Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-12-29
LIE EcMaN Z OF MouNT vEkNcN.

NE GcMAN r or MOUNT VERNON.
iu.> ! H." :@I.I.!. So ;! FIR Il
,.-tt. il,a4.t tc.i,t, ia daring
l...!.;..- oct. lrr ana \oy"Iu
l.- til. ay-ra.,o l.j;, ln'r If visitors -
larger t;.al at any other time. Never
J. TIE G;:;.:;t ana h"HuilfuI old home
t,.:.i luvrilrr tnan III Tie autumn. 1t
VAIN l~.r; ia; cd. John " a-nIng
I, II ,:v INA - .nt Vernon would
have l. - - a." auctio1in'ra haiu-
n.-r f something I'D nt' t"i1 up.
And here Genes III the roMi;.nce #
No,u.; \t4lI1r. \ Wc,naii vino had
h"..n = confirmed lhVHl.i -!nre her
iiI:.,.t.h;h veal r'I~"i a fund Il
;;:r'urm. and 'mhudI.ol Il plan that
gave Mount krripun to the nation.
Ihl- MAS Ann" Pamela cunningham
oi SuIth Carolina She wa- AL only
and INDUCED daughter In h-r
chliIhuuu she had VISITED Mount Nyr
ION. and when she resigned all her
HE except that which could be- on
iHrd IN a lick r',,In, IN her e;.liy
rlu;:lii.vud, -ile c,ok hrii Of ,'rO
Jet to buy VI ant Vernon. or, rather,
the project took hold of her 1t is
one Of tine must singular Instances
of lndO!nltabic energy and Practical
perseverance, recorded This frall
woman, from her sick bed. aroused
al enthusiasm, especially among
Southern women. that resulted III a
splendid success. She inspired Ed
ward Everett with her spirit, and his
lecture on Washington poured money
into the treasury. She Interested
Nine Lc Vert and Mrs Cora Mowatt
Ritchic, and i'll 1860 it was accom-
pll,hcd; the house, the tomb of
Washington, and 200 acres Of land be-
longel to Il national association
The Legislature of Virginia granted
Il very sensible charter to the as,oci
alton. The capital stock was limited
to S500,0OO. 1t WAS granted III per
petuity. and no disposition of the
property could be- made without
the consent of the Legislature. None
of the Washington family thereafter
was to b. inferred at Mount Vernon.
and the key Of the vault was thrown
into the Potomac river. Around the
marble tombs of George and Martha
Washington is a wooden flooring
which if stepped upon starts an elrc
tric alarm at the house. Through
the open iron work one looks into tho
brick vault, where there arc only tho
two tombs. Hats off" is the string
ent rule at tho grave; oven the most
fiippant are awed into something
like reverence. During some Of the
bloodiest days of the war Mount Yer
non was treated as neutral ground,
and soldiers of both armies were
seen fraternizing under the trees
that guard the tomb.
Frequent description cannot de-
stroy the interest of tho house.
Year by year improvements are made
by the regents. AS far as practical
every State has room, ornamented
with relics of Revolutionary times, ar
ranged in the style that prevailed at
Mount Vernon during the lifetime of
Gen. Washington. Hanging in the
entrance hall is the key Of the Bas-
tile, sent to Washington by Lafay,
cite; and over the door of what is
called tho state dining room is Wash
ington's field glass, placed on its
perch by the hand of Washington
himself, and never since removed
The mantle and hearth in the dining
room are of marble, and extremely Gu
rious. They We're sent to Washing
ton from France. On the way the
ship bearing the gift was captured
by pirates. When they found that
this marble was intended for Wash
ington they took an opportunity of
landing it on American shores, and
it was forwarded to Mount Vernon.
In the South Carolina room hangs
the portrait of Anne Pamela Gun
ningham. She has a refined and
thoughtful face. with deep, meaning
eyes. The attic room which Mrs,
Washington chose after Gen. Wash
ington's death, and in which she died
is in almost the identical condition in
which she left it.
Z In a quaint little drawing room
Nelly GUSTS drawing-room-is the
grand harpsichord, as large as a mod
ern grand piano, which Washington
gave her as a wedding gift. This
was the grandnece of Mrs. Washing
ton, not her daughter Nelly. who died
unmarried at twenty two. In the
grounds stands a rose bush, where
tradition relates, Nelly GUSTS re-
ceived her first offer, and walking
around this rose bush six times
brings every young lady who be-
lieves in the spell an offer Of mar
riage within tho year.
The place is managed upon the
most practical plan. The green
houses are made source of revenue
as well as the farm Only one boat
is allowed to land passengers there,
and the entrance foe of dollar foots
up handsomely at the end of the year.
In the old fashioned kitchen very
good lunch may be obtained, served
by colorod walters A superintend-
ent is employed, who keeps the place
in good order, and if the General and
Mrs. Martha could return for an
hour no doubt they would smile APP
provingly.
TROOPER GEORGE BROWNING.