The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-25
WASHINGTON AT MT. VERNON.
His Life There Affords the Best Re-
alixatiOn of Him ms an Individual.

Harper's Weekly.
It makes no difference how much one
career, nothing suffices to bring one to a
realization of him as an individual, as a
Vernon, which was his home for fifty years.
1t was from here that he went to the Con-
tinental Congress at Philadelphia; it was
from here that he went to take command
of the army of the revolution, and to this
place he retired when independence had
been won and his army disbanded. In 1883
he had put aside his uniform. and was only
a simple country gentleman looking after
the affairs of his plantation of $500 acres,
when the letter OF John Langdon, Presi-
dent of the Senate, reached him and an
nounced that he had been chosen President
of the United States. Here again he came
when his second term had expired, and here
it was that he arranged to take command
without pay of the armies in case, of a war
with France. and here, also, the noble,
placid and heroic life passed away.
The far-stretching fields that comprised
his fine plantations have been cut up into
Other farms. but the house in which he
lived and died has been kept as nearly as
possible as it was during his lifetime
chased by the Mount Vernon Memorial
Association, a company of ladies from the
it their pious and patriotic charge and duty
to keep the place in order and open to the
public.
tiers of this society, and each chapter as
sumes responsibility for the maintenance OF
some definite part of this historic mansion.
For instance, we see that Alabams. main
tains the hallway, Illinois one Of THE par
lors. New. York the BANQUET hall. South
Carolina the dining room, Massachusetts
the library and Virginia the chamber in
which Washington died.
This Is not an imposing house to modern
eyes. but it is tasteful and picturesque.
Indeed, Mount Vernon was not the
most imposing. place in that neighborhood
establishments both larger and handsomer.
1t has often been said that the first Presi-
fse c wan But this IS NOT So There
were several in Pennsylvania, Virginia and
Maryland richer than he. and some of his
biographers intimate that his unlucky WOO
ings in early life were due to some extent
to his lack of wealth,
he was, however. careful man. ana In
quired by marriage increased in value, and
he became one of the richest men OF the
day. But the virgin fertility of his land
had to an extent been destroyed before he
became the master. and in his correspond
ence we find that he was every now end
again regretting the poor methods of agri-
culture in Virginia. and contrasting the re-
suits of slave labor on large plantations
with that OF the small farmers III Pennsyi-
vania.
during his ownership, for. though he was
during the war and for eight years when he
was in New York and Philadelphia as
as 10 what should be done In almost every
conceivable emergency
It is in lokoing at the records ne has left
of his carefulness In his own affairs that We
get the best idea of Washington's wonder
full administrative capacity. The country
gentleman is usually thought of az an easy
going and careless fellow who whites away
the hours in idleness and pleasure. There
may have been many syn smch IN Mha ,, s
exercising all the time in large and small
affairs that Infinite capacity 10 taAe pains :
which some one has said TO be the best
definition of genius.
The house at Mount Vernon is or wood
and painted white. Many who have only
seen engravings OF IL have thought 1t to be
3 stone. as the wood is cut in blocks to imi-
tate stone. The light columns which uphold
the roof of the porch are also of wood.
sanded Washington inherited the place
from his half-brother. 1t ~ now above u
century and a half old, and is good III taken
care OF. as 1t doubtless will be for that
much longer