The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-01-15
SAW GEORGE LAST
A Virginia Erickiaysr Who Had
Taat Honor.
Tie Facts a. Related b. an Aged Nsars
Who Yst Guards the vanis That
Contains the Sacred Oass Of
the wsshIngtoae

One of the last persons to see the re-
mains Of Gen. George Washington was
George Burgess. who recently died in
Alexandria, Va, 1t an advanced age.
Burgess was an apps>ntiee at The bricls-
laying trade al the TINE Gen. Washing-
tons body was taken fsom its resting
place IN the old family vault srd placed
in the marble tomb where it now is.
The Washington homestead is
three-story building on tae high bank
of the Potomac river at Mount Vernon.
II is probably one hwldred and afty
feet long and about forty feet wide, and
runs north and soulh. The room in
which George Washington died Is in the
second story Of tae house and at tha
extreme south. The room in which
Martha wasbington died is immediate-
II aDove II. After his death, It II said,
she had window cut IN the southern
exposure OF the house in the room
which she afterward occupied. In
order that she might see her husbands
tomb. The family vault in which her
husbands remains were temporarily
placed was At the brow Of the hiil,
about two hundred feet Immediately
south of the house. A large number
Of 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 q its being
built Is told by Edward Parker, the old
colored man, who explains TO visitors
what the vault contained. When he
was asked II he knew Burgess and
Burgess claim of having seen Wash-
ington's body was correct he said;
followed ground like this yars doeA
not make all good who live upoa n 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 gen
ernl died and his remains were placed
In the other vault il was not intended
that his remains should always stay
there. This site was chosen by tho
general hisseh when he was alive for
a family vault The building OF this
vault was delayed for years on differ
ent pretexts and this IL how II came %
be built by Burgess boss at last There
was an English gardener here whose
time had nearly expired. aud he
thought he could make fortune II be
could steal Gen. WaAhingtons skull
and hold 1t until reward was offered.
In the same vault with the generally
remains was a number of otherA Tha
gardener succeeded In getting into the
vault and getting skull He was dis
covered and the skull taken from hiEn-
Burgess boss was given the Job oA
building the vault and after 10 was I'm
ished the generals remains were moved
over here. The coffin was opened AID
it was found that the body was intAoa
and all there. Burgess was present
when the coffin WINS opened and reek-
on he seen the body. In this vault ara
forty-two others beside the generals
family. The whole aoor space h hlled
and that Is the reason these othen
bodies are buried outside"
He also said thst the bones Of many
OF the bodies were piled In the oornsn
Parker said he was brought 20 tbs
place when about fourteen years old
This, he says. waa In 1s4l, and he haa
remained Ia the neighborhood ever
since. lie wears an army uniform and
Is deeply religious
While the old colored man was rev.
ersntly telling ali he knew of WASH
iugton be was approached By ; man
and woman, both OF whom were well
dressed and seemed Intelligent Ths
couple looked At the tomb Of Washing.
ton, and his wife, turning 70 Parker,
said. Uncle, can you tell IN where
the cherry tree u that Washington ID
said TO have cut down with his littls
hatchet7"
Parker stopped In the middle Of
sentence, and, turning toward then-
Indignantly replied: ''Well, well. "a
you are looking for tbat tree you viii
have 70 go 70 Westmoreiand eouaty."
The couple started down ths lane,
paying no attention 70 Parker, - h1
asked them II they would not nks 10
take q souvenir homo with them.
Parker, continuing his talk, sAidi
some people haven't any sense,
reckon. FOR they ask al sorts Of foolish
questions about George TaAhingsOA
and his family"
Parker takes especial interest," IA
pointing out the trees planted hy Dom
Pedro Of Brazil, the 6igna Chi frN
ternity and the Engilah oak planted
20 taks the place Of The borss ehsstnnl
set cut By the prince Of Wales durfne
his visit 70 this country, and which
has sineo did lie collects quite tsy
dimes each year By sailing souvsnira,
After nrishizg his lecture be inylrx
ablT turns toward kis andssncs and
aslsE
''Don't you want q soaysnir7s
From the large pooksss of his eoas he
eahes up number of cedar hstshsta
whitfield cut with irsifs. and aried
magnolia blossom. which ke ssys sans
from tree plAate4 b Wsahingtsn
himself
Michigan people ara ssa<nete4 70 -
coach house a. Meant vsrnon ~ q
sign on is that IL was restored by
Msehigzn. IA fhls coscA hOxns b Z
three-sczsea coaeh ussa by Hsahizgtoa
and hia faEily.
Biscuit raise themselves "a 5oeznd
izhtusEH becarns Or. Prf1ss Baking
Powder - abzg3Gsely pure.
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