Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-04-29
A VISIT TO THE SOUTH.
Mr.. Editor:

DIR. EQIIOT.
There is a small French clock on
marble manteI, the only clock Wash
ington had. 1t is running and has
run right along since he placed it
there. The guard told me that it was
almost worn out, did not keep the
best of time; still it keeps ticking. To
listen to it it seemed to be almost a
thing of life to connect our thoughts
with the revered ones who had occu-
pied that home. The mantel is fine
piece of marble work presented to
Washington by admirers in France.
1t has story connected with it that
is worth repeating. When completed
the mantel was packed in boxes and
shipped to United States, but the
vessel was overhauled by pirates and
the mantel, of course, was taken with
other plunder but when the chief pi-
rate saw that the boxes were address
ed to Washington, he had them re-
shipped and sent to him, and the
mantel was received in good order.
There is a guard to watch the mantle
and in fact there is a guard in about
every room. It is almost beyond be-
lief that there are people that will go
to such a place and steal and deface
anything to carry off a memento;
even go so far as to take knife and
back up to a door, and split off part
of the door or door-jams The van
dals have broken Of some of the or
namental work of the mantel, "cow's
horn," "handle of plow," 'dog's
head" and other parts, but thank
goodness, one party became con-
science stricken and returned the
dogs head and it has been replaced
as we'll as it can be.
The old coach had familiar look as
I had seen the same in Philadelphia
in 1876. 1t is about all wood and
leather, the axles and Q springs are
made of wood. I thought the springs
must be steel but was mistaken. 1t
has a body something like the old
Concord coach only there are no
doors on the sides. The door is in
the back end. 1t has three seats and
the driver sat on the front seat.
Washington's body was first put in
a small brick tomb; later a larger
one was made, higher up on the hill.
1t made me think of some I saw
in Paris, where they build a tomb
into the face of rising ground,
and then build a small house in
front of it and furnish it with
chairs etc. so the relatives can visit
the tomb and go through such relig
ious ceremonies as they wish to do.
Like Washington's tomb they all
have open-work doors, so one can
look into the outer or front room.
Washington and his wife was built in
front of an old family tomb and the
door of the old one is very plainly
seen, when one stands looking
through the iron gates Or doors of the
outer part. There is story that
has gone all over the world, that the
keys of Washington's tomb were
thrown into the Potomac river that
no more bodies could be placed there
in-but that is not correct The old
family tomb door that I have men
toned was locked and sealed and the
key thrown into the river, but not that
of the outer doors. The outer doors are
opened four times per year and the
rooms decorated with flowers, partic-
ularly the two marble coffins, one on
each side of the room, which contain
the remains of Washington and wife.
They were covered with flowers when
/ was there.
Here comes in an incident to show
how one can be deceived with his
eyes wide open. had been looking
into the tomb and listening to the
little descriptive speech that is given
by very old colored man who stands
guard at the tomb, and when 1 left I
said to a man whom had been talk
ing with, "How about that story you
told me of the keys of Washington's
tomb being thrown into the river,
you have seen that they open the
doors to decorate the outer tomb"
He said, ''No, they were not natural
flowers, they " ere artificial" ''Wby,