The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1889-04-18

OF great beauty. 1t commands a
fine view of the Potomac, one of the
most noble rivers in the country, d.
vlding the States of Virginia and
Maryland. The old mansion house
of General Washington, the scene of
so many interesting incidents in our
American history, its surroundings,
and the mausoleum of the illustrious
dead, it is not my present purpose to
dwell upon. Scores of newspaper
editors and correspondents annually
make pilgrimages to Mt. Vernon,
and every feature of the place has
been repeatedly described, so that
most readers are familiar with these
published accounts.
The Mt. Vernon estate as occu-
pied by Gen Washington at the time
of his death, was bounded on the
Potomac river and Douge Creek,
having a navlgable front of ten
miles, Its extent back from the riv-
er was unequal; the area Of the es-
tate covered eight thousand acres.
On the line separating this large es-
tate from the adjoining lands,
Washington caused deep ditch to
be dug; this ditch can still be traced
in many places. Washington divided
the estate into four general divisions
or farms; on each of these he erect
ed a substantial building called
"Over-Looker's House" Two of
these houses are still standing and in
tolerable repair. Dividing the divis-
ions or farms before mentioned, rows
of lombard poplars and cedars were
planted; the poplars have long since
disappeared, but the cedars being a
more vigorous tree, survived. Many
of them have been cut down for the
timber, but such as are still standing
are now of large size,
BIRTH-PLAE OF WASHINGTON.
The place where Washington was
born, unlike the place where he died,
is hut seldom visited; therefore
brief notice of its past history, and
of its present condition may be in
teresting to the reader, The birth
places Of eminent statesman, poets
and dlvines in other countries are
generally visited with as much salts
faction as the houses in which they
died. In many cases the houses in
which persons of distinction were
born a century or more ago, in Great
yet remain; but with the
birth place of Washington it is diff
ferent; only scanty vestiges of the
past are found where the Father of
his country was born.
George Washington was born in
1872 on the plantation of his father,
Lewis w. Washington, on Pope's
Greek below Mt. Vernon, about a
mile from the Potomac. The loca-
ton of the old homestead is on
plateau of land some twenty feet
above the water Of Pope's Creek,
which at this point sweeps around in
a curve. The banks are covered
with trees, vines and shrubs, shut
ting out all view of the grounds to
those approaching from the water
side. Passing up through the thick
wooded ascent, the visitor finds a
large level farm. Here is seen
cellar and pile of stones; close by
is the site of an old garden, marked
by cluster of fig trees, few cur
rant bushes, and one scraggy old
apple tree. This is all that remains
of the hallowed homestead. When
Washington father sold the estate,
he reserved a small plat of ground
on which the old mansion stood,
which he conveyed to the State of
Virginia; this small reservation is
now enclosed with cheap fence.
The remains Of George Washing
tons father, grandfather and great.
grandfather, with their respective
families, are buried in vault on al
adjoining plantation. The two es