Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-06-29

aDouk HIS 6s COulu get away
with a very generous portion Of ham, eggs
and cabbage, with six or seven good sized
| blocks Of yellow corn bread. We went
through the rooms, of course, and saw all
the stock sights-the key of the Bastille,
presented to Washington by Lafayette in
1889 and sent by Thomas Paine, who,
however had to send it from London by
another; the various commissions of
Washington's aids, especially that of La
fayette; the swords presented to the gem
eral, the furniture in tho room where he
died, that in the room where Mrs. Wash
ington died and all the other famous arti-
Giles. Some of the rooms containing these
things are not open to tho public, but
one can stand at the door and see every
thing in them. The library excites the
greatest general interest, as the notable
papers and books of Washington's time
are kept open under glass and many rare
and curious volumes have been recently
added. Among these is an elegantly bound
volume, which was prepared for Washing
ton in London during tho Revolution but
was captured on tho ocean, and after
having passed through many hands reach
ed hero ITO years after its publication. On
the fly leaf In an unknown hand, without
date, is written in bold round half script
imitation of the printing of that period
these words:
'Waf intended for Gcn'l Warrington
by Marquis Rochamhcau, but IL Britifh
cruifer saved 1t for me. London, a. d."
The old time s-except as an initial let
ter-was like an without the cross mark,
but as we have no such typo the plain
hero represents it we'll enough. Besides
tho regular family rooms the others of
interest are Lafayette's room, the river
room, the guest chamber, Miss Nellie Gus
tiS and tho tyyo in which the
general and Mrs. Washington died.
The Purchase.
Old readers we'll remember the efforts
made to purchase Mount Vernon and the
scandal caused by what plain spoken peo-
pie called the hoggishness of the then own
er. 1t was in 1856 that he finally let the
estate go-2O0 acres for 5000, 000-and as
he lived several years aftCrward 1t Is pre-
sumcd that he did not suffer from enlarge
ment of the heart. Tho first great orator
/ ever heard was Edward Everett, who
was then on u tour lecturing to raise the
fund to buy this place. In several of the
western states n small box was placed
alongside of the ballot box on election
day, and voters We're requested to contrib
ute something toward the purchase of
Mount Vernon, and l have seen wealthy
MEN turn away and swear they would not
give dime, such was their disgust at the
owner of the estate. Edward Everett Sc
cured nearly $50, 900 by his lecturcs-in
the west tho price of admission was so
cents-and the rest was made up from
many sources the seller receiving per
cent on deferred payments. Pohick church.
which Washington attended before the
Revolution, is six miles back from the
mansion.
All the rest that is worth knowing about
a,ri,, ha it,O
kuidebook or almost any cyclopcdia, but
thore is very interesting body of litera-
ture which would be hard to find, as it is
scattered through so many volumes. l
mean tho descriptions and reflections of
foreigners who have visited the tomb,
many of which are singularly beautiful
from literary standpoint, many others
we'll worth reading for their philosophical
tone and all interesting because they give
us so clear an idea of the views of our most
Intelligent friends in other lands. One
may ramble for many hours about the
plantation and sec cverywhere objects of
interest from the old deer park recently
rostocked to the once famous ice vault
where q foreign lady Of some note once
paused and shed II few tears of sentiment,
thinking she had arrived at the tomb.
An Unreliable Historian.
Any article on so old n subject rs Mount
Vernon should be brief, but there WAS an
other citizen of this county contemporary
with Washington whose full history ought
to be written by Mark Twain or John J.
Ingalls, l must touch him but lightly,
for have had II peculiar experience which
almost creates in me n personal spite. Like
several million other boys in tho good old
time before the war, my first history books
were certain little green backed volumes
\ ,hri,NS In hat
of Washington were three delightful aneC-
dotcs, of which is familiar to every
body-that Of the truth tellcr's Ratchet and |
the immortal cherry tree. The second told |
of q rcmarkahlc dream by George mother |
of the house getting attire and George put
ting 1t ont with the help of some French |
man. The third was the narrative of an |
old Indian who is alleged to have fired Is |
times at Washington in the battle where |
Braddock was defeated How my heart |
did swell over these stories, and how my |
blood thrilled mt the moral drawn from |
tho lip Of the alleged Indian! And what |
n pity these things are all lies! They orig |
mated in the fruitful Imagination of Mason |
Locke Wctms, who was rector at Pohick |
church for some years in Washington |
time and In 1870 left there to become |
agent for Mathew Carey, the eminent pub |
Usher of Philadelphia.
His little books superseded history. He
was eccentric in mind and manner,
splendid fiddler and a successful book ped
dlcr. His history of General Francis Ma
rion created such an uproar in South Car
olna that the Horny family-it was cred
tied to Major Peter Horry--werc involved
in humorous rows over it and finally |
were compelled to rcpudiate the book. His
histories OF Penn and Franklin are equal
ly unreliable, hut not one tenth part as
fascinating TO boys. When Parson Weems,
as he was called, was attacked on account
of his adornmcnts of history, he used to
defend himself by quoting the famous say
ing of EusehiuS in his church history
that 1t is lawful to accept without criti-
cism any anCcdote that Is for the honor of
q good cause and to peremptorily reject
any which makes against it Wcems was
also the author of those remarkable tracts
and pictures on The Drunkard's Prog
ress," once SO popular, and also wrote
some Virginia sketches SO full Of romance
that they were literally rldiculcd out Of
1t was great grief TO me
when I first learned that his books on
Washington and Marion were so largely
eomance. J. B. PARKE.
Very Young.
lyon must be long lived family"
said gentleman, talking to a woman of
DO years. in an institution who said
that she had brother and n sister still
living, both older than herself