Arizona silver belt., 1895-04-06
{ AW WASHINGTON LAST.
d Virginia Brioklayer Who Had F TnAt Honor.
Tho Facts as Related by an AEod Negro Who Yet Guards the Vault That Contains the Sacred Dust of
 the Nsshingtons.

One of the last persons to see the re mains of Gen. George Washington was iicorge Burgess, who recently died in Alcxaudrin, Va, at an advanced age. Burgess was an apprentice at the brick laying trade at the time Gen Washing tons body was taken from it's resting place in the old family vaultand placed in the marble tomb where it now is The Washington homestead is ;hrce-story building on the high bank uf tho Potomae river at Mount Vernon lt is probably one hundred and fifty feet long and about forty feet wide, and runs north and south. The room in whieh George Washington died is in the second story of the house and at tho extreme south, The room in which Martha Washington died is immediate ] ly above it. After his death, it is said | she had a window cut in the southern | exposure of the house in the room | which she aftcrwaN occupied, m | order that she might sec her husbands | tomb. The family vault in which her ! husbands remains were temporarily l placed was at the brow of the hill, i about two hundred feet immediately | south of the house. A large number i of the bodies of relatives were also | placed in this vanlt,
 Tho present site occupied by the ' Washington vanlt, says the Chicago Times, is one selected by Washington himself, and the story of it's being built is told by Edward Parker, the old colored man, who explains to visitors what the vault contained. When he was asked if he knew Burgoss and Burgess claim of having seen Wash ington's body was correct he said:
 ''Hollowed ground like this yere does not make all good who live upon it. A man to gain eternal salvation must be born again, and only when he iS born again can he hope to live in eternal peace with his Maker. When the gem cral died and his remains were placed
 in the other vault it was not intended that his remains should always stay there This site was chosen by the general hisself when he was alive for family vault. The building of this
 vault was delayed for years on differ Cnt preteNtS and this is how it came tC
 be built by Burgess boss al last There was En English gardener here whose
 time had nearly expired, and he
 thought h could make a fortune if he could steal Gen. Nashingtons skull and hold it until reward was offered.
 In the same vault with the generals $ remains was number of others The gardener succeeded in getting into the vault and getting skull. He was dis cOvercu and the skull taken from him. Burgu UosS was given the job of building the vault and after 1t was fin ished the gcnerals remains were moved over here. The cOfiin was opened and
 it was found that the body was intact
 and all there. Burgess was present
 when the coffin was opened and reck
 on he seen the body. In this ycult are furty-two others beside the general'
 family. The whole floor space IS filled
 and that Is the reason these other
 bodies are buried outside
 lie also said that the bones of many
 of the bodies were piled In the corner
 Parker said he was brought to the
 place when abOut fourteen years old
 This he says, was in lSil, and he hai
 remained in the neighborhOod evel
 since He wears an army uniform an( is deeply religious,
 While the old colored man was rev
 erently telling all he knew of Wash , lngton he was approached by mai and woman, both of whom were wei
 dressed and seemed intelligent Th'
 couple looked at lhe tomb Of Washing /, ton. and his wife, turning to Parker
 said: Uncle, can you tell us wher'
 the cherry tree is that Washington i
 said to have cut down with his littl, hatcbet?n
 ,, Parker stopped in the middle of | sentence, and, turning toward them indignantly replied; Well, well, i
 you arc looking for that tree you vii
 have to go to Westmoreland county"
 The couple started down the lane v paying no attention to Parker, as h. | asked them if they would not like t'
 take souvenir home with them r Parker, continuing his talk said , ''Some people haven't any sense, Q reckon, for they ask all sorts of foolisl
 questions about George Washingtol - I hliAi Ills A1AiAAAs
 Parker takes especial interest il f pointing out the trees planted by Don a Pedro of Brazil, the Sigma Chi fra e tcrnity and the English oak plante' ' to take the place of the horse chestnu
 set oat by the prince of Wales durinI i his visit to this country, and whicl i, has since died. He collects quite fev
 dimes each year by selling souvenirs 2 After finishing his lecture he invari
 ably turns toward his audience ant v asks:
 = Don't you want . souvenir?' From the large pockets of his coat h
 fishes up number of cedar hatchet whitfield out with knife, and drie'
 magnolia blossom, which he says cam
 from tree planted by Washingtol
 himself
 Michigan people are attracted to th
 coach house at Mount Vernon by y sign on it that it was restored b, - Michigan. In this coach house is
 three-seated coach used by Washington a and his family.
 THE GEN. BOOTH MINE. '- Gold That Is Dug by Members of the Sal n