Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-10-22
THE HOME OF WASHINGTON.
"The Most Interesting Spot In America"
Says Mrs. Alexander.

To me Mount Vernon is a kind of
Mecca. deem it the most interesting
spot in America. In one sense it is the
birth place of American freedom, for
without the guidance of it's illustrious
occupant we cannot see how the war for
independence could have been brought
to successful issue. We went by boat
down the Potomac, and landed below
the tomb. A pretty walk leads up the
bluff and the tomb Is soon reached. 1t
is of brick, plain and simple. Over the
arched marble front are the words:
"I am the Resurrection and the Life.
lie that believeth in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live."
An old gray-headed darkey stands at
the tomb to tell visitors what he knows
about the place. l asked him where we
could find that famous magnolia planted
by Washington. He said, Mistus,
you will see that magnosy right by the
smokehouse. Hits right there, and hits
a bearin' as good as ever"
We then came to the kitchen of the
olden times-a brick flooYed room with an
immense fireplace stretching almost
across the end; huge iron andirons,
Clducy lOuS-uduuleu "dIuo lTOHS, WdI6T
irons, hominy morter, oak block for
beaten biscuit, wood churn, candle
moulds, great punches of herbs hanging
overhead, q kind of dresser in which is
displayed number of pewter plates,
are found here. The brick baking oven
lin the wall) is on the. German style of
to-day.
A lean, lank woman, who looked like
she could say with Shakespeare, cage, 1
do a6hOr thee" stays in the kitchen to
sell milk and souvenirs.
In the spinning house we saw flax
wheels, reels, spanning wheels, winding
blades, loom with web of homemade
carpet in it ready to weave.
The mansion, with it's extensive
grounds covered with grass and numbers
of fine oak trees, overlooks the broad
Potomac and is grandly beautiful. The
rooms are filled with many "quaint and
curious" things. The brass knocker on
the back hall door throws light ON the
meaning of Dickens, in whose writings
is often mentioned this old form of door
bell. A grandfather's clock stands on
the landing of the stairway, and the key
of the Bastille, in a glass case, adorns
the wall.
AS the family dining room is "South
Carolina Room" / shall name some of
it's contents. In the corner cupboard we
saw the china plates, which are repro
duction of set given Mrs. Washington
by the officers of the French fleet in i702.
Each ono has the monogram an. W."
curiOusly wreathed and linked by chain
with the names of the fifteen States of
the period. A fine, heavy looking side
board was given the room by Mrs. r. K.
Lee. Two cutlery cases and very
small folding table were noted. In this
room arc portraits of Gems. Marion,
Baron DeKalb, Sumter, Moultrie and
of
ham who was the first to think of pre-
serving Mount Vernon. At the fire riaco
were seen brass fender, andIrons, brass
top shovel and tongs.
While we were in Banquet Hall three
Sisters of Mercy" came softly and
quietly in, dressed in their peculiar style.
Their flowing black robes were "loose
built from shoulders to hem, their
black silk bonnets or hoods fitted exactly
to their heads and tied under chin with
great heavy looking bows of ribbon.
The ong wells were thrown back, reach
ing almost to the floor; wide. round-cut
linen collars, white as the "driven snow"
completed their outfit. At first they
were too timid to ask questions, but
when they reached the beautifully
carved marble mantel from Italty their
timidity seemed to forsake them, and
they asked the "lords of creation" aues-
tions in regard to it with as much free
dom and directness as other women. 1
must confess that some of us, for time,
forgot the priceless relics before us and
looked in amazement at these good
women. While we do not know much
about this class of sanity looking sisters,
we presume that any of our Confederate
veterans who lay i'll or wounded In the
hospitals during the war, could tell how
kind and attentive they were. There
were also few giddy woDon with us on
this trip, for whom we felt kind of
pity. They were dressed in the extreme
of fashion-"rufflesa and puffs and frills,
fiounces and furbelows'-and were
almost ablaze with rare gems. In look
ing, at them we were reminded of
"Aladdin's cave of Jewels" Instead of
wearing walking skirts, they looked un-
comfortable in sweeping silks, and
thought it necessary to grasp at them
and carry them high. At o glance one
thought to their clothes, which led them
to forget things historical. And I fear
that when they reached homo they asked
each other this question: "Have we
been to Mount Vermont"
The oldfashioned flower garden, with
it's Grape myrtles, ancient lockwood
walks and beds was a real treat TO se,.
Our second trip to Mount Vernon was
by street car. The scenery overlooking
the Potomac, with the Virginia hills in
the distance, was enhancing. On this
trip we got stop over at historic old
Alexandria. We hastened to Christ's
church and we're shown Lees pew and
all took seat in Washington's pew.
This church was built in 1T73. We
were shown the Bible and long-handled
pouches used for collections in those
times. The pews of Washington and
Lee have their names inscribed on silver
plates.
We had only twenty minutes here and
saw only few tombstones, almost black
with age, near the church, which showed
the pride these old Virginians took In
their ancestry.
We were surprised at the crowds going
and coming, some very old women and
children of all ages and sizes; but as
men never grow old, we failed to see
single really old man on this particular
pilgrimage.
In going to Arlington, formerly the
home of Gen. r. X. Lee, we crossed the
Potomac on the aqueduct bridge, pass
ing through Georgetown. We saw many