The record-union., 1895-10-12

they are all of iron; and my boy his
torian was mistaken. as many historians
often are for none of these were dug up.
They got all that rust upon them in the
open air and each carries with it little
bit of rusty history.
The house is old-fashioned, having re-
manned precisely where it now is since
before the passage of the Stamp Act. 1t
is large, roomy, well-built and comfort
able. 1t would make a capital head
quarters for any reasonable man to-day.
No doubt it did so in Washington's day,
ard the association keeps it up and
keeps it open in the most hospitable
manner. In good summer weather only
the lower half of the old-style half
door" portal is shut. Any visitor can
open this for himself and walk right in.
without paying cent, which is great
relief. One is not often allowed to feel
patriotic for nothing under this Tree and
paternal Government.
The natural and universal prejudice
against catalogues is aroused at once on
entering, there is so much to be seen; bns
it subsidies on learning that there is no
catalogue here. Each article on exhibit
ton. above. below, bears upon it's face its
own Justification. although some OF the
teacups are somewhat indefinite and deal
in descriptive generalities.
On the right of the hall, which runs
through the house, is a room which is ex-
ceedingly interesting on two accounts.
Here is where you have to register your
name to prove that you have been here,
and above the table bearing the book
which you write on there hangs IN a
frame 8 very dingy. yellowish parch-
ment. The writing on it Is quite leglble.
particularly the words John" and
Hancock" at the bottom, for this is the
original commission issued to George
Z 4 4
armies by the Continental Congress.
turned TO the young matron who acts
as custodian of all these treasures, aud
asked her:
"Do you know"
''lrs his original commission. SIR" she
said. There is no other III existence"
Not a doubt of it, 1 replied. Eek
ceedingly interesting document. There
is only one other document in existence
that is as interesting IS this ISL
'Oh, yes, sir" she said. II know
what you mean. The Declaration OF In
dependence That's as interesting as
this is.
We'll, yes" 1 somewhat more slowly
remarked. THAT is so. for that old time.
Certainly. the Declaration. But there is
one more in existence, of later date,
about as Interestingly look ed exceed
ingly skeptical and so l was encouraged
! < L
ton Proclamation by President Lin
! coin. 1t was written upon paper, not
parchment, and ii was burned up when
Chicago was burned"-
why, then" she said. sit isn't in ex-
istence at all"
You have great deal that is exceed
ingly interesting" | responded, ION this
lower floor, but do you allow people to
go all over the house?"
'i(,ArtainiU sir - aha soid fsbnt uoujl
! have to go now and come back after din
ner Open from l O'Clock till g."
HARD PLACE TO LIVE.
Temporary retirement was not at all
lrksome, after so severe a reconnaissance e
in company with General Washington.
Still, the afternoon that was absolutely
necessary for complete understanding
of the matter was pretty long. 1t YVES
not possible to get away at once from
that lower floor. The Washington crock
cry, the Lafayette crockery and all the
rest OF the things in that first room and
in the magnificent old kitchen beyond
/ it, will hold one spellbouud until be
/ has ascertained what they all are and
! has duly reflected upon the men and
| the times when these articles came oui
! OF these cupDoards daily. There is tea
/ caddy, for instance, that was presented
| by Lafayette to patriotic lady. whose
! house and home he and his aids mad
/ eaten clean out of all supplies. 1t is Just
/ as Il was then, not an ounce of anything
/ in 1t. The same is true of all the pre-
served punchbowls, although they have
! been mended nicely and look as though
! they would hold water. The array vi
ancient dishes IS very attractive to all
! who are in anywise Interested in china.
The first room being at last exhausted
/ for 1t was sittlng-rOoln, one is drawn on
! into the kitchen. Ine emotion immedi-
/ ately excited Oh entering ia strong de-
( sire TO have that kind of fireplace, il
/ there were any place in the house to put
J it in. Without just such a chimney this
! fireplace would be- impossible. Looking
up the chimney one understands how the
Indians got into the houses of our an
/ cestors. They did not even need be thin
! TO pour right down from the roof and
/ scalp every body after the fire was out anG
/ the em bers had stopped smoking. The
construction of the cave at the bottom o.
! the chimney contempiates the consump-
} ton of half cord OF wood at a time Cul
! into fence lengths. When the wood il
arranged upon the andirons, there is still
room inside, on the right. for the bench
+ that is placed there foI Washington to sill
/ on and warm his lee. after riding in from
/ Valley Forge or Ola io1G Nonsense. The
/ crane still hangs anu viii swing ali over
boil. An ample tin Dutch oven sits con.
! templatively in front, without any roast
in it. There are logs enough, unlighted
by way of perpetual illustration; bul
whoever put them there knew not how
/ and ne has omitted the great black log
and the crooked forestick. FirewooC
was doubtless more abundant then RnC
the tree trunks of our fathers were larger
than the second growth obtainable to-
day.
There are pictures, relics, writings, all
over these lower rooms of the house
/ There are bundles of old letters contain
! ing family secrets that are likely TO be
! kept forever, for nobody opens any o.
the bundles. The collection OF old bills
and accounts offers instruction as to the
extravagance of revolutionary house
/ keeping, but these financial records are
not kept in simple republican dollars and
cents. They all tell, in pounds, shillings
and pence, of our old thraldom to Great
Britain. Before the end of the war oui
fathers had to handle their own money
by the pound or basketful.
a time arrives, sooner or later, to fol-
low Washington, Lafayette and the res
! upstairs. and here Is very different af.
1 fair. This second story is full of the
things with which our patriot forefather.
killed the British aud Hessians in the
war of independence. Excepting the
grandfather of my young friend in the
! street, the New Jersey sons of their sires
have turned over what they had to the
association. The collection of muskets
and the like is genuinely picturesque
1t does not. however, contain any speci.
men of the long rifles carried by Nor.
gan's Nirgiuians, nor of the tremendou,
bsll-muZzled fowling pieces that sent GU
SO much buckshot when they were resteC
across the breastwork on the crest o
Breeds HILL There is very nearly
everything else, including a remark abl
ships blunderbuss and any number o
pistols. These are for both horse anC
tool. and hardly any two of them ar