Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-02-01
Washington Correspondence.

FOunuer.
The steamer, W. W. Corcoran, makes
a daily run to Mt. Vernon, as long as
the Potomac is open for navigation
leaving its wharf at 10 o'clock a. m.
and returning late in the afternoon
giving the visitor several hours at Mt
Vernon. The run down the Potomac
which lasts one hour and half. is
very interesting, passing as it does
the L. 5. Arsenal, in the District OF
Columbia; and, several miles below
Washington, the sleepy old city OF
Alexandria, on the Virginia side of the
river, where is pointed out TO the tour.
ist, as the steamer tarries at the land
ing: Christ Church spire, where Wash,
ingtOn acted as vestryman for a
number of years; also the old Carey
House, where General Braddock made
his headquarters; and the site of the
IlOJcl "Itit vi. EllSWOTJD WAS SDOt
in 1861. At Alexandria was published
the first notice of Washington's death
the same newspaper being framed, ard
hung for visitors to see, in the Mansion
House at Mt. Vernon. Alexandria is
a quaint, quiet old city, where the in
crease in the census for one decade
was only ONE inhabitant. After leav-
ing Alexandria, we steamed past Forts
FOote and Washington, on the Mary.
land side Of the river. General Wash
ingtOn could see Fort Washington dis
tinctly from the broad piazza Of his
home, as the bluff is very high on
which the Fort is built, and looks as
though an enemy's war vessel could
not pass it, without being raked by the
Forts guns.
As we approached Mt. Vernon, the
L. 5. flag was hoisted, and the steamers
bell began to toll, at which sound all
the gentlemen uncovered their heads;
the bell continued to toll at intervals,
until the landing was reached, and
understand that ALL steamers passing
up or down the river toll their ships
bell as they pass the tomb Of Wash
ingtOn.
The superintendent of the place
meets the boat, at the landing, and all
follow him up the gradual ascent to
to the Tomb, where the remains of our
beloved Washington are laid. Our
party Of four did not follow the crowd,
but stopped to look at the great and
beautiful variety of trees, forming the
avenue; here are the willows brought
from the tomb of Napoleon at st.
Helena. When we reached the Tomb,
all were standing with uncovered
heads, looking through the iron graf
ing at the sarcophagi, containing the
DUST of 1.-The Father of his country"
and Martha, his wife Near by are the
graves of the Washington family As
the steamers load went to the Tomb,
it seemed like funeral procession;
but after leaving it, all sad thoughts
were lost in admiration of the lovely,
sunny grounds surrounding the Man
sion. OF course, the ubiquitous pho
tographer was near at hand, and the
groups We're taken almost unawares
When the piazza was reached, every
one was spell bound at the glorious
view spread out before them: the
grand sweep of the Potomac, which at
this point is two miles in width, and the
shore of beautiful Maryland.
This same piazza is fifteen feet wide,
ninety six feet long, and twenty four
feet high. The Mansion is built of
wood, but is plastered and marked, to
resemble cut stone. All the rooms on
the lower floor, are large and airy, with
the exception of the music room, and
are also open to inspection. One of
our party had taken with them a letter
written by Washington, to an ascestor,
which was read aloud from the desk,
where it was originally written. In
the second story are the family bed
rooms. Stats of wood across the open
doors bar egress to them. as visitors
have mutilated many pieces of fur
niture, that they might have some
souvenir of their visit to Washington's
home. We were particularly interested
in the room last occupied by Martha
Washington. After her husbands
death, she moved to this room-a
south room where from the window,
she could look upon her husbands
''ih'' Nii' VIA l'llb, HUN NilltIi
Washington's remains were removed
to their present resting place in 1897.
No one was admitted to Martha Wash
ington's room except her maid who
performed every office for her. At the
bottom of the door, small hole was
cut, for the entrance of q favorite cat.
In this room, which she never left
after entering it, Martha Washington
died, about one and half years after
the death of her Industrious husband.
In the third story of the Mansion are
several small rooms. The grounds be-
longing to the Mansion are kept in ex-
quislte order, by the " Ladies' Mt. Yer
non Association" a Vice Regent being
appointed from every state in the
Union. Mrs. Alex Mitchell, of Mil
yankee, is the Vice Regent for Wiscon-
sin. Many large trees are on the west
side of the Mansion, planted by Wash
ington'S own hands. \ short time
since, the land formerly occupied as a
deer park was restored to the grounds
and stocked with deer.
Our party lunched in the kitchen
where Il descendant of one of Wash.