Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-22
BENEDICT GORDON.
BY REVERE RODGERS.
Written for the SUNDAY GloBn.I
CHAPTER VII

On a narrow side street that extended
from the canal to the river there stood for
many years an old and dilapidated mansion
that was built and occupied sometime in
the middle part of the eighteenth century
by one John Barton an enormously wealthy
and eccentric gentleman, although COM
paratively young man when he first settled
in Georgetown old residents of George
town we'll remember the tales handed down
to them by their ancestors of the lavish
hospitality that the proprietor Of this fine
old mansion was won't to bestow upon his
friends
The nobility aud the gentry Of the sur.
rounding country were frequenters at this
famous old house aud many were the
merry gatherings assembled here on festal
occasions. Those were the days of true
chivalry. All but sad to say, although the
descendants of a number OF the old families
stilLremain, they are Strengthened as re-
CARDS finances, and their old ancestral
homes in many cases carry heavy mort.
cages upon them A few years more per
haps will see the last Of the scions Of that
noble old aristocracy that for wears the
quaint old town was famous for. But fear
digress somewhat from MY subject, but
was born aud bred in the old place, and
love it and its people.
Among the manv gallants that were CON
slant visitors at the Barton house was the
dashing young Lieutenant Washington,
having but recently won his spurs in the
campaigns with Braddock Indeed if rumor
is to be believed, il was in this very house
that Washington made declaration Of
marriage to that gay young hoydeu. Dolly"
Barber who was for years reigning belle
in this vicinity.
But at the period Of which write this
once famous house had fallen into a sad
state Of decay. The remaining window
panes we're shattered, the blinds were
nearly all gone, and the massive oaken
doors sagged frightfully upon their rusty
hinges
Indeed it was matter Of current report
about the ueighborhood that the old Barton
Mansion was haunted, and if anyone
secuted the idea of such being the case all
that person had to do was 70 interview any
of the numerous river men that we're
located about the numerous grogshops in
that neighborhood, and he must needs be a
most contrary person indeed TO still con.
tinue his doubling theories after one of
these nautical gentlemen finished with him
about the curious happenings connected
with the old Barton Mansion.
The queer stories connected with this
silent and grim old house as narrated by
the river men aud the people iii the neighbor-
hood and needless to mention most de-
voutly believed by them were about as
follows On certain nights Of the year, be-
tween the hour Of midnight and two o'clock
in the morning the old Barton mansion
would suddenly become all ablaze with
lights and the sound Of the harp and the
fiddle could be distinctly heard out upon the
Potomac The figures of people attired in
the costumes Of long ago could be plainly
seen as they passed and repassed the many
windows in some sort Of a stately dance
One figure that lowered high above the
others and seemed TO be center Of attrac-
ton for them all is popularity supposed to
be the spirit of George Washington, but
whether there IS any foundation for such
extravagaut fances know not, but do
know that persons having business in this
locality at night make il a point to give the
place a wide Derth, while children who are
sent out on errands after dusk make de-
tour Of several blocks rather than pass by
this old house
In the year 1852 the people who then re-
sided along the canal front were greatly
surprised to awake one morning and ind
the old Barton house was tenanted This
fact was obvious from the appearance at
times Of a woman slightly past the middle
age and of robust build
Closer scrutiny upon the part of the
neighbors developed the fact that the
woman had daughter, Of perhaps
eighteen or twenty years Of age and as
neither Of the two women made any at
tempt TO become acquainted IN the neigh.
borhood, many conflicting rumors, both
good and bad, were circulated about them,
but az most Of the people ia that locality
we're themselves Of decidedly doubtful
character, they had fellow feeling for
anyone that might be what is vulgarly
termed shady, so the strange woman
aud her daughter were not annoyed by inn
pertinent questioniugs
II soon began to be noised about the
vicinity that the woman name was Rider,
aud that she was called Mother Rider by the
strange men that begin 10 visit her house
a..