The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-04-15
BELLEVUE, LA, THURSDAY, APRIL Is, 1885,
es Valley Forge.

|ssA ~ as Valley Forge, a... -
Valley Forge is manufacturing place.
and there is a constant hum of machin-
cry from the paper, -four and wooden
mills. The neat little houses of the fac
tory hands are gay with flowers and
vines while the handsome residence Of
The mill-owner towers scastlerlike above
them. Past all these dwellings, at the
end of thestreet, stands the old fashioned
stone editice halloweds by Washington's
presence.
:, It is plain, somewhat Contracted.
looking house, this Valley Forge shrine,
after the usual type of ancient Pennsyl-
vania honesteads, with a queer roof over
the door, without either posts Or pillars;
shaped like the sounding boards in old
| time churches. The small -paf1ed win
dows are long, and end in low, deep
window seats that could be sat in with
ease; but they are not cushioned, or
made the n1ostisof in any way, The
entrance door opens in halves, and two
broad flat stones lead to IT, na3a yaR
I'@ Nothing has been changed in the old
house since Washington left it, with the
exception of paper and paint; but III
strikes the visitor as decidedly, rbare-
looking, and by no means attractive as
a place of residences. The admission
fee of ten cents gisg.appropriatedy is by the
Centennial Committee for the furnishing
fund, their ihtebtion being to furnish the
back room on the ground floor, known
as Washington's, private office, with
articles gathered here and there Of tile
date Of Washington's residence, and as
nearly as possible a fac-simile of those
in use at the period, the original frrniA
ture having slipped away down the back
stairs of time without leaving a trace
I behind. .GS0 - a3Essd alasss 30 kss.
T AS yet, however, nothing has been
accomplished, and very little is to be
seen in the way Of relies .a8 The back
room is the chief point of interest, and
one of the deep window-seats Is a box,
the lid Of which solabeled ssWashingl
tons private. papers, 1777,n, this recep-
| tacle having probably been made to
avoid ssurprises.1nq 81 sAoeTsi3 H0t5si
is&0Aves are also shown a. Revolutionary
cannon ban, the Old anvil used IN shoe
ing the1 herses sof Washingtona and his
troops, and, an ansient fireplace with
ssbacks and lambs. ~ The iron back of
another fire-p -placeilisI mexpsctedly dis
played outside ofT.an entrance door
which opens into a narrow passage.
| This back, of German rnanafacfsire, is
quite a work of art, and, evidently in
tended as q representation of the mira
Gle in Canasof Galilee, the qheer figures
and water jars being supplemented by a
German inscription, in which the words
"Wasserr and 8. Wsin'' are quite dis
tinct, also the reference to John H.,
Ill. 11@a'assszs's'As ~ ss9saSs@ sss3 70 9Ess'IS
.-. The most noticeable articleref furni-
| ture in the room is an 'sold clock on the
stair" which seems its legitimate place.
1t was not used, however, BY Nv ashing-
| ton, having been imported. from Eng
land, by the grandfather of the, present
venerable occupant in 1854. s1@N
The old Potts mansion has been pur.
chased by the Centennial and Memorial
| Association, and in the deed ofstrtist the
I ground belonging to it. is carefullyIest
mated at two acres, and eight perches.
The long low stone barn that stretches
I across a large portion of colleaasi.lel is
rough and plainE.--the; same in appear
ance as when Washington STABBED his
horses there. Art has Edonas littleafor
the immediate surroundings, except to
Introduce the sinpertinent whiz of tie
4 factory opposite oqas6 Vtisxaa sza Ell
- "A portion, of the old intrenchments,
which are some little distance off, stiIl
remains, and inithe woods near byswere
the miserable barracks where the Cen
tinental Army nearly froze and starved
during the eshards winter ofssl 7777-s73s-
Eta. .Rodnsan Church, in Harper's Nag
azi,ae for April. i's'iS' 'ss'''''' s's';'fas's 4