El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-02-20

elaborate decorations by a French
artist
The equipments Of the mansion in all
respects represented what was in those
days the acme of luxury. Mrs. Wash
ington had brought with her as part
of her dOwry, a very handsome service
Of pure silver and cut glass. There were
even real silver forks-a rarity at that
period, when rich folks were commonly
content with three-tined forks Of steel.
It was then considered entirely we'll
bred to eat with ones knife; and, how
ever shocking it may seem, there is no
question Of the fact that the master and
mistress Of Mount Vernon were ac-
customed to drink tea out of their
saucers.
At meals of ceremony each guest was
waited upon by two slaves assigned to
his exclusive service. This was the Gus
tom of the day, in the mansions of the
Virginia aristOcracy. In such great
houses the slaves performing these
duties usually were the ordinary plan
tatiOn garb, but a Mount Vernon there
was a more impressive state, and at
dinners they were attired in the gor-
Eeous Washington livery of scarlet,
white and gold
Many Comforts Lacking.
Many comforts, such as nowadays are
taken for granted even by the mOder-
ately well-tO-dO, were lacking. The
mansion knew not the luxury of decent
plumbing, or hot water on tap. There
was no means of heating IT, save by
open fires in the rooms so that in win
ter the problem of keeping warm must
have been difficult. Wallpaper had not
yet been invented. Candles furnished
in the evenings the only illumination.
1t was altogether patriachal estab-
Hshment, comprising a large number
of persons, all of whom looked to Mrs.
Washington and her husband as respOn-
sible for their welfare and subsistence.
The master of the house called the ne
groes my people and was always
most humane and cOnsiderate in deal
ing with them. There were 40 of them in
1856 (before Washingtons marriage),
SO in 1870, and 135 in 1794.
Washington Opposed Slavery.
washington never approved Of the
institution of slavery. He said on a
number of occasions that he would give
to his own negroes their freedom, were
it not that they had become very much
mixed in a matrimonial way with the
dover negrOes-that is to say, with
those originally belonging to his wife
Such being the case, suffering would in
evitably result from the manumission of
wives whose husbands remained slaves
or vice versa, not to mention confusion
as regards the children.
1t Kept Up As In Old Days.
The mansion and its surroundings are
kept today as nearly as possible in the
state in which they were when Wash
ington was alive. There is still the old
fashioned kitchen garden, and the
flower garden, wherein a Toulouse was
fitted up as a school for Nellie Custis
and her brother. The old kitchen, too
is as it used to be-detached from the
house. and with a huge fireplace in
which great rOasts could be turned on
q spit
Mr., Washington, in a letter he once
wrote to his mother, spoke of his house
as being like a tavern" he and his
wife kept open house in very literal
al he ~ nj
even strangers from afar. armed with
letters Of acknowledgements few of
them from foreign parts-wOuld turn
up in casual way and stay for days
or weeks. There was no limit to the
hospitality offered. and everybody was
welcome often 20 or even 80 people sat
down at dinner.
Hospitality Unlimited
There were only two meals each day.
breakfast and dinner The latter was a