The Green Forest tribune., 1917-12-21
Mrs. J. W. Snyder Writes Interestingly
 os Her Recent, Trip East

tf.I aShington, Mir. John Augustine Washington and family lived at Mount Vernon and in 1853 thru the efforts ot Miss Ann Pamela Cunning ii in ot South Carolina, the Mount Yer i,itl Association was founded and ap- ieals were made to the patriotic peo- pie of every state and the Masonic and other fraternities did their part and they collected donations to the amount of $223, ,000 of which S200, GOO was paid for Mount Vernon and the remaining 1928, GOO was used for repairs and putting the tomb in good condition and today it is controlled by board of women from 23 states whose duty it is to look after the general m anage- ment of its affairs. 1 am very sorry to state that our glorious state of Arkansas is without a representative on that board. There is fee of 25 cents charged for admission with a privilege of free admission for school children and institutions when accom- panied by teacher or matron.
 After the famous Virginia chicken dinner we boarded the electric car for Alexandria.
 In Alexandria we were met by an efficient guide who showed us the quaint old city. the first capital of Vir- ginia. There is the Marshall House celebrated for the Ellsworth tragedy where the first shot was fired in the Civil war; the Masonic Lodge over which George Washington presided. Many old relics are on exhibition, among them is the Masonic apron worn by Washington, the trowel he used when laying the corner stone of our nations first Capitol and his chair, A lecturer amply able to exp1ain everything in details was on duty. Then we went to the old church known far and near as Washington S church. The building was completed in l773 by Colonel John Carlyle for the sum of $4,000 and Washington paid S180 for pew number five. It was demons trated to us that women stood well with the people at that time as the selection for sexton fell upon Susaianna Edwards and afterWard a Mrs. Cook was chosen to fill the ex- alted and trusted position.
 In Colonial days the Government of Virginia was largely controlled by the vestry of the parish, holding the pow CT of civil authority. The church had the right to impose fines for non-ob- servance of secular laws and with it rested the responsibility of administer ing justice. The building itself is built of brick and roofed with slate The severity of the interior is extreme. The arches ard pediments are of the Tuscan order, the altar piece, pulpit, and canopy are of Ionic style. There are three windows in the chancel and on either side of them are two panels, one containing the Lords Prayer with the Creed: the other has the Ten Commandments. both done in black let ters on gilt back ground. The sounding-board or canopy and high pull pit with it's winding stairway is in the center of the chancel. Two memorial tablets, one on either side of the chancel, are placed in memory of the two sons of this church whom Virginia most loves-George Washington and Robert E. Lee, and two pews which they occupied are marked by silver plates engraved with their respective names, facsimile of their own handwrit- ing.
 At the time the church was built it was known as the Irwin church of Pohick. Afterwards the galleries were added and the high square pews cut down and divided. The Washington pew is the only square pew left, and am glad to tell you that we were al- lowed to rest in his pew while the lecturer explained many of the histor- ical things about the church. While she continued by telling us that for some years previous to 1913 it had been known as the Episcopal church, from then until now "Christ's Church. It was stated that after services one Sun day morning in the summer of 1774, Washington withdrawing allegiance from King George, and declared that he would fight touphold the inde. pendence of the colonies, he announced his momentous decision under the very shadow of the church. nine years later when independence was estab. lished. having resigned his commission at Annapolis, he returned to Mt. Vern. on Christmas eve, and the next day he was in his accustomed seat at Alex. andria. The Rev. David Griffith, who served as chaplain of the Third Vir- ginia regiment in the Revolutionary war, read the exalted song of Moses and the children of Israel; and the ser mon he preached was from the 128tf Psalm: "Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children and peace upor Israel and the dasppndants- of thos1