The Washington herald., 1914-05-31
WOMEN KEEP NATION'S
Shrine FROM TOPPING
Board of Regents Of Mount Vernon
Ladies Association Doing
Good Work. :.
SAVED FROM ceMMERclALlsM

Once year the board of regents Of the
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association meets
at George Washilgton's old home on the
Potomac River to provide for the care
OF this great American shrine. At the an
nual meeting this year there was almost
full attendance Of the regents and the
board of visitors. This board consists
of DR.. william H. White. president OF
the Richmond. fredericksburg and Poto-
mac Railroad: Walton Moore. OF Fair
fax; T. 8. Winston, of Richmond: Mr..
Chandler, of Fredericksburg. and Mr..
Barrett, of Alexandria. There was moth
ing for the visitors TO do except to ex-
press their approval Of the wise and
effective work of the regents, and to
wonder, doubtless. how It could have
done so well without the constant super
vision. not to say interference. OF the
men.
As a matter of fact. however, the pres
ervation of Mount. Vernon has been the
special work Of the women. and with
them IL has been labor. Of love and high
patriotic purpose. 1t was Ann Pamela
Cunningham. of South Carolina, who took
the first step, and 1t was her mother. Mrs.
Louisa Cunningham, daughter Of William
Bird, of Birdsboro. Pa, Of whom she
said: "The beautiful thought that women
should rescue Mount Vernon from the
hands OF Spectators emanated from my
mother" And 1t was about this conse-
Grated woman that the women Of all the
States gathered, and II Is due to them
that Mount Vernon stands today q. high
altar at which all patriots worship.
Miss Harriet Clayton Comegys, of Do
yer, Del, Is the. regent now, and with
her are associated vice regents, one for
each of the States. among them being
Mrs Charles B. Ball, of Virginia; Miss
Alice NJ. Longfellow. of Massachusetts;
igan; Mrs. Phoebe, A. Hearst, of Cali
fornia: Mrs. Charles Custis Harrison. of
Pennsylvania; Mis-. John Julius Pringle.
of South Carolina: Mrs. A. B. Andrews.
of North Carolina Miss Mary, Evarts,
daughter of William E. Evarts, of yer-
mont; Mrs. Francis 8. Conover. of New
Jersey. and ether like high-minded
women representing all parts Of the
country. which Washington made possi-
BILE for the powerful nation Of this day.
Mount Vernon was bought by the La
dies Association in April. 1858, from
John A. Washington for $780, The
place contains about 222 acres. Persons
who wished to make commercial or
speculative enterprise of the estate Of
fered to pay Mr.. Washington 500. 900 for
the property, but he considered that he
had performed his duty to the pupnc by
to sell 1t for any such purpose"
and so it came into possession Of the
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association,
which is bound by its charter to keep
It inalienably sacred to the memory Of
And so II will be pre-
served for all time IL the spectators do
not succeed IN their efforts to destroy
what they would never have built up.
Mount Vernon stands today exactly a.
I was when Gen. Washington was liv-
ng; the trees a little larger grown. but
he garden and the lawns. the houses
and barns and stables and great vistas
precisely as he would have had them,
and II might well be imag gined that his
spirit broods over these scenes Of his
earthly happiness with fine approval Of
he devoted service OF his countrywomen
n keeping alive here the lamp Of chiv-
airy in the souls Of men.