New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-21
GOSSIP OF THE CAPITAL.
THE REGENTS ANNUAL MEETING AT
MOUNT VERNON.
MANY IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS TO THE
RELICs-THE OLD SLAVE GUARDIAN-A PA
TRIOTIC KENTUCKY sTONECUTTER-
PROFESSOR FRIsBIE RETIREs.

TRIOTIC KENTUCKY sTONECUTTER-
PROFESSOR FRIsBIE RETIREs.
Washington. May 20.-Mount Vernon has
again been visited by its regents who hold II
in perpetuity as a place OF public resort ana
pilgrimage" the annual council, which lasted
through last week. having begun on May H. Or
the forty-fve States in the Union only twenty
nine are represented in the Mount Vernon AS
ISOLATION. and at the recent convention there
were but eighteen members present. This. how
ever. is regarded as a good attendance, and the
last meeting has never been excelled in interest
or the amount of work accomplished.
Mrs Campbell wife Of the former Governor
OF Ohio has been recently elected to I'LL the
vacancy caused by the death of the vice-regent
from her State but no successor has as yet
been named to Miss Leila Herbert, Of Alabama,
to Mrs Washington. of West Virginia, or to
Mrs. Woodward. Of Kentucky. az it Is the in
variable policy Of the regents to allow at least
a year to elapse before filling the positions made
vacant by death, as a mark Of respect to their
deceased associates.
The regents live at the old mansion during
the annual councils. and for ten days or longer
in May when the whole place smiles with spring
glory and the air Is laden with fragrant bloom,
the generous hospitality for which the wash
ington home was ever famous is again extended.
The association has not thought 1t wise to close
the home to the public while the meeting Is
in progress. but this year there seems to be
what might be called a renaissance In patriot
Ism and its work has been somewhat inter-
fered with Indeed. If the number Of visitors
increases in like proportion next year 1t Is
doubtful II the association will find 1t practica-
BILE to hold its sessions in the banquet hall after
the usual custom.
Many Improvements have been made on the
estate in the last year. more are projected for
the coming season. and a number Of valuable
donations have been received. Mrs. Rathbone,
rof Michigan, who undertook the important work
of restoring the main hall. reported the success
ful completion Of her work. and brought some
priceless gifts. among them a lock Of Wash
iington's hair presented by Mrs Mary Gibbs;
two letters from the builder and contractor OF
thc tomb Of Washington, Mr.. Yeatin, to Colonel
Lawrence Lewis, containing specifications, est-
mates and diagrams of the tomb given by
Henry c. Sturgis Of New-York and discharge
paper of Revolutionary soldier signed by
General Washington and Jonathan Trumbull, by
Mrs. James /. Sterling The most valuable
present looked at from a practical point Of
view, ntrusted to Mrs. Rathbone is a COM
plete equipment Of notwithstanding appa-
ratus, which the makers have requested her to
place in the mansion at Mount Vernon for its
protection from fire.
1 The Pennsylvania Room reserved as a guest
chamber in the time Of Washington, and one Of
the most attractive rooms in the rambling old
mansion, has recently. through the enterprise
OF Mrs. Harrison, vice-regent from that State,
fbeen carpeted with genuine rag carpet woven
on the looms at Mount Vernon from silk strips
donated by the Daughters OF the American
Revolution and the Colonial Danes, who sewed
and wound them into balls ready for weaving 1t
makes an attractive and suitable floor covering
in keeping with the beautiful old mahogany
furniture, with its handsome brass fnishings
The vce-regent from Maryland, Mrs. Colds
borough, linea descendant Of Martha Wash
ington. also made precious additions to
the large collection her State has already con-
tributed. Mrs. Goldsborough's presents. many
of which have been handed down in her own
family. are a patchwork quilt OF silk under
which Lafayette slept when he visited Norfolk
on his second trip to this country; table cover
embroidered by Nellie Custis stool. the work
OF the same hands. and a washstand set of
crockery. which dates from the beginning of
this century.
An interesting restoration Is that undertaken
by Miss Amy Townsend vice-regent OF New
York. who is engaged in putting the old kitchen
in the exact condition 1t was in Martha Wash
fngtons time. recent trip to Europe gave
Miss Townsend, who is one OF the most active
and enthusiastic Of the vice-regents. opportu-
nifty to make some valuable purchases Of pewter