The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-13
WASHINGTON RELICS
INTERESTING SOUVENIRS OF
 FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY.
Preserved at Trder Place, George town-Mrs. Kennon, Warcha Washiugtcn's Oldest
 Descendant.


 American.
 The saying that Washington was child. less that he might become the Father of his Country" loses it's point when we consider bis relations to his wife's chil- dren, nd nowhere Is one brought nearer tc him than at Tudor place, in George town, the repository of the most interest ing collection of Washington relics ex- tant; and the home of Mrs. Britannia w. KeEncn, the oldest living descendant df Martha Washington.
 Mrs. Kennon. who is nationally known as the honorary vice-president of the Society of the Colonial Danes. and whose memory Qinked to that of her mother, Mrs. Thomas Peter, the second daughter of John Parke Custis. and the grand daughter If Lord Baltimor<) forms liv- ing chain. uniting us with the great man himself, was born January 2S, 1slo. and is the widow Of Commodore Beverley Kennon, who was killed 0y the explosion of gun upon the Princeton in 1s44.
 Tie stately succeed mansion, her birthplace and lifelong rIsidence, reached It's present proportions by accretion, and illustrates no distinct style Of architect- ure. Its main body was built by her father. Colonel Peter, in 1876; while the wirgs which 1t u.ites were standing when
 
 situated in the heart of Georgetown, and reduced by the encroaching city from a half square to six and one-half acres, are shaded by fine old forest trees. An odor of boxwood, laden with suggestions Of colonial gardens, stels forth to greet you, and. entering the great iron gate. tne passes down a driveway outlined by the spicy shrub and encirc,ing spherical bed of the same. so evenly trimmed and with such closely interwoven branches that it looks like a mammoth green table. and might almost serve as such An ample vestibule leads into the build ing. and passing through it into spa cious apartment, flanked on either side by communicating rooms, one faces an in- verted cresent-shaped bay window. half inclosing a round stone porch. with dome like roof supported by five columns.
 A Palm With a History.
 The apartment to the left of this room terminates in a conservatory, imprisoned behind whose glass doors $ a sago palm, a scion of one of three brought to Amer ica in one of the beligerent tea ships which dumped It's cargo into the Boston harbor. One of these. sent to Mount Vernon, was destroyed by fire which occurred there, burning down portion of the greenhouse; another was carried to Morrisiana. the home of Governor Morris; while the third went to Pratt's s gardens in Philadelphia. In 1S13 Mrs Peter. Mrs. Kennon's mother, drove to that city in her carriage Ca journey con- suming four days,, and, visiting the gar- ueEs, purchased m offshot of the his- toric palm, bringing 1t home in basket. The plant capable of being thus trans ported is now a semitree and under the gardeners fostering care bears annually a profusion of scarlet blossoms.
 Among the interesting objects in the room to the right of the central apart F ent are a brass framed mirror, which hung at Mount Vernon, and a child s oesk presented by Lafayette to Mrs. Peter when she was l little girl, while upon .he walls of all three there is a ft re as, rklage of pictures Among these is the painting by Edward Savage of the family group at Mount Vernon. life por- traits of General snd Mrs. Washington of General Knox and of John Custis, anl engraved repro cductions of Trumbulfs battle scenes Another noteworthy picture is a copy of Ary Scheffer's paint ing of Lafayette. whi3h he sent to Mrs. Peter after his visit to America in 1s2i. During this visit f.e was entertained at Tudor place, and Mrs. Kennon, then g years old, distinctly remembers the occa- sion
 Some Priceless Miniatures.
 Of the miniatures owned by her the one of Washington. in which he wears the Continental uniform of buff and blue, with powdered hair and delicate shirt frils, was painted in response to let ter from Martha Custis written from Philadelphia immediately before her mar riage, in which she declares that the wish nearest her heart is to have this likeness. This declaration drew forth the coveted picture and with it the sub iects teasing rcjoinGer that he could scarcely think the wish nearest d young girls heart on the eve of her wedding was to possess an old mans portrait This miniature. which is set in dark blue enamel. encircled with pearls, has pear framed reliquary at the back, containing locks of the hair of Nellie and George Washington Parke Custis. The two miniatures of Mrs. Washington repre- sent her at widely different periods. In the first. taken soon after her marriager, and upon the reverse side of which is a painting of John Parke Custis. she wears a pale lavender gown, with lace fischu caught at the throat with a butterfly pin. In the second. painted at Mount Vernon by Field after her husband S death and q short time before her own, she appears in her morning cap'-that her granddaughter. Mrs. Peter. may see her in her everyday face"
 A priceless heirloom associated with the most interesting event in the life of the welded pair is Mrs. Washington's bridal gown--a magnificent cream colored bro- cade with rich lace trimmings. drawn back from silver-wrought petticoat The purple satin slippers. embroidered with silver. which were worn with it are also at Tudor place. A part of another gown Of green brocaded satin covers d while another golden brown satin. over which is scattered pattern of forget-me- nots, tulips and roses-upholsters a low chair. sent to Mrs Peter by Mrs. Wash ingtun at the birth of her first child and her own first great -grandchild. Washing tons accompany gift (also owned by Mrs. Kennom being d coral and bells.
 Three delightfully."- painted fans. with carved ivory sticks suggest the stately functions of which we read. while Mrs Washington's card plate. with her own name engraved upon one side and that of Mrs. Peter on the other, is another me mento of her social life.
 The Conch Shell Buttons,
 A souvenir of Washington recalling d well known incident Is the conch shells, bought on the streets of Philadelphia from an insistent peddler, and converted at his suggestion, into buttons for a coat demonstration a the capital in honor of the great man. Mrs. kennons grandson. MT. Armstead Peter of New York wished to wear the historic shells but