The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-12-10

assigned a chamber at Mount Vernon,
where he stayed much Of his time, and
the place is filled with his gifts to
Washington. Washington's library,
and numerou articles of furniture. in
GLIDING chairs, tables, clocks, carpets
and wearing apparel, lend their touch
of interest to the rooms.
The original plantation consisted Of
5000 acres, and Of this 1918 acres Is
retained in the present estate. The
flower gardens, which are kept up
exactly as they were designed by
Martha Washington. the original
hedge surrounding it, and set out IN
der the direction of Washington him
self, the paths, roadways, boat land
ing, and a thousand possessions and
reminders of the Washington family,
perform their silent part in supplying
the satisfaction that drops it's mantle
about the pilgrims to Mount Vernon.
But quite naturally the things that
stood most for the personal comfort,
and affected the manner Of living of
the Washington family, afford particu-
lar interest.
In a spacious kitchen at Mount Yer
non there remain the relics of pioneer
days. The meals for the Washington
family were cooked at an open fire,
and turned on a spit" their coffee
was boiled on the hearth, and their
bread baked in a crude oven. Iron
kettles and pots, and ancient looking
cooking utensils, such as could be
used in a fire place, are all well pre-
served. The beautiful brass warming
pans mutely tell the story of chilly
sheets and cold rooms i~nadequately
heated by open fires. These people
never saw a modern range or a cook
stove, and we can imagine that as an
icy plast drove across the Potomac
that George and Martha Washington
often suffered from the cold, since
they were strangers to hot water heat
ers. furnaces, coal stoves, or even "air-
tights" which would have been a won
derful success in this region of thick
woods.
In the state dining room a handsome
onyx mantle surmounts the fire place,
md the cfnru that nane ur;th ~ rol,too
to the manner of its gift by a gentle
man in Boston, who sen it on a sail
ing vessel to Alexandria, Virginia.
few miles away. There it remained
till spring. for Washington wrote that
the wagon roads were tough and out
of repair, and the river frozen over
and navigation closed. Today an cleo
trio line runs through Alexandria to
he gate of Mount Vernon, and steam
boats land at the wharf. For safety
the mansion has been provided with
electricity. but the relic Of lighting in
Washington's day to be seen in the
kitchen, is a set of old moulds, used
In the making of tallow candles.
The voices hush as the visitors pass
through the mansion when they stop
before a chamber door over which
there Is an inscription saying that
Washington died in that room. The
original bed with its four high posts
and canopied covering is the same one
which the great and good man died.
His mothers desk and armchair, IA
military trunk of ancient construction,
a bureau, washstand and mirror, all
used by Washington, are in place. On
this bed Washington died, bled to
death 1t is sometimes told by old
fashioned physicians, whose remedies
were lances and calomel. 1t was
three days before the news reached
Philadelphia, for this was in 1899, and
there was no telegraph service to car
ry the news, no cable to fash a bullet
In across the ocean, no nearby wire
less as at present to carry the sad
message to Panama and San Fran
cisco, that did not exist; there were
no telephones to notify the physicians
at Alexandria that Americas grandest
man needed them. in the critical hour
OF his illness. And when the summons
did arrive there no swift running auto
mobiles to speed men Of medicine to
the side Of the sick man. And Wash
ington. who lay in this room, and gaz-
ed out over the Potomas. never dream
ed that some day the very movements
and actions Of illustrious men like him.
self would be preserved to posterity
by of the moving picture.
In passing l want to mention the
Of likenesses shown of Washing
ton in the best pictures at Mount
Vernon. Gilbert Stuart appears to
have done partial justice to his sub.
ject. but Houghton. the French sculp-
tor. and some artists have succeeded
In creating an ideal-it typifes a nne.
0ontlonnau with A,,fyv cyo<h;nc