The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-06
The Romance of Mount Vernon.

The Romance or Mount Vernon.
Never is the quaint and beautiful
old homestead Mount Vernon love-
lier than in autumn.
II was in 1858 that Col. John
Washington saw that Mt. Vernon
would have to go by the auctioneer's
hammer if something did not turn
up. And here comes in the romance
OF Mt. Vernon. A woman who had
been confirmed invalid since her
nineteenth year, raised q fund OF
$500, 600. and embodied plan that
gave Mt. Vernon to the nation. This
was Anne Pamela Cunningham, OF
South Carolina. She was an only
and INDUCED daughter. In her
childhood she had visited Mt. Yer
non, and when she had resigned all
of life except that which could be
enjoyed in q sick room, in her early
womanhood, she took hold of a pro-
ject to buy Mt. Vernon. or, rather,
the project took hold of her. 1t is
one of the most singular instances
of indomitable energy and practical
perseverance recorded. This frail
woman, from her sick bed, aroused
an enthusiasm especially among
Southern women, that resulted in a
splendid success. She inspired Ed
ward Everett with her spirit and his
lecture on Washington poured mon
ey into the treasury. She interested
Nine. LIE Vert and Mrs. Cora Mowatt
Richie, and in 1850 it was accom-
plished; the house. the tomb of
Washington, and 200 acres of land
belonged to national association.
The capital stock was limited to
s5O0,0OO. 1t was granted in perpe-
tuity, and no disposition OF the prop
erty could be made without the con-
sent of the Legislature. None of the
Washington family thereafter was
to be inferred at Mt. Vernon, and
the key of the vault was thrown in
to the Potomac river. Around the
marble tombs of George and Martha
Washington is a wooden flooring,
which, if stepped upon. starts an
electric alarm atthe house. Through
the open iron work one looks into
the brick vault, where there are only
two tombs. Hats off" is the strin-
gent rule at the grave; even the
most hippant are awed into some
thing like reverence. During some
of the bloodiest days of the war, Mt.
Vernon was treated a 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 the house. Year
by year improvements are made by
the regents. AS far as practicable
every State has a room, ornamented
with relics of the Revolutionary
times, arranged in the style that
prevailed at Mt. Vernon during the
lifetime of General Washington.
Hanging in the entrance hall is the
key of the Bastile, sent to Washing
tor hgI Iafayetts and Qyer the door
of what Is called the State inning
room Washington's field glass, placed
on its perch by the hand of Wash.
ington himself, and never since re-
moved.
The mantle and hearth in the din
ing-room are of ofmarble, and extreme
ly curious; they were sent to Wash
ington from France. On the way
the ship was captured by the pirates;
when they found that this marble
was intended for Washington they
took an opportunity of landingit on
American shores, and it was forward
ed to Mt. Vernon.
In the South Carolina room hangs
the portrait of Anne Pamela Cum
ningham. She has refined and
thoughtful face, with deep and mean
ing eyes.
The attic room which Mrs. WASH
ington chose after General Washing
tons death, and in which she died,
is in almost the indentical condition
in which she left it.
In quaint little drawing-room-
Nellie Cnrtis's drawing-room-is the
grand harpsichord, as large as a
modern grand piano, which WASH
ington gave to her as a wedding gift.
This was the grand-niece of Mrs.
Washington, not her daughter Mel
lie who died unmarried at twenty
two.
In the ground stands a rose bush
where, tradition relates, Nellie Curtis
received 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 that year.
The place is managed upon the
most practical plan. The greenhous-
es are made a source of revenue as
well as the farm. Only one boat is
allowed to land passengers there,
the entrance fee of a dollar foots up
handsomely at the end of the year.
In the old fashioned kitchen very
good lunch may be obtained, served
by colored walters. A superintend-
ent is employed, who keeps the place
in good order, and if General and
Mrs. Martha Washington could re-
turn for an hour no doubt they would
smile approvingly.
While a great elevator was being
built in Kingston. New York, day
or two ago, a remarkable exhibition
of GOODNESS and presence of mind
was given by one of the workmen.
He was standing on a scaffolding
about sixty feet high, when one of
.