The Republican journal., 1908-04-16
MT. VERNON.
And the Old City of Alexandria.
"A Personal Home Letter.

WASHINGTON, - ", Mdioh IT. A'oe'
We have been here two weeks ana To-
morrow we go to Philadelphia for
week. Have been to the White House,
into the Senate and the Hall OF Repre-
sentatives. to the State, War and Navy
building, the Treasury, Bureau OF Print
ing End Engraving, Smithsonian, Ma
tional museum, the new Union Station
(built by our friend E. b. Ellis OF
Mortified, VT; up in the monument
500 feet from the ground, where one
gets a grand view of the city, out to
Arlington and to Mount Vernon and
Alexandria. l will tell you about our
trim to Mount Vernon. l shall not at
tempt a write-up of Mount Vernon,
for that has been done by hundreds up
on hundreds who know how, but | will
give YOU little rambling account OF
Mount Vernon as | saw it and OF some
things that the guide said. A party of
25 boarded a car at 10Th street and
PENNSYLVANIA Ave, which took us past
the Post Office, the Smithsonian, the
WESLEYAN Monument and the Bureau
of Printing and Engraving, and across
the Potomac into Virginia. On our
right is Arlington, the former home of
Gen. Robert E. Lee, now the National
Cemetery; then the old race track and
then Alexandria, from whose streets
can be seen the Washington monument
seven miles in the distance. Then on
by Fort Washington to Mount Vernon,
where we are again requested to pay
25c each, which we cheerfully gave up
and passed through the big gate and
on up to the house. The old mansion
house of Mount Vernon occupies
beautiful site overlooking the Potomac
and in front are pretty grounds sloping
down to the Deer Park beyond. And
when one enters the great hall and
! realizes that we are standing where
Washington once stood, walking where
Washington once walked. or sitting
where Washington once sat, it takes not
the fertile brain of lively Imagination
to think that the great Washington is
here with us to-day and every man in
the party takes off his hat. | think
there are rooms on the first floor In
the music room we saw the harpsichord,
a present from Washington to Nellie
Curtis, for which they told us Wash
ington paid $1,000 in London. The
room of Miss Curtis is quantity furnish
ed with high bed reached by carpeted
steps. Lafayettes room is the one
the marquis occupied when guest
here, and on the floor is an old rag car
pet. In the kitchen the old crane still
hangs in the great fireplace, with the
pots, kettles and other cooking utensils,
but there has been no fire in that fire.
place for many years. We pass along
to the coach house, in which is an an
Gent vehicle with card on it which
reads Exhibited at the Centennial Ex-
hibition at Philadelphia 1876, as Wash
ington's "White Chariot"
The Tomb of Washington is very
plain structure of brick with an arched
gateway in front. In 1887, when the
remains of Washington and Martha,
his wife, were entrusted to their last
resting place the key to the vault was
thrown into the Potomac. We saw
many things that belonged to Wash
ington and his time, yet on every hand
you would see this notice. "exact re-
production of the original" One of
the most beautiful things ever written
or said about Mount Vernon are these
beautiful words of Edward Everett:
mo gided dome swells from the
lowly roof to catch the morning or eve
ming beams, but the love and gratitude
of united America settle upon it in one
eternal sunshine. From beneath the
humble roof went forth the intrepid
unselfsh warrior, the magistrate who
knew no glory but his country's good;
to that he returned happiest when his
work was done. There he lived in no.
BILE simplicity; there he died in glory
and peace. While it stands the latest
generations of the grateful children of
America will make their pilgrimages as
to shrine, and when it shall fall, if fall
it must, the memory and the name of
Washington shall shed an eternal glory
on the spot"
On our way back to Washington we
stopped off at Alexandria and got Pat
rick Buckley for guide. He said he
was the best guide in the place, and
/ believed him. He surely did have
the voice for the business; in fact,
l do not remember ever meeting but
one other person whose voice could
outvoice his, and that is our mutual
friend, John P. Bragg of Islesboro.
Pat said to me: ''You are now standing
on the street of Alexandria, the one
time metropolis of this country. Fol-
low me and 1 will show you all the
points of interest. This old house on
the left is 1856 years old, and now we
are at the old Carlyle House, built in