The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-24
AN UNCAnEO Ton GRAVE.

A woman's Visit 10 tho Tomb of tho
Mother of Washington.
Marion Ndrland, IN ~HapcPIBdsOr.
Driven BY de man what knows mo-
bout F'ed'icksbag n emmy odor coach.
man 'bout.thcr'" (about hcrej, II tho
evidence Of brother backmcn he OF
valuc,,we seek tho burial.placo Of Mary,
the mother Of Washington. 4 -
The legend Of Tho unfinished monu.
ment Is familiar TO us all, as Is tho his;
tory OF tho various attempts to rcvivo In
tho hearts OF the American people
active interest In tho work OF repairing
the wrong done to motherhood and 10
the memory OF our ~grea,est clieftain.
fot We are conscious Of n shock when
the carriage draws UP within a few feet
OF tho grave. A square construction,
seemingly composed OF unmortared
blocks OF marble, supports Corintlian
pillars set between buttressed corners.
There arc two columns upon each OF
three sides; from tho fourth. ono Is
missing. A marble obelisk, h%lockenod
by mould and stained by the SHOWS
and rains OF i~lfty-nine years, lies Upon
ibe'ground Mt tho base OF the "MeInor-
.ial" Heaven save the markD
Tho intelligent coachman says his
piece: "Marty, or Mary Wnsh'n'ton, or
whatever dcy call her, been buried
under dat ar m%onet1nent. Some folks
say twas q mighty handsome moner-.
mcnt bout n hund'ed year ago. Oder
folks say tain neber been finish no
time. Don look like t cher will DO
finish now. Ki-yi! When folks been
dade a bundled years, nobody gwine ter
take d~e.troublc tor put up O tombstone
for en-"
We arc wiser than he on the last
head. The recurring consciousness OF
this salvos tho modification and pain
induced BY tho sight OF the disgrace,
md the recollection Of the ubortivu en-
terpriscs for tho removal OF the blot
from thc national escutchcon, We do
not add to ciCcrono's stores Of gem
eral information u knowledge that
the ground on which We stand ind tho
five acres Immediately encompassing the
the grave arc the decided property OF tho
National Mary Washington Memorial
Association; that collections are stead
lily il not rapidly being made by the or
gani2ation for the erection OF Il new and
fitting monument; that the faith in ul-
innate success OF, tho women who have
the moncment in charge, has never
wavered since they set their hearts and
heads upon Fighting Mary Washington
in the eyes OF a republic that is rather
minimizing than unsrateiul.
Our busy lancles fail to work, instead,
upon the shadowy outlines OF the pile
that is to do away-with the fact.andthe
memory OF the crumbling fragment be-
fore our bodily eyes. Two OF rs sit upon
the half-buried obelisk; 4 third walks
about the ruin, thrusting Il tentative
cane into intcrstics, and shaking a
mournful head The tcntacles.ofIwirc
grass are digging tout the Al%sintsgratcd
mortar; TUFTS Of sheep-mint, bruised by
the intrusive ~ferrule, breathe p%ungent-
ly; q rank plant that may develop into
"jimsen weed" leans impertinently to-
wards lis from the earth deposited upon
the top Of the memorial; by the winds
OF sixty years, save one. Sir Oracle is
looking over the wall into the small
burying grounds behind the incomplete
tomb. as m~otionless as tho marble.
The cornerstone OF what we see was
laid May I, 1889, in the sight Of fifteen
thousand people, AS President Andrew
Jackson depositec5an; engraved plIte in
the followed block, lie is reported to
have predicted "that the American pill
grim will. in after ages, come up to this
high and holy place, and lay his hand
upon this sacred column. May he re-
call the virtues OF her who sleeps be-
meath, and depart with his affections
purified, and 1'his, piety
while He invokes blessings upon tho
memory OF the mother OF Washington"