Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-07-10

oioae ou one ta10n OF the eagle in the
soulptured coat of arms, and this is tho
only deseoratiou, tho piokots Of both armies
meeting hero in peace and unarmed. Back
OF tho anto.room, where Washington and
his consort repose, massive iron door is
observable. This Is tho entrance to vault
in the rear, which contains tho dust of
thirty members Of tho Washington, Black
burn, Corbip, Bushrod, Lewis and Gusts
families Monuments to the moro noted of
these arc erected outside. 10 prevent any
moro interments hero the key of the vault
has bcon thrown into the river Washing.
ton was originally buried in what is now
known as "The old tomb" A relic. hunt
ing Ghoul having broken into this recepta-
clio aud stolen skull, thinking it to bo
that OF tho great man, but which was tho
belonging of a Blackburn, it was deter
mined, in 1887, to remove the bodies to
their present place of security, On tho
foot slab Of Washington's saroophagus, I
noted that the cbisel had erased somo mar
bio lettering, and, upon inquiry, discovered
that tho gentleman who presented the stone
collins had; Yankee like, advertised himself
and trade, an abomination partially abatcd
| by order of tho Board Of Regents, And
yet, curious Investigators like myself cannot
help noticing this matter; so tho advertise
ment is not wholly obliterated. The Su-
perintendent told mo that Europeans always
remo:cd their head covering in the presence
OF Wushington's relics, while Americans
never do 80, unless their attention is called
to the matter. l was one of tho delinuucnt
Americans, until lady good humoredly
took my hat from its perch and handed it
to mo. dare say my omotiop, in Quaker
style, was just az profound as that of the
man who stood uncovered. Thcye is deal
of humbug about this outward show of
grief, as Hamlet has deineatcd for all
time.
The old tomb Is a very plain affair, an
empty vault where anybody car enter with.
In or promenade without. Great trees have
grown upon tho top of it. 1t is surroaadcd
by picket fence, and looks SO much like
the ice house, just beyond, that 1 do not
wonder asontimental woman, prior to 1887,
mistook the one for the other and was
found in an agony Of tears at tho wrong
place.
dust before reaching the Mansion, We
came to brick barn, erected in 1893 1t
is In hrst rate preservation. Tho Maasion
Ilouse is of wood, out aud painted to re-
semble stone. 1t was built by Lawrence
| Washington 10 iT43 and named after Ad-
mlral Vernon, of the British navy. The
pavement under the piazza roof ia made of
Isle of Wight nagstones. In tho main hall
Is the Key of the Bastile, presented by
Lafayette and untouched since Washington
placed it 10 position. There are somo val.
uablo Revolutionary manuscripts hcro and
some cxccrably executed coat Of arms of
States, especially the escutohcon of North
Carolina. have not time and you have
not room for q specific enumeration of the
many objects of interest Several States
have furnished rooms in exact similitude of
the original array. The Nelly Gusts room
Is oharmingly quaint, and in it is the i,urpsi.
chord given her by Washington nnd valued
then OF $1,000, Here, too, is the Generals
flute. Rembrandt Pcul's immense canvass
representing Washington before Yorktown
ls the most prominent ornament of tho
State Dining Room, which aso contains
superb marble mantiepiece, the work of Ga.
nova, ohoir that oame over in the MoyRowcr,
and a model of the Bastile moulded from
the stone of that dungeon. The family
dining room has some ancient articles OF
domestic use, among them sideboard with
knife and spoon cases belonging to Law
renee Washington. The Council Room has
numerous reminders of Washington, nota-
bly Lafayette's Freemason apron, and suit
OF clothes worn by Patcr Patrioo, the vest
OF which, very loud pattern of tawny
yellow, no we'll conditioned gentleman Of
Georgia would wear TO church on Sunday,
if his life depended on it. The old General
must have looked "fearfully and wonderful.
ly' in that pr, posterous waistcoat. Over
tho mantle in tho Council Chamber is an
oil painting Of Mrs. Pamela Cunningham,
Of South Carolina, the first Regent, who,
despite OF sickness and encouragement
seemed inspired from on high to redeem,
through tho women of tho land, the homo
OF Washington. But for Mrs. Cunning.
ham, it would have been bought on spccu-
iation and turned into beer garden! [
thank God that South Carolina woman
prevented thatl Her memory will be i'm.
mortal and she deserves place beside tho
most glorious Of the daughters of men,
God raised her up for great work and
nobly did sho perform it. If any human
being is worthy to sleep at Mount Vernon,
alongside the dust that sanctifes it, Pamela
Cunningham is that exceptionally distin.
guishcd person. Her body miogles with
other clay, remote from tho soene of her
| devoted labors, but her spirit is present
everywhere op this sacred spot and there it
will remain while anything that broathos of
Washington survives to witch tho world.
Only in passing, can l speak Of the vari-
GUS rooms assigned to and furnished by
different States, all Of which contain arti