The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-11-10
WASHINGTON NEWS.
THE MECCA OF ALL AMERICANS
The Tomb OF WashlnSton--llom.'s Ideas or the
Reduction ofroatase-sh.tnuA's RAPPORT or
The Army-Seeri,sry Folg.r at III, Desk.
i Thsstarlsou.s Bribery 4Mluorlt.m,. wv

I - u "a - - .
WASHINGTON, November 0.-This is tn,
favorite season fort visit 10 Mount Vernon
and during the months Of October aud No
vember the average number OF visitors /.
larger than ut any other time. Never Is the
quiet aud beautiful old homestead loveliel
than In the autumn. 1t was III 1858 tliat
Col. John Washington saw that Mount
Vernon wouldhavetogo by the auctionecr's 4
hammer II something did not turn up. And
here comes in the romance Of Mount Yer.
non. A woman who had been confirmed
Invalid since her nineteenth year raised IL
fund OF 100000 and embodied Il plan that
gave Mount Vernon 10 the Nation. This
was Anne Pamela Cunningham, OF Soutl,
Carolina. She was an only and INDUCED
daughter. In her childhood she had
visited Mount Vernon, and when she
resigned all OF life except that which
could be enjoyed in II sick room, in
ner early wonanlood; she took hold Of Il
project to buy Mount Vernon, or rather, the
project took hold Of her. It Is one OF the
most singular incidents Of indomitablc en-.
ergy and practical perseverance, recorded,
This trail woman, from her sick bed,
aroused an enthusiasm, especially among
southern women, that resulted in II splen.
did success. She inspired Edward Everett
with her spirit, and his lecture on Wash.
inston poured. money into the treasury,
She inspired Nine. 10 Vert and Mrs. Corr,
Mowatt Rltchie, and In 1860 it was accom-.
p!lslled; the house, the tomb OF Washing.
ton, and 200 acres OF land belonged TO
nntional association. The Legislature
Of Virginia granted n very
sensible charter to the association.
The capital stock was limited to $500.
ooo. 1t was granted in pcrpetnity, md
no disposition OF the property could be
made without the consent Of The legisa.
ture. None of the Washington family
thereafter was to be inferred ut Mount
vernon. and, the key OF the vault was
thrown into the ,potonac river. Around
tie marble tombs OF George and Martha
Washington is 4 wooden flooring which il
stepped upon Starts an electric alarm at
hel!ousc. Through the open iron work
one looks into the brick vault, where there
arc only the two ,ombs. "IIats OFF, is the
stringent rule ut the grave; even the most
iilrlans are awed into something like rey.
eIencc. During some OF the bloodicst days
Of the war Mount Vernon WIS treated us
neutral ground, and soldiers of both ar
mics were seen iratemizins under the trees
TINT guard the tomb.
Frequent description cannot destroy the
interest OF the house. Year by year i'm.
provemcnts are made by the regents. As
tar us practicable every State las room
ornamented with relics OF Revolutionary
times, arranged in the style that prevailed
at Mount Vernon during the lifetime OF
General Washington. Hanging in ihe en-.
trance lall is the the key oi lhc Bastile,
sent to Washington by Lafayette; and over
the door Of what is called the State Dining
Room is Washington's field glass placed
on its perch by the hand of Washington
himself, and never since reploycd, The
mantel and hearth in the dining room are
pi marble; md extremely curious. They
were sent to Washington from France. On
the way the ship hearing the gift was cap.
tured by pirates. When they found thai
this marble was intended ior;.Washjnrton
they took an opportunity Of landing It on
American shores, and it was forwarded to
Mount Vernon. In the; Sonth Carolina
room hangs the portrait Of Aunc Jamelia
cunningham. :; She las refined and
The ..a attic i:. room com which Which Mrs Washington