The Ely miner., 1911-06-02

DDS which obtain in the conduct of this tourist
mecca. The procedure complained of is the
charging of an admission fee for entrance to
the grounds and the sale of postal cards,
guide books and other commodities. Unfavor-
able sentiment is attributable especially to the
circumstance that most of the money making
enterprises conducted at Mount Vernon are
on the monopolistic order. Only an approved
brand of guide book can be purchased on the
grounds and so on through the whole list of
articles for sale, even to the circumstance that
a single line Of steamers on the Potomac river
has the exclusive privilege of landing tourists
at Mount Vernon.
However, whatever may have been the mis-
takes Of the association of women who have
control of Mount Vernon, or of the superin-
tendent who for twenty-five years has had the
authority of general manager of Mount Yer
aon, there is no denying that they have ac-
complished much in the restoration and main
tenace Of the manor house and the most inter
esting part Of the famous Virginia plantation.
Only recently has there been completed an
important undertaking in landscape architec-
ture which Is especially notable because 1t
supplies the final feature needed to restore the
actual conditions of George Washingtons day
at the country seat which the Father of His
Country loved so well and where he lived and
died. This final restoration has been the re-
placing Of the lawn and garden walls which in
colonial times played an important part in the
surroundings Of Mount Vernon, as they did in
the case of almost every mansion of its type.
The original walls on the Mount Vernon
estate, most Of which were constructed under
the supervision Of Washington himself, were
In an excellent state of preservation when he
died, but successive heirs to the estate al
lowed them to fall into decay until there was
naught left but the foundations. These walls,
which add so much tn the aDDearance the
Mount Vernon estate, would have been re-
stored years ago had it been merely a matter
of expense for the whole work cost only about
$1,5OO However, a more serious stumbling
block delayed operations namely, desire to
secure brick that would be duplicates of those
originally employed and which would conse-
quently enable adherence to the policy of hav-
ing everything historically correct to the most
minute detail.
After quest that had continued for more
than q score Of years the longsought bricks
were recently obtained when there was demol-
ished old colonial mansion known So
ciety HILL located in King George county, vir.
ginia. This structure, which was built by
Colonel Thornton, close friend of George
Washington-and which by coincidence later
passed into the possession of member of the
Washington family-was constructed Of bricks
brought from England The bricks in the So
ciety Hill mansion, when cleaned, proved to be
identical in size and color with the bricks
found in the ruined foundations Of the original
garden walls at Mount Vernon. Accordingly
the walls were restored in accordance with
the original drawings and enough Of the origi-
nal Washington bricks were rescued from the
old foundations to provide coping for the
walls, the bricks obtained from the King
George county site furnishing the remainder
of the material needed.