Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-01-14
MOUNT VERNON.
Repairs and Improvements to Wathipgton's
Old Home.

Although 1t is midwinter, Mount
Vernon is still very attractive
epot for the tourist, and since q
new blank walk. has been com.
pleted from the whaif to the man.
sion, the journey 10 free from the
discomfort Of climbing a clayey
Virginia hill and carrying a dead
weigh bit in soil. The large magnolia
tree planted by Washington one
year before his death, has assumed
new life, gre ,tly to the joy of the
household, who feared tnat it had
been killed by severe frost; and
as the tree is now SO years old, it's
leaves will be douoIy precious to
the seekers of souvenirs. Every
thing about the grounds is neat
and attractive, the Out.houses
having been repainted aud the con.
servatory lowered and it's capacity
increased, while the roads have
bean carefully mended and gray.
eled.
The crank nuisance has Invaded
even the precinis revered by all
Americans, as an incident which
recently transpired will demon
strate. Colonel Hollingsworth,
the Superintendent, had just re.
tired 10 bis office, after showing a
party OF visitors over the grounds,
when he was acc0sted by agentle.
manly dressed stranger who
stated that his name was DR.. Day.
He said:
"I have just had an interview
with the spirit of Washington, and
he charged ms to deliver a mes
sage to you"
Colonel Hollingsw0rth looked at
his visitor, and was surprised to
see that tue knees of his black
pants were heavily coated with
mud.
"How did you get so muddy?"
he asked of the doctor.
81 could not think of standing in
the presence OF so great man,
and dropped on my knees when he
approached me-"
"Where did you see him, Doc
tor?u
"Down by the old Tomb. I
called up his spirit and had o long
talk with him. By the way,
Colonel, he expressed himself as
highly pleased with your manage.
ment of his property, and told me
confidentially that you were the
right man in the right place."
Colonel Hollingsworth eyed the
speaker curiously, as he had not
the pleasure Of u personal acquain.
lance with the cherry-tree hero,
and suggested that probably a cup
Of coffee would not be amiss after
this pleasant piece of gossip from
the spirit land. The doctor cheer
fully accepted the suggestion, and
made the eyes Of the colored wait
ers pop when he passed up for the
fifth cup and began a knife-and-
fork exercise with the viands, such
as the occupants of Mount YER
non were unaccustomed to.
IA he ate he talked glib
ly of bis accomplishments In med
ical science, and claim ed that II he
could have been permitted TO see
President Garfield he would have
cured him. "But the other doctors
were jealous of me, and made me
sit down stairs" he said, as he
made u vigorous cut at piece of
cold roast beef. When he had fin
ished his meal, which, by the way,
is said 10 have shown him to be
possessed Of wonderful appetite,
he strolled through the grounds
aud made certain suggestions as to
the care OF the property,
which he said he had re-
ceivei direct from Washington.
The stranger was intensely earn
est, and 1t required considerable
persu aston to induce him to leave
the grounds, when Captain Blake's
trim little craft, the Corcoran,
blew her warning whistle. That
the stranger believed himself in
spired is shown by the fact that
within three weeks Colonel Hol.
lingsworth has received no less
than half u dozen letters from him
urging that Washington wishes to
be consulted in certain arrange
ments Of the outhouses and
grou dds. These letters have been
sent from Chicago, st. Louis, New
Orleans and other places in the
South, and show that the doctor is
not only interested in the subject,
but rapid traveller and gifted with
q good memory. 1t is safe to say,
however, that he will not be invit-
ed to take lunch should he ever
m " q nni hor uiaif