Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-16
RELICS At MT.VERN0N
Discrimination Used in the AC-
ceptance of Gifts.
MANY OFFERS REJECTED
Genuineness of Washington Coach
Doubted.
SOME RECENT ACQUISITIONS
Efforts to Reassemble the Library
That Belonged to the General.
The Dinwiddie Portrait.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record

women Of the country to raise the funds
to buy the property from Col. John Au-
gustine Washington, the last private
owner, made an appeal in that direction.
and was partially successful, but large
portion of the family effects had passed
into the hands of museums and collectors
and had become objects Of commercial
value. There are several interesting relics
in the National Museum and manuscripts
in the Congressional Library and in the
possession of Virginia families.
1t may not be generally known that I'M
der the will of the widow Of Gen. WASH
ingtOn the furniture and other movable
effects at Mount Vernon were divided
among her four grandchildren and by
them were promptly taken away from the
mansion. Those who thus inherited these
articles were:
/. Martha Parke Gusts Peter. whose
home was at Tudor place, Georgetown,
where several articles. Of furniture and
family relics still remain. and are so be-
queathed that they must remain there for
at least another generation
2. Eliza Parke Gusts Law, who lived
on Capitol HILL where the new office
building for the House of Representatives
now stands. Descendants of Mrs. Law
donated Washington's handsome plateau,
his trunk, some furniture and Mrs. WASH
ingtOns dressing glass.
j. Eleanor Parke Gusts Lewis. for
| whom WOodlawn mansion, adjoining
Mount Vernon. was built. Her grand
children have contributed case full of
| valuable personal effects and relics of
| Gen. and Martha Washington.
4. George Washington Parke Gusts.
| the founder of Arlington, bequeathed his
share to his grandson George Washington
CuStfs Lee, who returned several of the
most important articles of furniture now
on which Washington died. the Hepple-
| white sideboard which stands in the fam
| lily dining room, the mirror he used daily
| in his dressing room. The bedstead on
which Washington died is, of course, the
most revered of all the relics. and it is a
| satisfaction to know that there Is no
question as to its genuineness.
Washington's Books.
The inventory of Washington's books
made at the time of his death by the ap-
| praisers of his estate shows that his
library then numbered about 800 volumes.
| These. under his WILL became the property
Of his nephew. Judge Bushrod Washing
| ton. In the latters WILL made in 1896,
he provided as follows:
IAN the papers and letter books devised
| to me by my uncle. Gen. Washington. as
well as the books in my study, other than
| law books. I give and bequeath to my
| nephew. George Corbin Washington
| In 1S47-S George Corbin Washington sold
| his books to Henry Stephens. cele-
brated dealer in historical volumes. who,
| IN turn, sold them to a syndicate which
| placed them in the Boston Athenaeum.
| or this lot. 354 volumes and several hun
dred pamphlets belonged to Gen. Wash
| ington's library. Where the remainder of
that library left to Mr.. George Corbin
conjectured. They have been scattered
| over the earth. and no large number OF
| the books now exists in any one place
outside the Boston Athenaeum. although
there are several very valuable collections
| belonging to private owners. In 1876
| after having been exhibited at the CEN
tennial exposition. a collection of 2Sl
volumes. most of them identified by the
original inventory as having belonged tC
| Washington, We're sold at auction in Phil
adelphia. by Messrs. Thomas & Son.
The largest buyer at this sale was Mr.
John r. Baker Of Philadelphia. and his
collection was auctiOned off in 1891 to q
large number of bidders and thereby dis
persed.
The members Of the Mount Vernon La
dies Association are vigilant in their eff
forts to recover the fragments of the II
brary as they come into the market, bu
owing to a lack of funds, and the rapidly
: increasing value Of everything that be
longed to Washington they have beer
able to secure but few of the original vol
umes. 1t has been confidently hoped tina
the directors of the Boston Athenaeun
might be induced at least to loan thei
collection to the regents and thus give thu
thousands of pilgrims who come to Noun
Vernon every year an opportunity to SCI
Washington's books upon the origina
shelves, but they have been deaf to al
such appeals.
Relics Recently Acquired.
Occasionally one of the books come
back to it's old home through the gener
osity of patriotic citizen or through tn
efforts to one of the regents. During tn
last year there have been three contribu
tions of this kind. as follows:
A map of New England made by JEFF
ferys in 1855, which is one of set o
l military maps used by Gen. Washington
during his campaigns. There is no doub
! as to its authenticity.
| Martha Washington's prayer book
1 which was inherited by her granddaugh
: ter. Eleanor Parke Lewis. This is in ex
cellent condition and there Is no reason I
: doubt It's genuineness.
A large Bible with the family record. in
Guiding the birth and baptism Of Georg
q washington. which is alleged to have be
\ Ionged to Mary Washington of Fredericks
! burg, the mother of the general. Thi
. volume shows long and careless usage
and several pages are missing. includin
the title page.
1t is entirely possible and perhaps proba
%. BILE that it once belonged to Mary Wash
, ington or perhaps to some of her descend
ants, but the family record denies it's ow1
y,
a ten by the same hand at the same tim
= and with the same ink, and naturall
could not have been with the volum
e when it belonged to Mary washington
e it was ever her property. The paper upo
which the record Is written Is moder
- compared with the rest and Is interpolate
| between the leaves.
On Mount Vernon Shelves.
The list of genuine books that can
= absolutely identified which now stan
n upon the shelves of Washington's librar
y as they did in his day is as follows:
i. 1. A volume Of Watts Hymns. whic
i bears Washington's autograph and book
: plate.
IS 2. 1.-THE Sentimental and Masonic Maya
zine" five volumes, substantially bound
bearing Washingtons autograph upon tn
| title page of each volume.
Il g. Loose Hints Upon Education" pub
;, lished in 1852, and bearing Washington
II autograph.
n 4. Stephens Philadelphia Directory, 70
n 1876, bound especially for Presiden
5, Washington and presented to him by tn