Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-27
THE HOME OF WASHINGTON.
How 1t IL Cared for by the Ladies' Pat
riOtic Zeal.
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE GOVERNING
BOARD NOW IN sESSION-THE WORK OF THE
YEAR BEING REVIEWED,

The tip TO Mount Vernon. which at this time
OF the year Is favor1te one with the society
people of this city, well as the residents gene
rally and visitors to the city. has an additional
attraction just now, owing to the presence there
of the ladies forming the governing board OF
the Ladies' Mount Vernon association. Since
their sessions began on Wednesday last many
parties of society people have gone down there
tospend the day and at the same time visit
with the ladies of the association, who make
their home at this historic spot during the time
of their annual session. The regent and vice
regents of the association, as the members of
the governing board are termed. are wcll-known
ladies In the states which they represent, and
from their long connection with this patriotic
work. as well as their high social standing, their
annual meetings are occasions of great interest
As their appointment is for life, many of the
ladies have been connected with the association
since early life, and have literally grown gray
Ii the service The present regent, Mrs. Lily l..
Macalster Laughton, of Philadelphia, was made
a regent when quite young girl, ana from the
and struggling days. required she was
ready to assume the more responsible
regent, Miss Anna 2. Cunningham, of South
year the association has been called upon
NUMBER Mrs. T. w Yuee. th Mo wiz; 3a Of fh exr
Senator Yulee, of Florida, and Mrs Ella S.
Herbert, the wife of Representative Herbert, OF
Alabama. Of the twenty-siX ladies composing
the association, there are present at the meet
ing this year fourteen, the rest being detained
are Mrs; Lily 1, Macalster Laughton, Pa; MIS-
Susan E. j. Hudson, Conn; Mrs. Mary T.
Barnes, d; c.; Mrs. Philoclea Edgewcr;h Eve,
Ga; Mrs. Ida Slocombe Richardson, La.: Mrs
Margaret j. NJ. Sweat, Me-: Miss Emily Har-
per, Nd; Mrs Nancy W. Halsted., y: j.; Mrs
Justine Van Rensselaer, Townsend. n. y: Mrs
Read Ball, Va; Mrs. Ella Bassett Washington,
West Va; Mrs. Alexander Mitchell, Wis.
PATRIOTIC ZEAL.
As may be seen many of these ladies come
from long distances and some of them at great
personal inconvenience and sacrifice. How
ever neither personal considerations or ad-
vancing years seems to have diminished the
patriotic zeal, which 81 years ago, under the
magnetic promptings OF Miss Cunningham, in
ausurated this public work. The idea of pre-
memorial to the American people first origina-
ted with woman. and ii was carried into exc
e cut by WOMAN ,, 1t was first advocated in
to her zeal and energy, the women
in in.os, all parts OF the country were in
necessary money went on with so much sue
cess that in the year 1859 the mansion of
Mount Vernon, with all its permanent belong
was purchased by the Ladies' Mount Vernon
association from John Augustine Washing
ton, jr., for 100000. About one-fourth of tho
purchase money was obtained by the individual
efforts of Hon. Edward Everett, OF Massachu-
sets, by the repetition of his Grafton upon the
was raised by organized contributions, direct
donations, the sales of photographs and en-
graved views OF the house and grounds of canes
from sticks cut upon the estate, and from the
holding Of fancy fairs. After the place had
been purchased steps We're taken to- improve
and beautify the grounds but the breaking out
of the war caused the contributions to fall off and
the association was able to do but little EXCEPT
to guard and protect the property. Since that
time. however, through the annual revenue
derived from the throngs of visitors that come
to the place, as well as the liberal donations of
money, and interesting relics, the house and
grounds have. been kept in order, and the
attractivencss of the place increased, both for
the mere pleasure seeker and those who have
an interest in memorials of by-gone days and
customs.
THE EARLY RESIDENTS OF MOUNT VERNON.
The name Mount Vernon was given to the
place in honor of Admiral Vernon. of the Brit
ish navy. Lawrence Washington, the half
brother of Gen. Washington and owner of the
estate at that time. had served in the British
army before Carthagena when Vernon was the
naval commander. Lawrence Washington
died in July. 1852. leaving Il wife and an infant
daughter. The Mount Vernon estate was be-
queathed to that daughter, and, in the event of
nef decease without issue, the property to
pass into the absolute possession of George
Washington, to whom, in his Will, Lawrence
had entrusted the chief OF his affairs
Gen. Washington was then only twenty
years of age. The daughter did not long
survive the father, and Mount Yer
non became the property of George Wash
ington. where he lived after his marriage, and
where he hurried from the cares of state to
superintend the erection of building, and the
planting of the crops In letter to :, friend i'm
London soon after his marriage he wrote con-
corning his home: "No estate in the United
and healthy country, ia a latitude between the
extremes Of heat and cold, and on one of the
finest rivers in the world" The visitor to-day.
as he stands on the eminence in front of the
house and looks down the sloping lawn and
through the vista of forest trees to the rivers
edge, and then out upon the broad surface of
ha-
tween the thickly wooded Shores will not
regard this encomium as exaggerated,
doorway opening into the generous hall and
then out upon the broad grassy lawn at the
rear, dotted here and there with large trees, he
place Mount Vernon has attractions even in
these days. In addition to the associations
which cluster about the place. and which even
III a country where there are ruins and only
q callow past evoke a certain consideration
Mount Vernon Is charming because it is so real
1t reminds one of the old farm with which he
was familiar years ago. and while it is a south
ern farm, with the distinctive features of slave
Quarters and "a house on grander scale, yet the
repose and rural simplicity appeals to the mind
and calls up memories OF the past, whether the
visitor be from the north or the south. To those
who were familiar with country life in the
south before the war came with its changes the
place has almost pathetic interest.
FRIGHTENING UP THE OLD ROOMS
AT present the old place is enlivened by the
presence Of the lady regents and while their
occupation OF tne mouse is only TEMPORARY Il
sort of camping out, yet it gives the rooms u
home-like appearance. During the day they
occupy the state dining-room and group them
selves about a long table, which is covered with
papers and ink and pens, as indications of the
business character OF the conferences When
the boat arrives the regents take recess and
devote themselves to their friends who NAV
have come from the city, or even may be found
pointing out some object Of interest to the
strangers. AS they move about from room to
room, attired in house costumes to which some
OF the ladies add little caps, the old house loses
the cold and dreary appearance which unin-
habited rooms acquire, in spite OF constant care
improvements and alterations are constantly
being made, and this year will prove no exc ep-
ton. The ladies find that it will be neces-
sary. to spend quite sum of money in
by new one. the floor in the main hail will
be renewed, the walks repaired, Il green house
quit ana number OF other Improvements
made, involving an outlay of quite large
amount OF money. The association derives its
revenue mainly from the entrance fees paid by
visitors. and during the past year there were
$1,000 visitors, making the fund from this
source about Sc 600. A smaller amount is OBJ
tanned from the sale OF the farm products The
annual revenue Is sufficient to keep up the
place, but there are many improvements which
the ladies desire to make when their means
will allow 1t, and among these may be men
toned
A DEER PARK.
The association has in addition an endow
ment fund amounting to sac, 1000 which they
desire to increase, SO that in the event of the
public interest in the place dying out and their
revenue from this source being cut off, the asso.
citation may still be enabled to maintain the
place. Through the efforts OF the vice regents
In the various states, not only are contributions
MI n ina lt1tS a.fe 80 l.s