Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-04


benignant courtesy of Captain Blake Of the
steamer Coreoran, the Arsenal, Alexandra,
Forts Foote and Washington, all Of which
have history worthy OF inquiry, one IS
made aware of the sanctity of the place ne
approaches by the tolling of the steamers
bell.
"This is very sweet and solemn, and, OF
course, eminently appropriate-so eminently
appropriate indeed, that could not help
wondering why the same respect was not
rendered our George on quitting Mount
Vernon as when approaching it. But that's
detail, suppose, which has been over
looked. Verify, 1 say unto We, it ought not
to bel But one, for the moment, forgets dis
respect and discourtesies whichare, no doubt,
the result of thoughtlessness rather than III
tention, when he is led up the ravine, lined
with willows from the great captive's grave
at st. Helena, and stands face to face with
the tomb of our Fabius.
"Of course there can't be a great deal OF
George left after these so odd years, but
took off my hat to it, and felt sad for the
many about me who didn't. The good
shepherd who guides the flock from the
tomb to the mansion is not either minis
ter or a Salvation Army friend;
he is simply photographer He not only
thusiasm reaches the proper dimensions
when inspecting his excellent stock, your
pocketbook, as we'll, or, rather, the contents
of it. The view from the steps of the man
sion is unsurpassed in beauty and grandeur
One ceases to wonder why Papa Washing
ton was ever anxious to quit public life and
HE him to his beloved Mount Vernon. Two
magnolias, ofsprings of the last tree
PLANTED BY WASHINGTON
at Mount Vernon before his death, may be
seen on the river lawn of the place and are
pretty sure at no distant day to obscure the
view of the river from this point. Wash
ington had a gardener from France to help
him use his thinker with respect to the
adornment of Mount Vernon and neither
deemed it advisable to hide the river from
sight, and it IS safe to say if George or his
Jardinier Francais could take up the mum
dane cudgel, these interloping trees would
not be the only things to suffer about
Mount Vernon plantation. The houses, the
rooms, and the furnishings are too well
known to you, or ought to be, to have me
bore you by an attempt at their description,
but 1 want to tell you about the acqua1nt-
anceship 1 struck up with the old, old
fashioned knocker on the door of the west
front.
"He seemed to give me welcoming
smile on my first appearauce-and there
after from whatever side of the house l ap-
preached he always vouchsafed me kindly
CLEAN. When thought of the many illus
trious hands that had grasped that polished
summoner 1 felt 'instinctively" the number
would not be complete without mine added
to the list and without further ado gave
Masonic rat-tap on the Washington portal
that raised echoes in ancient hall and the ire
of the Superintendent. I wanted to steal
that knocker, but was much discouraged by
the thought that it weighed ten pounds if it
weighed an ounce, and had been put on "for
keeps" when the place was built.
SIN the hurry of catching the boat, for
got to carry nv tourists hammer-other-
wise should have had some fine speci-
mems of tine Canova mantelpiece to show
you. Evidence of my vandal compatriot's
presence was manifest everywhere. re-
gretted more than once was not present
when few of these dissertations were COM
mitted." O'BRIEN-BAIN.