The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1915-04-28
ANN PAMELA CUNNINGHAM
(From The State.)

= = = .
In The Interlude, with was the wo-
mans edition Of the Charleston News
and Courier published during the
Charleston exposition, one of the most
interesting Of the many worthy and
valuable articles and communications
by leading women Of this State and Of
the South was an appreciation of Ann
Pamela Cunningham and an account
of her achievement in preserving
Mount Vernon to America, written
by the late Miss Isabella d. Martin Of
Columbia.
One Of the literary clubs of Co
llpmbia, in devoting an afternoon re-
Gently to d study Of Miss Cunningham
discovered that less is known here in
her native State Of the little South
Carolina woman Of ideas and energy
than in other parts of the country.
This is brought out by Miss Martin
in her article, which is reprinted
here
| have often asked class of South
'ern young women to tell me something
of The Southern Matron," or of Miss
Ann Pamela Cunningham, and inya
riably the question has been met by
chilling silence. Yet. once sitting
where the waters Of the Potomac lap
the turf of Mount Vernon, Chicago
girl at my side gave glory to the name
OF the South Carolina woman who
saved the home of Washington for his
countrywomen.
Therefore 1t Is that it gives me a
very great pleasure to be able to throw
together few facts which l have
been able to blean concerning a life
whose self-abnegation, grand patriot
ism and high purpose may, | trust,
prove an incentive to the generation
in whose hands lies the future of our
well-beloved State.
/ wish just here to acknowledge my
Indebtedness to Miss Mary Miller of
winthrop college, class Of 1898, to
whose admirable sketch Of Mis- Cum
ingham l owe many of the facts in
the following article
When l was a very young girl I
used to see among my mothers papers
certificates stating that she and we're
members Of the Mount Vernon asso-
citation, for the purchase Of tile home
and tomb Of Washington"
The Immortal Washington.
The surest test of Washington's
greatness, it has always seemed to me,
is that it stood the close scrutiny of
lis own and succeeding generations.
There was no mists between him and
them, which, like the vapors Of the
Brocken, could magnify his proper
tons. He stood face to face with
his people, and was recognized by his
own contemporaries high among the
immortals.
So to the young people Of my day
the sight of those certificates was an
enthusiasm and an inspiration. Then
when we heard Mr. Everett's grand
grafton, and knew all this was due to
the efforts Of a feeble young South
Carolina woman, it we'll may be
ton for that young woman rose
Few of us have not been touched
as we sailed down the Potomac and
heard the tollng OF the bell and saw
every hat lifted as we passed Mount
Vernon. Like the calling of the name
Of La Tour d'Auvorgnc, when the roll
call OF the French grcnadiers was
sounded, 1t is a monument more last
ing than marble, more durable than
brass and more touching than any
tribute OF prose or verse. 1t was this
incident, we are told, which directed
the life purpose Of Ann Pamela Cum
ingham. AS they passed the venerated
spot her mother said to her: "What|
beautiful thing 1T would be if the
women of the country could organize
and purchase Mount Vernon and hold
1t always for the nation" The young
woman instantly took up the idea and
carried 1t out with such zeal and
perseverance that it's success VS. soon
assured.
Mt. Vernon Association.
When 1t became known that con-
gress had virtually declined to pur-
chase and preserve Mount Vernon in
December, 1853, Miss Cunningham be-
gan her work. The Washington heirs
felt obliged to sell and offered the
estate for 5000 O0O Har s+,rrtn p