The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-28

l Mrs Augusta Evans Wilson, the dis l tinguished Alabama author, is quite i'll at her home in Mobile. The friends and admirers of the author throughout the country will hear with sadness that she has been unable to leave her room for sev- eral weeks, and that from serious at tack of grip earlier in the winter has de- veloped a graver illness. Mrs. Wilson can be assured that there still exists for her world of sentiment and apprecia- ton.
 More than sixteen years have elapsed since the publication of At the Mercy of Tiberius," and yet the mere announcement that her new book, "A Speckled Bird,' was ready for the publishers brought or se~~~%%A%-~-~%e-~ <>< toned vases and candelabro are also needed. The room is furnished in the period of the French colonial and is typi- cal of an old parlor The furniture IS very difficult to secure, either because or lack of patriotism or indifference. The vice regent believes that if the work of the Mount Vernon association Is better known that the people of Alabama will take deeper and more patriotic interest in the Alabama room.
 "It is surprising said Mrs. Johnston yesterday, that the northern people re- gard Alabama as a new state, and seem to think that 1t has come into prominence only since the war They overlook any older civilization, and believe that with the sudden development of Birmingham that Alabama was discovered. Now, as we are able to show as old civilization as many of the states, older than sev- eral, I think there should be a patriotic interest in the furnahing of our room at Mount Vernon with every evidence of a regime that was truly elegant. If the owners of old furniture do not care to give these rare old things to Mount Yer non possibly they might be induced to lend them. and there may be some who are willing to sell one or two old pieces
 While 1t has since been frequently stated that Alabama gave the third larg- est amount of the purchase money when Mount Vernon was bought by the women of America, this fact had been overlooked until Mrs. Johnston was appointed vice regent. At her first conference with the vice regents she found that the room at Mount Vernon was originally known as the Alabama room had been taken by Michigan, but upon further investigation it was found that Michigan had prior claim. Alabama's vice regent then brought forward the claims to recognition of her state. which, considering her population, was the banner state in the purchase of Mount Vernon, being next to New York and Pennsylvania.
 Michigan then consented for Alabama to share the hall at Mount Vernon. and as a result of the work of Alabama's vice regent the rooms of the different states over the doors, which had long seemed incongruous, which were indeed a shock to many periodically inclined persons, were taken down. Now Alabama has a separate rom, but none of the rooms are designated by placards.
 This history of the Alabama room Is familiar to every one, and is recalled just now as a renewed effort is being made to complete It's furnishings.
 The patriotic interest in Mount Vernon is shown by the annual statistics of the number of visitors. Last year alone one hundred and thirty-two thousands per- sons stood at the tomb of Washington.