The National tribune., 1901-07-04

that, owing to the intense cold family
of mice had actually transferred a nest of
paper, doubtless from between the cell
ing and the roof, to one of the drawers.
The material was that of old letters and
other papers; all, chopped fine, except
some very yellow and stained newspaper
clippings, which, L suppose on account of
the soft nature of the paper, were in no
wise injured. Looking at them with Curl
Gus interest, what was My surprise to dis
cover that they were the identical missing
clippings, referring to Capt. Hanson, alb
stracted by the mice SO long ago"
The proprietor has an interesting way
of connecting things about the place with
notable historical events. Thus, the dairy
was built during the Crimean War;
while the well was dug ''in the time of the
Mexican War The dairy is small
square structure, with a deep-mossed,
foursided pointed roof. Around it grows
luxuriantly the twining, plant Washing
tons Bower, so named because quantities
of 1t formerly grew in the vicinity of
Mount Vernon. Just beside it, the well
supports its old-fashioned rope and bucket;
while right back of it rise the ruins of
the slave quarters and the house
kitchen, over the roofless walls of which
clambering vines throw Il charitable COW
ering. The quarters" were for the use
of the house servants only, and there
still hangs, underneath the manor porch,
one of the old bells by means of which
the servants We're summoned.
The quarters are in ruins; but, in
side the great kitchen, now open TO the
sky, we may peer into the enormous oven,
which is quite large enough to roast Il
sheep. The walls are of English brick,
as are these of the chhnneys of the main
house. These bricks Were landed at the
old port of Georgetown and hauled over
to the Manor by teams, n distance of sew
.R.tl Hoo
outer edge or corner of the great kitchen
fireplace the wearing away of the bricks
due to the sharpening of the kitchen knives
by generations of slaves.
The total number of slaves employed
on the plantation was about 60, that
number being required to work the O!lg-
inal 400 acres of the Manor. 1t is a
fact not generally known, that white slaves
were sometimes held and owned i'll Mary
land. Col. John Coates, Of Clean Drink
ing, whose will bears date of 11i1, i'm
ported three white slaves from Great Brit
tain, whose names aIc given III the fol
lowing extract from the old records at
Annapolis:
oct. IS, JIG, the ship, Good Speed,
brought over rebel prisoners to be sold to
Colonists. john Coates bought three, viz,
Patrick Mackoy, Daniel keIneday and
Angus Macdormott." They were men ar
rested in some insurrection against the
British Government, and for that reason
transported to the Colonies. These white
slaves We're worked on the estate. There
were probably others. As an interesting
instance of the legal cnslavement OF
whites, once existent within the State OF
Maryland, it is well known that the an
ceStors of one of the most eStimablc fam
lilies now resident in the District of Column
bia, whose name is necessarily withheld,
were at one time indentured slaves of an
other family, still also equally well
known.
ORIGIN OF TIE NAME.
The question: why was the place
named Clean DrinkingT' is one which is
quite naturally asked when the name is
first mentioned. Some distance below the
house, at the foot of the hill, is an abun-
dant spring of clear, pure water. In 1TJJ,
on his return after the defeat at Fort
Du Quesne, Washington stopped Tt this
spring with his staff officers. \ tradition
says that after drinking of its crystal
water, they called it Clean Drinking" go
ing, thereafter, uD to the house to call or
the family. The truth is, however, that
the real origin of the name is far more
prOsaic. Washington and his men did, |
indeed, drink at the spring; the youthful
commander standing, 50 it is said, on the
very stone slab which is pressed by the
feet of the visitor today; but the name
had been given to the estate long be- |
fore According to the records, on the |
9th of July, 1899, the survey Of the lands |
of the Manor was completed. The sur !
veying party coming together at the spring, |
the Deputy Surveyor proposed that they |
name the estate Clean Drinking" be- |
cause it was found that they had clean