davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19

months later, passing away on Decem- Der IA at the age of 6S
 That the American people have for the most part remained in ignorance of the very existence of Washington's will is doubtless due to the disposition that, according to law, had to be made of this paper Swords and household effects and personal belongings of the Revolutionary leader were treasured by his descend- ants, and ultimately found their way, most of them, into museums. But the will, after 1t had been filed for probate at the county seat of the county in Vir- ginia where Washington lived and died, almost completely, disappeared from view. As time went on Fairfax Va.--or Fairfax Court House, as it. is now called-the county seat of Fairfa{ county, became re- mote from the main traveled roads of the Old Dominion, and of the strangers that did visit the village few knew that there reposed among the musty archives of the old courthouse this significant specimen of the authorship of the first president.
 About the only time during the past century that the public heard anything regarding the will of Washington was dur ing the Civil War, when on one occasion many of the newspapers of the country printed n story to the effect that the relic had been abstracted from the clerks office of the Fairfux County Court sold by the thief md taken to England. where 1t was said to be on exhibition i'll the British Museum. As Is so often the case, the denials of this erroneous report never seemed to gain as wide circulation as the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
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for by means of funds raised by subscrip- tion, but for the most part all ex- penses have been defrayed by the funds raised as the result of the charge of small admission fee to all visitors.
 At Mount Vernon as elsewhere things are constantly wearing out or deterior- ating but repairs and restorations at Mount Vernon are more of a problem and, in one sense more costly-than anywhere else in the country. This is due to the fact that everything that has to be replaced, must be replaced just as it would have been in Washington's day. Now. as may be surmised, 1t is not easy to find in the open market today, building material or other supplies of the character in vogue more than century ago. Such things, as a rule, have to be made to order and involve handwork which takes time as well as involves extra expense. Then, too, there are some problems connected with the de- livery of supplies at Mount Vernon. Whereas the famous estate is connected with the capital by a trolley road, there Is no steam road within some miles and freight must as rule, be brought to the estate via the Potomac River and this latter Is an uncertain artery of communication in the winter.
 As an interesting illustration of the per plexities connected with the maintenance
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19

influences more serious than any of the others. Historians, government officials and others who had occasion to view the will from time to time noted that 1t was rapidly yielding to the rayages of time The ink in which it was penned-excel- lent as was the ink of those early days began to fade. and from the frequent Holdings and unfodings the pages began to fray around the edges and split along the lines of the creases. Indeed things came to such q pass that almost every page was completely severed through the middle.
 Then the worst fate of all befell the will. Somebody In authority at Fairfax' whose intent may have been good, but whose judgment was, to say the iehst' unfortunate permitted q woman resident in the town to literally mend matters as they thought. Each page of the will had it's two severed sections sewed to- getber with needle and thread and not very fine thread at that nor by very small needle. Of course, the inevitable result followed As though it had not been bad enough to riddle the precious sheets with needle holes, no sooner were the stitches in place than With the handling of the will the bindings began to cut their way through the paper. Great gaping wounds appeared in almost every page and many of the sheets became lit erally in tatters
 When this state of affairs became noiscd abroad in the circle of prominent men who take cognizance of such matters. pub lie officials and others were stirred to action The initiative was taken by Lawrence Washington and other descend ants of the general and by government officials who make it their business to keep an eye on all notable relies, whether Uncle Sam owns the mementoes or not Some of the officials had for years longed that the will might be transferred to the national government md deposited for safe keeping in some safe place. much after the preservation at the State De- partment in Washington of the Declara- ton of Independence and the, Constitu- tion of the United States. M
 However, such disposition of the docu- ment was obviously out of the question for the Virginia authorities would not relinquish possession of it. Nevertheless, these officials, when they were brought to realize that something must be done or the relic would be lost to posterity, of fered to- restore the will just from love of the cause and without any ex- pense whatsoever to Fairfax county or the State of Virginia. At first it was suggested that the Department of State which accomplished such wonders with the Declaration of Independence and other rare documents, should undertake
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
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HAA ORE than 100000 people from
 every part of the United States
 Journey each year to Mount
 k Vernon on the Potomac. the
 home and tomb of George Wash ington, and they marvel to find the man. sion and the estate of our first President in the most perfect state of preservation. as though the paipstaking owner had but yesterday ceased his personal supervision of the detnils of the country seat he loved so well. And yet I venture that not. one in thousand of the pilgrims to our greatest historical mecca ever gives a thought to the manner in which the scene at Mount Vernon Is preserved-not only as to natures garb, but in the ma teria things supplied by man-just as it was in the days when the immortal George was spending here the late after noon of his life and entertaining from time to time. as his house guests, the most distinguished men of the young re- public and the celebrities of other coun- tries as well.
 It costs something like $42. .00o year to maintain Mount Vernon, aside from the sums expended for additions to the col lections of relics, etc. To administer the affairs of the memorial there is an execu- tive staff consisting of a superintendent, assistant superintendent and engineer and these officials reside on the estate, as do also the score or more men who are employed as guards watchmen, gate keepers, gardeners and laborers. The su- perintendent's office at Mount Vernon, oc- cupying the building erected for the use of the corresponding functionary in Wash ington's day, is quaint in architecture and filled with old pictures and mahog- any furniture calculated to make any col
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
the work and the officials expressed their

the work and the officials expressed their willingness.
 Then, unexpectedly an obstacle inter- posed The county officials at Fairfax would not allow the will 10 be removed to Washington, D. C.. for fear something would happen to 1t, which was rather amusing in view of what had already happened to it in rural Virginia. Never theless, this refusal effectually blocked the plan, for the Department of State was not in position to donate the servlces of its experts and equipment unless the document was brought to its workshops It looked as though this hitch would seal the fate of the relic, but finally the Library of Congress, government lnstl- tuition which could allow itself somewhat more latitude of procedure rose to the emergency and agreed to send its most skilful manuscript surgeon to Falrfax and do the work there. This was n good deal for Uncle Sam to do. for. in order that the doctor of documents could ad- minister treatment to the VIII It was necessary to ship to Fairfax consider able equipment including a heavy press. It was purely a labor of love and all the government ever got out of 1t was per mission to make for deposit in the Library of Congress set of photos when are the only ones. aside from those which illustrate this article. which nave ever been permitted to be mnde of Washing toms written instructions as to the dls- position of his, property
 The hnlf-dozen men and women at the State Department and the Library of Congress who restore" manuscripts for Uncle Sam-and one of whose most not able achievements has been the recent rejuvenation of the Washington will occupy n unique place among the spe- cialists of one kind or another on the gov ernment payroll. The best paid of these workers do not receive more than 50 or S6 per day. which does not seem very much considering their unique skill and the long apprenticeship they have had to serve to acquire it. They perform serv- ices which the government would be obliged to pay twice as much for if ob- tained outside For instance. the restora- tion of the Washington will required 10 days work. which means an expense of not more than $100. If either of the out side firms-there are only two in the United States-competent to undertake this task had taken the contract 1t Is safe to say that the price for the work would have been not less than $2OO and might have been $500.
 Manuscript restoration such as has been done on the Will means m endless succession of cutting and scraping and patching and pasting but 1t must be done with such infinite care that onIy person with the deftest fingers and inexhaustl-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19

project for Its purchase had been started in 1853 but 1t was not until more than seven years later that the purchase money was raised and the property fully paid for. Every now and then regret IS expressed In some public manner that Mount Vernon does not actually belong to the nation. as does the Washington monument, or any other memorial In view of this sentiment It should, in justice. be. explained that. the Ladies Association undertook the purchase of the estate only after the national govern ment had refused to purchase the prop erty from John A. Washington, Jr., to whom 1t had descended from the general.
 When 1t became evident that some thing must be done If Mount Vernon was to be permanently preserved, Miss Ann Parmela Cunningham, of South Car Clina, started the movement which utt mately eliminated in the organization of the Ladies Association and the pur- chase for $200,O00 of the famous es- tate. Of course, the men had a hand in 1t and the largest single contribution came from Edward Everett of Massa- chusetts, who raised more than $6S,OOO fer the cause by lecturing. During the past fifty years the estate and Its build ings have been perfectly maintained and many Improvements made. In some instances improvements have been paid
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19

from Mount Vernon a goodly supply of bricks said to have been imported from England and identical in size and color with those In original structures such as the old barn at Mount Vernon. Likewise Is there n tedious quest for material when 1t is necessary to make any repairs to the Mount Vernon mansion. The manor house Is not built of brick. as Is supposed by many persons who have never visited It, but has frame of oak sheathed with North Carolina pine. cut painted and sanded to resemble stone
 To guard against the danger of fire by the employment of q modern heating sys- tenn and yet to preserve that appearance of simplicity which characterized the home life of Washington was knotty problem but after much study the of fcials at Mount Vernon have finally solved it. They nave installed a com pete md efficient hot water heating plant but 1t Is completely concealed-a wholly underground affair, as 1t were. All the buildings are heated from one central plant located more than 400 feet from the mansion and wholly under ground so that there is not so much as q visible smokestack to obtrude itself on the scene that meets the eye of the visitor In the mansion and other build ings there are no visible radiators. Perish the thought. The heat is conveyed by system of indirect radiation that might serve as a model for esent-day builders of colonial houses. All the radiators are located in the cellar. which underes the whole house. and the heat Is ingeniously let into the various rooms through the bases of the fireplaces-cutoffs having been placed in the throats of these fire places so that none of the heat can as eend the chimney and be lost.
 Another modern convenience of this re- juvenated estate is the fine water supply obtained from a splendid artesian well drilled some years ago Powerful pumps, operated by electricity, supply water from this well for household purposes and keep filled at all times the emergency reservoirs, which would have to be de- pended upon In case of fire, for Mount Vernon is miles distant from Alexandria, Va, the nearest town having any fire fighting facilities. However, there is probably less danger of fire at Mount Vernon than at any other estate in the country. To be sure the house Is of frame construction, with a shingle roof, but aside from the precautions above mentio there Is the circumstance that the exterior walls and every room In the house have been treated with fire-resist- Ing paint mixed according to the latest approved formula.
 Yet another important development of the past few years at Mount Vernon has been the completion of fine system of sanitary drainage. By this means there
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19

of Mount Vernon there might be cited the recent experience of those in charge of the estate in securing needed supply of shingles. It was found that the mansion roof must be renewed, and the superin tendent set out to buy 5000 cypress shingles for the purpose But they must be rived shingles because Washington had that kind, and just here snag was struck. It seemed impossible to find any rived shingles because nowadays shingles are not made in that way, saving being mnch easier than splitting It was only after two years of search that a lumber firm was located in South Carolina that would agree to undertake to supply the exact grade of shingles used by the Father of His Country, and in order to get these old-fashioned products it was necessary for the people at Mount Vernon to pay S9 per thousand.
 Similarly, the superintendent at Mount Vernon desiring to restore the screen walls" that formerly 1anked the man sion has been on the lookout for p years past for n supply of old colonial bricks such as were used when the walls were constructed by Washington. Only re- gently did he finally secure the long sought bricks, when an old colonial man sion in King George county, Va.,-built by one of WashinGton's close personal friends-was torn down. and from the ruins there were rescued by men sent
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19

have been reclaimed the bogs and swnmpa which at one time gave the place repu- tation for unhenlthfulness. f1naIly' threatening landslides near the mansion and the old tomb from which later, how ever, the body of Washington has been removed to the new tomb have been averted by the expenditure of great sum of money in carrying out novel project whereby tunnel was excavated under the hill on which the manor house stands. This tunnel now drains on the water-bearing sands and solves a problem that has existed ever since Washington day. Indeed, 1t gave General Washing ton himself many uneasy moments ai- though he found no way to remedy 1t.
 Visitors to the Mount Vernon estate are nlways surprised to find that consider able portion of this 23S acre estate all that remains of the 5000 acres that Washington owned-is farmed just as is any other rural tract. A big garden sup plies food for the two dozen men em- poyed at Mount Vernon and grain Is raised to subsst the horses and mules on the place and the deer In the deer park in front of the mansion, unique geological feature that has been restored just as 1t was in Washington's day even to the presence of the antlered inhabi- tants. Visitors also open their eyes when they are told that Gardener Franklin A. Whean has to conduct full-hedged nursery business in connection with the famous and beautiful gardens at Mount Vernon. This arose from the fact that so many visitors pleaded for "slips' of the famous roses and other flowers that q way had to be found to gratify their wishes. Now plants of the Mary Wash ington Rose, the magnolia that La Fay cite planted and the other floral treas- ures of the garden are sold to visitors and shipped to all parts of the United States. The sums received in payment each small in itself, but amounting in the aggregate to hundreds of dollars year, goes to improve and maintain the gardens.
 The guards on duty In the mansion at Mount Vernon say that they are given very little trouble by vandals or relic hunters. The situa tion might be different however. were visitors permitted to enter the rooms and touch the relics and fur nishings. Instead they must content themselves with gazing into each apart. ment from the doorway and so about the only vigilance required of the guards Is to prevent men from writing their names on the white woodwork and women from cutting their initials by means of dia. mopd on the window-panes They dc get some queer requests at Mount Yer. non, however. One of the oldest of these was the recent plea of m aged doctor who expressed a most ardent de sire to play upon Washington's flute.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19

ble patience could undertake 1t. First of all, the ink of the Will was set" by means of liquid process or bath so as to prevent further fading and then each of the 23 sheets was backed or mounted upon crepeline so as to stand any reasonable amount of handling Then came the piecing and restoration work proper and 1t Is safe tn Sny that 1t would not have been SO naryelously suc- cessful in this instance save for q for tunate circumstance. Wien il came to 'grafting" new material into the old manuscript. to repiGce what had heen frayed and torn away, the experts were In a quandary where to find material that would match. They had almost given up hope of finding patches so sim liar in tint and texture as to make the manuscript look 'as good as new" when by a lucky chance one of the experts discovered in n secondhand book store in Washington. number of blank sheets of the writing paper which George Washington had made specially for his personal use. Of course this was just the thing and now, unless one holds sheet of the restored will in such posi- ton that strong light can shine through it, there is no means of determining
 
 called) leaves off and the new tissue be- gins.
 Not only has the will been restored bnt the sheets of the testament, mounted upon cardboard bound in the form of a hook mounted with handsome red levant cover. will henceforth repose in q special steel fireproof and burgar-proof case or safe constructed especially for this purpose. in accordance with specifications of the gov t,l. tx may stil view the precious relic hut 1t will no longer be exposed continually to strong light ns was the case when 1t reposed as 1t did for years in q common wooden box with n glass top. Visitors to the Virginia hamlet have an oppor- tunty not only to inspect the will hut also to. view the old court house and the room where Washington's will was probated and which appears just as it did in the year 1900. when the will was probated. even to the historic paintings on the walls
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
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~ HE last will and testament oi George Washington, our first Presi-
 dent, has just been a''restored.' - Perhaps you did not know that 1t
 needed restoring. Not one In n million of us did know 1t. But 1t was a fact nevertheless. and what Is more, the aforesaid restoration has taken place just in the nick of time. Of course, It will be understood that restoration In thIs case is not word synonymous with recovery, as is the case with so many fa- nous paintings or other works. of art. The will of the liberator of the nation has not been lost or stolen What has happened though Is that 1t has been al- lowed to- fall into decay, to a certain extent, and has suffered from some rough handling. Tho timely restoration that has taken place hHs ''had to- do with put ting this historic document back in the same shape It was when its distinguished author penned 1t more than century ago.
 Oddly enough, biographies and school histories and other books do not tell us very much about the will of General Washington. Yet not only did the Fatheryof His Country make will, as every prudent citizen, should do, but he produced document that Is most inter- eyttnR for a number of different reasons. A Auueeus lL WoulO HOC De NltuOut lHtclSot VI written by man far less famous than the coInmander-in-c chief of the Continental Army. In proof of this fact it is only necessary to cite that the Washington. will is really a model of its kind, which, however, Is not at all strange, for. the eminent Virginian was n painstaking and 7 methodical man in his personal affairs, as well as in his publtcs duties. Many of the prominent men who have known all along of the existence of the Washington will and who have been anxious to see 1t preserved to the nation, are of the opinion that 1t is really the most valuable of all the relics of Wash ington-morc to be prized than his swords CT his books, or his furniture, or . his china, which a grateful nation or wor- shipful descendants have been treasuring all these years. Certainly the last will of such a man as Washington must be ac- cepted as reHecting his personality as nothing else could do and another ele- ment of interest arises from the circum- stance that Washington wrote in long hand every word of this document.
 T 1t is pretty long will-even as coT- pared with the wills of present-day mil- iicnatres, who, have big estates to dispose of, but Washington did net hire lawyer 70 draw dp tue will. US k so customary
The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
THE TONE OF A DELL.

"A ANY are of the opinion that the
 tone of bell is merely q matter of uu bnccident, but It must be toned ex- uctly like my musical instrument. Every bell has five sounds, and these must blend in harmony. This Is obtained by cutting
Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-13

has been to stimulate the development
of p,ants until they are now so large
that products must be sold abroad. In
this connection the manufacturers mo
longer want to pay the high prices neces.
sary for material under protective
tariff
Mr.. Redfeld said that instead of
foreign labor being cheaper. American
labor is really the cheapest i'm the
world; that no labor produced as
much product in proportion to wages
received as American laborers.
Mr.. Redfield attacked the Republi-
can principle of a tariff Equal TO
the difference in the cost at home
and abroad saving it was impossi
BILE to determine this difference. He
said that the American tariff board
is Worthless unless empowered to
call for the cost sheets of the fac
tories engaged in the line of manu-
facture it is studying. adding that
often the American cost of produc
ton is lower.