruin, and the walks
aid grounds are all in disorder In pecunary
point of view, the ladies who have bought it have
been made TO pay ten times its value. A neighbOr
ing plantation with five times as much land az goes
with the house at Mount Vernon, and with better
land nearer market, is offered for sale at SIC 600.
Apart from It's associations, the portion OF the
Mount Vernon estate purchased by the ladies ls not
nearly so valuable the plantation / allude to.
The price agreed upon, 100000, is therefore
mODsrous and eXtort0nate
The road from Mount Vernon to Alexandra, by
which we returned bone is in q condition that must
render il almost impossible III bad weather. Part of
il lies through wood, where there is no distinct
track or, rather, where there are twenty tracks,
each wayfarer taking that which suits him best,
unconlned by fences or by any other bounds.
There is very little Indication of population 10 the
country, and what there is seems to be poor and
unthriity. Everything bears marks of decay from
comparative state of prosperity. The Federal
metropolis, although getting to be a considerable
CITY, has not created any suburbs or villages around
H. III Is one OF the many strange pecuiarties OF
the place. that few minutes ride will transport
you from the thronged and splendid seat of an EN-
pre- INTO forests as solitary and silent those Of
Oregon.
II there are two ways of going from Washington
10 Mount Vernon, there are also two ways from
Washington TO Marshfeld. You can 90 by land or
by sea. friend of mine who was among the
earliest OF the adventurers from New England who
rushed to seek their fortune in California when the
gold was discovered, and whe died Of the hardships
be- suffered On the Isthmus and in an eyeutfnl and
disastrous voyage by sail and by steam from Pana-
ma to San Francisco, wrote to me from his death
bed; Never 90 70 sea if you can help it-go
"rather a thousand miles around by IsDd-hut if