The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-10

woodland and the remainder was divided
into four great farms titled by several nun
dred negroes Each farm was devoted 70
snoc;ai crops. a. tobacco, wheat, corn, etc,
| IA ,yas in charge of an overseer who re-
,>o~ted daily 10 the superintendent, the
| io,,or renotine from time TO time to
Washington himself.
II has been calculated that Washington
x-os worth something like a half million
dollars. and that his yearly income was
obout foO. 900. though be was far from be.
inc the richest farmer in that part of Vir-
mia After the death Of the fret presi-
/ don't tho lands were sold by the heirs from
time 10 tine, TIL now only the mansion
bouse farm" consisting Of 200 acres, re-
mains. These grounds and the mansion
itself are in charge Of the Mount Vernon
association and the ladies OF that society
deserve great credit for having maintained
the house in such excellent condition, as
we'll rs for their work OF restoring the
rooms and premises 10 their original state
as near as possible, which has been carried
ont with great fidelity and intelligence
Adjacent to the grounds quite village has
crown Nd and postoffice is maintained
| there for the benefit Of the Inhabitants.
! Visitors land at tho wharf, about aquar-
te- Of a mile from the mansion. A part OF
II was constructed by Washington himself
and mere ia his time vessels were laden
with great quantities Of tobacco and also
with -four in barrels, each bearing the
once well known trademark, George
washington. Mount Vernon" Washing
ton. like the other farmers OF this section,
used TO make his shipments direct 10 Lon
don or Bristol. and his flour had n good
reputation ia the English market The
old mill at which no ground his grain is
now n mass of ruins on tho river shore
mile or 90 balow the wharf. From the
landing a driveway and also footpath
lead up the hillside through the woods to
the mansion, passing the tomb Of George
and Martha Washington on the way. The
mansion house was built about $50 years
ago. or at least the central part Of it was.
Lawrence Washington, the generals half
brother, was the first builder, being the
owner of the Hunting Creek estate" as
the property was then known. When the
estate descended TO George Washington he
renamed It Mount Vernon, in honor OF
Admiral Edward Vernon, in whose fleet
Lawrence Washington had served in the
West Indies.
A few yards from the mansion, down the
steep southern bank, is the old family tomb
in which the bodies of Washington and his
wife aud other members of his family were
deposited until 1881, when they were re-
moved TO the new vault some distance to-
ward the river. For time the old tomb had
fallen into decay, but it has now been re-
stored and made TO look as much as pos
sible as it is believed 10 have looked years
ago In 1925. when Lafayette made bis
last visit to Mt. Vernon, he went into this
old vault and reverently kissed the coffin
which held the remains Of his great Amer
Jean friend The new vault, which was
built precisely at the spot and in the man
ner directed by Washington himself in his
will, is beautiful tomb, and before it as
write stand hundreds of Americans of
both sexes doing homage to the memory
OF the man whose valor and patriotism
made this Independence Day possible.
Within the enclosure, and plainly TO be
seen through the gate, is q marble sarcoph-
agus inclosing the remains Of Washing
ton, and bearing on its top only the coat Of
arms of the United States and draped
flag about the simple word, "Washington."
No need of poetry or Latin inscription TO
commemorate the fame Of him who lies
within.
| wish had time and space to describe
the old house and its contents for you. 1t
is an old story, know, but one which
bears frequent retelling, for in no other
structure in this country, to my mind, is
there so much that speaks Of the heroic
age Of the Revolution, and of the pictur-
esque period Of the colonies. as is TO be
found within these walls. One room in
particular holds all visitors with some
strange fascination 1t is q little dormer
sort Of chamber, under the roof, in which
is q bedstead six feet square and fanked
by four high posts. This is the room in
which Washington died ninety-three years
ago next December. and there the very
bed upon which he breathed his last. At
least the bedstead is the same, though the
coverlets are of more modern manufac-
ture. 1t is unfortunate that throughout
the housemany articles of domestic ma
ture have had to be supplied by the low
ing hands OF the women who compose the
Mount Vernon association, as the mansion
was stripped of much Of its original fur
nishing by the heirs before the association
took charge.
Thus Mrs. Washington's bedchamber,
in which tradition has It she immured her
self for eighteen months after the death Of
her husband, refusing TO see any one but
her two grandchildren and q favorite maid,
contains but one article which was there
during the lifetime Of its gentle mistress
a mahogany washstan6-but the bed and
other articles Of furniture have been re-
produced in close imitation of the origi-
nails
In this magnificent home, for such It was
In the days Of It's glory, Washington lived
for fifty years For forty years it was the
home Of that peerless welded couple,
George and Martha Washington, though
the master was away TO the wars and in
the presidential Office more than one-third
Of that time Probably the happiest Of
WashingtoRs years at Mount Vernon
were the three which he passed here after
| his retirement from Office. He was at
peace with all the world, and his country
| was fairly prosperous and free. The new
state was successfully launched and babe
| fair 10 safely ride the seas. During this
| time Washington so much loved his home
and his well earned life of ease that he
never went twenty miles from the piazza
of the mansion Occasionally the cream
! colored chariot which be had used as pres
ident was brought out and with six blood
| ed horses attached TO il and with servants
| in livery he and Mrs. Washington went 70
pay calls of ceremony in the neighborhood,