The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-05-20
Especial Correspondenoe.l

Especial CoFre<pondence.l
wAsHrxerox. Nay ioth-
A hundred ladies and genflenen. OF
more. vent On the steamer 10 visis
Mount Vernon the day that Nr. Ecls
and nays<If concluded to turn our
selves loose for . day in the country.
I Was informed by one of the attend
ants that over four thousand visitors
had been received there during th<
msnfh Of April We had been told
that IL vas = delightful trip down the
Potomac ON the splendid fast steamer
Corceran, and Of the scenery on the
way, and like attractions. On Puget
Sound. by comparison. this steamez
would neither be called splendid nos
fast. aud, ezcep4 for the historical re-
oIlecfions. the scenery would have but
slight attractions The trip vas de-
Eghtful though, as We found by the
experiences Of the day
The house stands on an elevation
above thewaters of the Potomac, near
ly Is high ~ the lower level Of the
University grounds at Seattle, or say
nearly two hundred feet, but closer to
the river than the grounds referred 70
are to Puget Sound. The landing Is
at . wharf built by Washington, as We
were told, down the river nearly .
quarter Of . mile. which gave opportu-
nifty for an easy grade to the house.
h~tf <I11 rxrnslx. s-ssvxa .
10 the tomb Of Washington, q plain
or display Of any kind. One does not
care TO linger long 70 gaze simply at
brick and stone, for, after all. that Is
all that is to be seen ut the tomb, and
this Of work wrought by other hands.
The real monument to attract our at
tention was the work done under
Washington own eye-the residence,
the out houses, stables, and all that
goes TO make up the sum total Of a
farm house and surroundings.
After all Washington was man,
subject TO the same wants. encounter
ing the same difficulties, experiencing
the same disappointments as like 9TH
CT men of his day.
wAsHTNGroy's HOUSE.
The house Is quaint old structure
indeed built by piecemeal, some by
Washington's ancestors half a century
before his time, but more since. The
great, wide portico in front extends
clear up past the second story and has
but the one floor, THAT on the ground, }
which is paved with stone. The rooms
in the house are numerous but small,
with low ceiling. small, mere attics, so
close under the roof one could not
stand straight under the outer por-
tions. The outer kitchen and work
room standing detached from the
main building. with an open covered
way between, suggested the old time
style OF living. There were two such
additions, one at each angle at the
back of the house.
went down TO the barn or stables
standing little way from the house.
This was built Of brick, was what We
would call low and squat, with but
few convcniences and little room.
Much of the old timber Of the roof was
gone and had been replaced, but the
structure was there substantially as
he left ii.
In another quarter were the gardens
and green house In the garden are
numerous ormental shrubs, some of
which are said TO have been planted
by Washington. The old box hedge
running through the garden is still
there and is well preserved.
THE SLAVE QUARTERS.
Then We came TO the negro slave
quarters, yes. the slave quarters, old
and decayed and nearly gone. like the
cause that created them. These too,
were built of brick brought from Eng
land like those of the stable. The only
relic brought away with me was d
piece of the mortar that had cemented
these prison walls. The walls show
the work of the storms of century
or more in the serrated form Of the
face of the wall, caused by the wear
ing away of the mortar, leaving the
bricks protruding. i went inside the
walls, but the roof was gone; the
windows were more like mere port
holes than like places TO admit air
and light. Some of the heavy solid
oak casings were in place, but the
whole presented a detected and for
saken aspect. The walls had never
been over seven or eight feet high.
SENTIMENT FORGOTTEN.
Spying three negroes AZ work near by
| thought TO draw them into conver-
sation.
do you know. boss, whether any
OF the descendants Of the negroes that
used to belong to Washington, live
near here?"
No sab. | dosent. they mought and
then agin they moaghtent," turning
the biggest white Of an eye upon me
ever saw, ard speaking with such
earnest gravity that for the life of me
could not restrain burst of laugh
ter. for which was heartily ashamed.
| did not ask that darkey any more
questions. and the sentiment" all
went out of me. as the sense Of the
iudicrous took possession of me. |
certainly was down To the ridiculous
without having been Ito the sublime"
and left the slave quarters for more
congcnial scenes.
wAsHINeroS's RANCH"
Washington must have had strug-
gle 20 make such farming land as was
in sight pay, though in fact there was
not much of IL cleared near by. II is
said he inherited 400 acres and added
40 more by purchase, all of which
thanks Ia our righteous laws Of entail,
has not descended 10 single heir, but
has been scattered to the four winds
Ia numerous owners. OF all the for
bidding soil TO be seen anywhere. that.
that had been cultivated adjacent to
the homestead was the worst OF any I:
hard as a brick" on the surface, sand
and gravel just beneath. il looked as
il the less one had Of this kind. the
better. noticed that the material
taken from just beneath the surface
soil was the very hest kind of road
material. making 4 compact. smooth
driving surface However. almost ali
the surrounding country was in
priaeyal forests and shut out any ex-
tended view cf the al jacent country.
| took q stroll in this timber. OF
course. il there was any brush around
I would naturally take 90 that. a. nay
native element. Within less than
"a, wards Of the tomb OF the iiiustrious
all signs of civilization amid the ma
tive nmhers, the immense hearing
graYe vines and tangle of underbrush.
Here, the Wild cherry grew bigger
than my body" the sassafras like a
great spreading tree The thorn and
honey locust. poplar and sugar maple.
elm. ash. white. rel and black oaks,
buckeye and numerous other varieties
I comli Rot identify. were growing
promiscuousiy together in the one for
est, II the small. not to say sfunted
gruxfh Of the thinker Is entitled 10 the
name Of forest
A drink Of milk from the COW OF
the Washington stock. " hurried hook