Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-07
TIE 5000 600 Mount Yernon AsItIs.


A correspondent of the Tribune visited Mount
Vernon on one of the late delightful Spring
days for which the climate of Washington is so
famous, taking the steamer which plies on the
Potomac three times week between Washing
ton, Alexandra and Mount Vernon. The
Mount Vernon landing is described as SO dilap-
dated that q good sized child might drop
through the holes into the Potomac, and q
plank foot-road of a similar description led up
gulley-the picture of neglect, fit emblem of
the Valley of the Shadow of Death. The wri-
ter, without drawing upon imagination, says
We wound in long Indian file up the narrow
plank, occasionally giving vent to exclamations
of disgust, occasionally stopping pluck sou
venir, but hurrying forward in hopes of coming
to something better. The first thing we came
to was little negro boy, some ten or twelve
dismal winters old, clad in greasy, faded wool
en-, bare foot, with canes to sell. He affirmed
that he belonged to Mr. Washington, and that
the proceeds Of his traffic enriched his own pock-
ets Those who can, may believe it. At the
rate at which he was selling these sticks, gnarl-
ed, knotty pieces of sappling just as they grew
(25 cents apiece,) he would have been able to
buy his own freedom in two years at the fur
thest. AT almost every point of the plantation
which we visited, was coloEed man, or a col
ored woman, or a colored boy, selling canes or
cuttings, and one of the shops was occupied by
an old, gray-haired carpenter, who was devot-
ing his whole energies to the manufacture of
cedar canes, All told the same story as the
first boy we saw. A credulous person would
have concluded that John A Esq, was the pro-
prietor of an eleemosynary establishment, a Lii
berian aims house, for the elevation of the Afr-
can race.
Next to the black boy came the tomb. The
vault is some feet behind grated door, but the
remains of George Washington and wife are in
two sarcophagi in front, which are inscribed
with advertisements of the donor. Between
these slrcophagi are stones and pieces of bro
ken brick and plastering, which had dropped
from the sides. The CRATE and lock are rusty,
as ifnever opened, and the inner walls sweat
with damp, and are covered with an unhealthy
mold A man who should keep his pig-stye in
as vile a condition would deserve to I've in it
The days of hero-worship are over, it is said
Yes and the days in which the tombs of the
prophets are whited and the sepulehres of the
righteous garnished. Such Scribes and Phari-
sees are not at Mount Vernon
Lie Olu Vault, lIOlu WHICH TUE OOQlGS were
removed in 1887, is upon the brow of adeelivi
ty nearer the house, and is in utter ruin, but,
being covered by the kind hand of nature with
verdure, looks much more inviting than the
new tomb, from which all turned in disgust
An hour and a half only is allowed to pas
sengers by boat-but half time enough to make
thorough examination of the premises Wis
itors are admitted TO only two rooms, both up
on the ground floor aud fronting the piazza
These were each ornamented with several en-
cravings of historic interest, and one was rem
dered cheerful by an open wood fire. In the
old fashioned hall was the famous key of the
Bastile and Washington's spy-glass All seem
ed TO be preserved with some care, as was also
room in the back part of the house, seen through
the window. Hair-bottomed chaiIs, formally
set, lined the walls, and in the center stood
Washington's rocking horse, as stiff of limb as
any old mans hobby. But the house itself is
evidently falling to ruin fast the piazzas are
propped at every pillar, the clap-boards are
dropping here and there, and not window is
without patch-the plan being, where a pane
is broken, to putty it up, and so leave it. Mr.
Washington was presumed to be somewhere up
stairs, but the mulatto in charge prohibited as
cent, and not sound dropped from above
The garden, also, was closed to visitors but
its broken walls were easily scaled Many
bricks had fallen from the lower part, some four
feet in hight, and the wooden palings above had
rotted wholly or partially away, and were fai-
len, or in act to fall The little gate at the rear
of the garden was unhasped, and l, being YAM
kee, entered This is not the season in which
to examine garden. But some signs are un-
mistakable. The rough, untFimmed hedges !;
the hotbeds, in each of which perhaps two
panes of glass remained-would have told the
story, even if the condition of the fence had not
limited it.
What seemed to be greenhouse attracted
my attention There was scarcely one unpatch-
ed pane the whole length, but putty kept out
the ar and cold well enough. Two boards
formed door, through which entered to find
myself among some rare specimens of tropical
pants, They were arranged with no care to
their welfare, but the glory Of the sago-palm
and the glowing lemon-tTees made one forget
for the time being even the puttyed panes and
the undulating brick flooring through chicks in
which sprang weeds.
The old mulatto caught sight of Us az we
were leaving with plueked mementoes OF our
stolen pleasure, and be shouted and ran, and
stood at the posteFn, grinning wrath and shak-
ing his finger. What will Mr. John A, who
could have seen the whole thing from his up.
per window, do to the poor old fellow re-
gret my luxury.
There is ruined ice house, q ruined summer
house, ruined huts, ruined fences-everything
going to rack and ruin. Why should 90 into
further details Er uno disco osanes Get an
inklng of the volume from single chapters.
Legislative Summary.
7.