The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-02-22
SAW WASHINGTON LAST.
A Virginia Bricklayer Who Had
That Honor.
The Facts as Related by an Aged Negro
Who Yet Guards the Vault That
Contains the Sacred Dust OF
the WashIngtOns.

the WashIngtOns.
One of the last persons to see the re-
mains of Gen. George Washington was
;seorge Burgess, who recently died IN
Alexandria. Va, at an advanced age.
burgess was an apprentice at the brick
having trade at the time Gen. Washing
tons body was taken from its resting
place in the old family vault and placed
in the marble tomb where it now is.
The Washington homestead is q
.hree-story building on the high bank
Of the Potomac river at Mount Vernon.
1t is probably one hundred and fifty
feet long and about forty feet wide, and
runs north and south. The room in
which George Washington died is in the
econd story of the house and at the
xtreme south. The room iii which
,iartha Washington died is immediate
w above it. After his death, it is said,
he had a window cut in the southern
Exposure of the house in the room
which she afterward occupied, in
order that she might sec her husband s
tomb. The family vault III which her
husbands remains were temporarily
olaced was at the brow Of the hill,
about two hundred feet immediately
.outh of the house. A large number
,f the bodies of relatives were also
placed in this vault.
The present site occupied by the
Washington vault, says the Chicago
Times. is one selected by Washington
himself. and the story of its being
Quilt is told by Edward Parker, the old
colored man, who explains to visitors
what the vault contained. When he
was asked if he knew burgess and
Burgess claim OF having seen Wash
ingtons body was correct he said:
''ncllowcl ground like This yere does
not M; Ike all good who live upon it. A
man to gain eternal salvation n1ust be
born again, and only when he is born
again carl he hope to live IL eternal
peace with hi, Maker. u hen the gen
cral died AMI his remains were placed
in the other vault it was not intended
that his remains should always stay
mere. This site was chosen by the
-cncral hissclf when he was alive for
family vault. The building OF this
|arlt was delayed for year, on differ
mt preteXts and thia is how it came to
&c built by burgess boss at last. There
vas an English gardener here whose
lime had nearly expired, and he
thought h could make (: fortune il he
could steal Gen. as.,ingtons skull
tilI hold ii until IL reward was offered.
Il the same vault with the general s
.cill:iins was Il number Of others. The
gardener succeeded ia getting into the
vault and getting "a skull. lie wa; dis
covered and the skull taken from him.
burgess boss was given the job of
building the vault and after it was fin
i.shed the generals remains were moved
over here. The coffin was opened and
ii was found that the BODY was intact
and all there. Burgess was present
when the coffin was opened and | recl-
on he seen the body. In this vault are
fortytwo others beside the general S
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 Re was brought to the
place when about fourteen years old.
This, he says, was in 1871, and he has
remained in the neighborllood ever
since. lie wears an army uniform and
Is deeply religious.
While the old colored man was rev.
erently telling all he knew of Wash
lngton he was approached by a man
and woman, both OF whom were we'll
dressed and seemed intelligent. The
couple looked at the tomb of Washing
ton, and his wife, turning TO Parker,
said: Uncle. can you tell us where
the cherry tree is that Washington is
said to have cut down with his little
hatchet?''
Parker stopped in the middle of a
sentence, and turning toward them.
Indignantly replied: We'll, well, if
you are looking for that tree you will
have to go to Westmoreland county"
The couple started down the lane,
paying no attention to Parker, as he
asked them if they would not like to
take a souvenir home with them.
Parker, continuing his talk, said:
''Some people haven't any sense,
reckon, for they ask all sorts of foolish
questions about George Washington
and his family
Parker takes especial interest in
pointing out the trees planted by Dom
Pedro of Brazil, the Sigma Chi fra
ternity and the English oak planted
to take the place Of the horse chestnut
set out by the prince OF Wales during
his visit 10 this country, aEL which
has since died. Tie collects quite few
dimes each year by selling souvenirs
After finishing his lecture he invari
ably turns toward his audience and
asks:
Don't you want q souvenir?
From the large pockets of his coat he
fishes up number Of cedar hatchets
whitfield out with knife and a dried
magnolia blossom, which he says came
from tree planted by Washington
himself.
Michigan people are attracted to the
coach house at Mount Vernon by a
sign ON it that it was restored by
Michigan. In this coach house is a
three-sea.ted coach used by Washington
and his family
a Royal Article OF Apparel
From time inmemorial ermine has