Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1882-12-07
JOHNSON HAGooD,
The, Romance OF Nloult Vernon.

The, Romance OF Mount Vernon.
An Autumn Visit to the Home and
Tomb Of Washing ton.-Nelly Cus-
tie's Rossbush.
sWAsH1xe7os, N ov. e.-This is a
ia7orite season for a Welt to Mount
Vernon. and during the months OF
October ana November the average
number of visitors is larger than at
any other time. Never is the quaint
and beautiful old homestead Iovelier
than in the autumn. It was IN 1858
that Col. John Washington saw that
Mount Vernon would have to go by
the auctioneer's hammer if something
did not turn up, And here comes IN
the romance Of. Mount Vernon. A
woman who had been confirmed in.
valid since her nineteenth year raised
fund Of 100000, and embodied g
plan that gave Mount Vernon to the
: nation. Tie was Anne Pamela
Cunningham of South Carolina. She
was an only and INDUCED daughter
In her childhood she hadsvisited
-Manat a%sAri IzS shs sesi i on,
ed all of life except that w + could
be enjoyed in sick room, inyler ear.
ly womanhood, che took hdld of a
project to buy Mount Vsfnon, or,
rather, the project took hold of her.
1t is one OF. the most singular IN
stances of indomitable energy and
practical perseverancer$corded. This
frail woman, from her sick bed arous-
ed an enthusiasm, especially among
Southern women that resulted in
splendid success She inspired Ed
ward Everett wiFh her spirit, and his
lecture on WASH Angton poured money
into the treasury. She interested
Nine. lie Vert and mrs. Cora Mowatt
Richie, and in 1860 it WAS accom-
plished; the house, the tomb Of Wash
ington, and 200 acres of land belong
ed to a national association. The
Legislature of Virginia granted
very sensible charter to the sssoc!s'
ticn. The capital stock was limited
to $5OO.o0O. 1t W as granted in per
petuity, and no disposition of the
property could be made without the
consent Of the Leg gsslature. None OF
the Washington family thereafter
was to be interred 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 up Pn starts an elec
trio alarm at the house. Through
the open iron work che looks into the
brick vault, where ii Bere are only the.
two tombs. "Hats OF os&G'' is the strin-
GENT rule az the grave; even the most
fippant are awed into something like
reverence. During some of the blood
lest days of the war Mount Vernon
was treated as neutra ground, and
soldiers of both armieS were aeen ira,
ternizine under the trees that guard
the tomb.
Frequent description cannot de
stroy the interest of the house. Year
by year improvements are made oy
the regents. AS far as practicable
every State has q ROOM ornamenteu
with relics Of Revoluti on ary times,
arranged in the style that prevailed
at Mount Vernon during the lifetime
of Gen. Washington. Hanging IN
the entrance hall is the key OF the
Bastile, sent to Washington by LIZ
fayette; and over the door OF wnat Is
called the state dining room is Wash
ington's field glass, placed on its
perch by the hand Of Washington
himself, and never since removed.
The mantel and hearth in tee dining
room are Of marble, and extremely
curious. They were sent to Wash
ipeton from France. On the way the
ship bearing the gift was captured
BY pirates. When they found that
this marble was intended for Wash.
ineton they took an opportunity OF
landing it on American Shores anu
it was forwarded to Mount Vernon.
In the South Carolina room hangs
the portrait of Anne Pamela Gun
;n,ham. She has @ refined and
t,oughtful face, with deep meaning
syea. The ATTIC room which Mrs.
Washington chose after Gen. Wseh'
iueson's death, and in which ahel