The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-02-16

July y, l193, nVe months De
fore his death. From begin
ming to end it gives evidence of the
hand and clear mind of its maker.
1t contains many legal phrases, but it
was not written under the instruction
of a lawyer, and there is reason to be-
construction.
Modern skill has rescued the docu-
from d~ilapidation and impending
destruction and has assured to all
Americans the opportunity to read it
exactly as it was written. 1t was filed
for probate in the rear 1900 in the
court house of Fairfax county, Vir-
ginia, in which Mount Vernon is stu
ated. In the intervening lie years it
has undergone vicissitudes. including
much miscellaneous Matchmaking and
one removal and concealment.
Through all of a century he who
ran so far az Fairfax court house
might read at his leisure and with his
own hands manipulate the original
document and at his pleasure thumb
and tumble it, with only a court at
| CGhdL hCdL ~ SEC LAA0L AZ - fN0N
not carried away. wholesale or piece
meal. One of the pages of the will
bears mute testimony to the success of
some unknown enthusiastic relic hun
ter who tore off and carried away one
corner.
At the beginning Of the Civil war
the will was taken to Richmond, and
there securely hidden. 1t was re-
turned to Fairfax court house when
peace had been restored. The same
care was not taken of the will of
Martha Washington, on file in the
same court house, and it was carried
off by a Union soldier and was for a
time in the possession of the late J.
Pierpont Morgan. After a suit had
been begun to cur its restoration to
Virginia and Fairfax county, 1t was
returned to the court house.
The decades that have passed since
the fling of General Washington's
will, the journey to and from Rich
mond, the careless If affectionate han
ding to which the precious manuscript
was subjected did not tend to it's pres
ervation. Finally it became a thing
of rags and tatters. Its ~custodians,
with the best intentions, added to its
peril of early and complete oblitera-
ton by persistently folding it length
wise. following the original fold of the
clerk Of 1900.
In charge of the repair section of
the manuscript division is William
Berwick, said to be the greatest living
expert in the restoration of old manu-
scripts. To him was given the task
of restoring the immortal document.
Impressed with a desire to preserve
the tremendously important and In
teresting relic, Mr.. Berwick has ac-
complished something very like a mir
acle. Although the work was begun by
Mr.. Berwick in 1910 it was but recent
ly completed. The restorer, working
odd days and intervals sometimes
widely apart, needed much time to
bring the manuscript to its present
form.
AS soon as he finished with the will
of General Washington he began the
restoration of the will Of Martha
Washington, returned by Mr.. Morgan
to Fairfax county. The elder Mr.. Nor
gan having had the Marina Washing
ton will In his possession, and having
bound and preserved it carefully, it
was In much better condition than that
of the first president and gave Mr..
Berwick far less trouble. Further, 1t
contains but eight pages.
Notwithstanding MIR. Morgan's care
IF Martha Washington's viii, the vir-
ginians apparently are yet somewhat
resentful that the document was kept
from them so long. The text of the
inscription over Martha Washington's
will in Fairfax court house is as fol-
lows:
"The original last will and tesla
ment of Mrs. Martha Washington. 1t
Is dated March 4, 1902. and was adj
mitted to probate by the county court
Of Fairfax June n. 1902. and was re-
stored to it's present form in the yea<