Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-04
The Tomb of Washington From Its
Present State of Neglect.
FEATURES THAT NEED AMENDING.
Francis Wilson's Description Of Visit to
hit. Vernon.
THE GREATWORKO OF EDWARD EVERETT
,.,copprspoNprNCr OF THE D1sPArcH.i /

I
possible the Government will take hold OF
the home and last resting-place OF the 1atner
of his country and manage 1t for the gooo OF
the people who venerate the memory OF the
late Washington. and who think, with some
Justice, that the entrance to the American
Mecca should not be blocked by a ticket
taker No one will fail to honor the La
dies Regents Association for the work it
has done in preserving the Washington es-
tate at Mount Vernon, but the work which
these ladies undertook was work which
Congress should have done, and Congress
should take it off their hands even now.
When Russell Sage, the celebrated New
York hnancier, was member OF congress,
he originated and strongly advocated the plan
for the purchase of Mount Vernon by the
Government and its preservation as place
of historical interest to the whole people OF
the United States. He was not successful,
however, and, the estate would have been
sold under the auctioneer's hammer had it
not been for Edward Everett. Miss Ann
Pamela Cunningham originated the plan to
purchase Mount Vernon by private sub
scription, and set it forth in an address to
the women of the United States, signed ga
SOuIueIu mdIIOu, HulCH suS pub Al OAISu-
lation in 1853
ONE MANS WORK.
Mr.. Everett seconded her efforts and un-
dertook, individually, to raise much of the
money necessary to carry out her plans.
He delivered March 10, 1856, till June,
1859-122 times-his grafton on Washing
ton, the proceeds being devoted to the
Mount Vernon fund. From these lectures
he derived more than $3.50 In the
autumn of 1858 he made contract with
Robert Bonner, proprietor of the New York
Ledger, to furnish SO weekly articles for
that paper in consideration of $40, 900, to be
paid in advance to the Mount Vernon fund.
In addition to the S68, 900 raised by his in
dividual efforts, Mr.. Everett started a 80
cent subscription fund among the readers of
the Ledger, which realized more than
So, 900.
The Mount Vernon estate and the house in
which Washington died are maintained by
the Regents Association, which is COM
posed of ladies from the different States. No
one profits financially, in the management
OF it. The money received from visitors for
admittance to the grounds and for souvenirs
is used to keep the grounds in condition and
to improve the house and its surroundings
so as TO restore them as nearly as possible to
their original condition. The fare charged
the visitors who go TO Mount Vernon by
boat is 81. This includes admittance to the
grounds. For this the owners of the boat
turn over to the Regents Association "a per
cent of the gross proceeds from passengers.
SOMETHING OF A MONOPOLY.
Only one boat is permitted to make the
landing at Mount Vernon. 1t is claimed
that there is no profit in the &c cents re-
ceived from each passenger for this trip
down the river, but those who have seen the
crowded condition of the boat in all kinds
of weather, day after day throughout the
year, will hardly give this statement i'm
plicit credence. There is nothing very i'm
pressive about the trip to Mount Vernon,
and little there to inspire reverence. The
passengers are forced to listen to the wheezy
music of two violins and harp all the way
down the river and back again. and are ex-
pected 10 fill the hats of the musicians with
small coins, custom which, be it said to the
credit of the American people, is more hon
ored in the breach than the observance.
When the boat reaches the landing the
passengers are disembarked and file like
sheep through gateway, where stands the
ticket collector who makes sure that the
Mount Vernon Association misses none of
its 34-cent fees. Up "a winding path the
crowd goes, singly and in pairs, to the tomb,
Unlocking and ill-kept, where the remains
of Washington and his wife lie. On the
day last week when I visited Mount Yer
non, the tomb within the vault was deco
rated with sprig of fir and little, faded
bouquet.
A DEsoLATE SCENE.
The dead leaves from the trees without
IL. Al
were scattered over the bare wooden floor
which is laid about the marble sarcophagi.
The lecturer, who afterward gave an ex-
PLANTATION to the crowd of the principal
articles of interest in the house, told briefly
the story of the death of Washington, his
first burial and the subsequent removal of
the remains, and then the photographer,
who had been waiting anxiously on the out
skirts of the crowd, hurried them toward
the Mansion, where his assistant stood be-
fore the large camera, surveying the field.
He was extremely anxious that no one
should escape the pleasure of being photo
graphed in sight of the mansion, and he
screamed and shouted vigorously and al
most imploringly to few stragglers who
seemed inclined to remain outside the
group, which was gathered between two
flags erected as markers on the lawn. He
entertained the group with humorous re-
marks after the fashion of photographers,
until it was ready for the operation.
He also addressed some scornful remarks
to the few who resisted his Establishments
and came not within range of his instru-
ment. He took occasion to remark rather
audibly in the presence of these people
aiterWard that "a young couple that was
dowl here last week cried all the way home
because they didn't get into the picture, but
the damage was done then beyond hope of
remedy"
SOME OTHER FEATURES.
I think the most prominent feature notice
able about the whole place was the penny
side show. 1t was everywhere. Turn to
your lett and there was milk for sale in
George Washington's own dining room ''for
the benefit of the Mount Vernon Associa-
tion." To the right were photographs in
which, it was to be assumed, the association
had more than casual interest. In front
of you were souvenirs of every kind and
description. Every attendant about the
place seemed to be possessed of desire to
sell something-always "for the benefit of
the Mount Vernon Association"
The Regents Association may find this
peddling necessary to maintain the grounds
and house in condition for the visitors to see
All the more reason why Congress should
take the matter in hand and provide for the
maintenance of this historic spot out of the
public treasury. Possibly if the Govern
ment had taken the matter in hand origin
ally and placed worthy historian in charge
of the mansion, we should not see to-day so
many bright, blue and crimson carpets of
modern make on its floors or SO many
brilliantly decorated pieces of cotempor-
aneous china in its old, sleeping apartment
1t was doubtless worthy zeal that in
spired the Ladies OF the Regents Associa-
ton to use the mansion as storehouse for
ancient and modern relics, but even the
most casual observer cannot fail to question
the taste disnlaved