Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-05-25

L w was PldCSO v LAX 1CdOSLI
casket. The whole was sealed in such
a way as to make it alright. 1t was
placed in the new tomb and there has
remained ever since. There is no rea-
son to believe that the body of WASH
ington is not today in the same condi-
ton hat 1t vas in when seen by Joh
lane in 1897. The alcohol in the
leaden casket at that time covered the
body with the single exception of a
point on h cheek. Since then the air
has been excluded and evaporation has,
as a consequence, been very slight.
Beside the marble sa%rchophagus OF
| Washington rests that of Martha. his
wife. This is made OF the same Penn
sylvania marble as is that Of the Father
of His Country, Both We're chiseled
out of the solid marble. There is no
seam to either except that where the
lids are attached. These lids are of fine
Italian marble, deliberately Ornamented
with the crest OF arms of the United
States. They were cemented on, thus
broken whole-a block of marble with
a hollow inside. In these hollows are
sealed this great man and his consort.
The vault itself is built on a hillside
some 200 yards from the old Noun
Vernon mansion. This is the most sa-
cred shrine in all America today. Here
came thousands OF people from all
parts of the nation and even from
abroad. He who visits the nations
capital always goes to the shrine of
Washington.
The mansion is seen best from the Po-.
tomac river. There was never anything
in America that surpassed Mount YER
non as an example of the old colonial
architecture. There was never a hand
somer site for a country home than
that chosen by Washington. The hill
upon which it stands slopes gradually
fNnVpo thn 10o1r No <Io xp-x4~ An@- Yk,
slopes are covered with grasses, broken
by flower beds and dissected here and
there by ancient hedges. Above all rise
great trees, some of which are rem
nants of the forest primeval out OF
which Washington hewed his home
direction. and some have been put out
to take the place of patriarchs claimed
by time.
A little downstream from the path
from the landing to the house is to b.
found the shrine. 1t is no imposing
structure. Artists even say harsh
things about it. But to the American
visitor it is a thing to be revered. The
back n of the vault burrows into the
to the level of the path. Its portal is
guarded by a high iron gate. The pill
grim approaches the gate treading
softly. He looks through its bars and
into the sepulchre. He Is surprised to
know that the very caskets that hold
George n Martha Washington are
there in the mouth of the tomb, and
may be seen from the outside. Yet
such is the case. The mouth IF the
tomb stands open, guarded only by the
iron gate. Here the remains Of the
first lady and gentleman of the land
have laid since that October morning
in 1887 when they were SO placed by
a committee OF congress. who were ac-.
companied by a small boy who Is to-
day the worlds nearest tie to this first
great American who Is still without a
rival in the nations history. Here they
have rested as the generations thai
have passed LAY come to do them rev.
erence. Here they will continue to rest
through all the generations that are to
come, for the shrine is q hallowed
hand.
Old John Lane goes occasionally to
| Mount Vernon to visit this shrine, for
he Is hale n strong, and a friend to
the open country. But the Journeys Of
a man Of SO are mostly in fancy, and
his memory peoples the old haunts
with a gathering that would be hard to
match in modern times. Then his mind
wanders to his view of Washington,
and he repeats to himself tina strong
est impression of his youthful expert
ence, an impression upon the correct
ness of which time has set its approval.
for he says:
washington must have been a mon
= strous big man.