The Colorado statesman., 1919-02-22
E4HSS4X COURTHOUSE
I,IzE5SE bflftoICYS NH
Lk>ZJ FILE

partment paper surgeons was rendered unavailable.
AS labor of love and appreciation for the his
torical value of the document and its famous
author, the Ibrury of congress finally volunteered
to send its most expert manuscript repairer down
to Fairfax to make the repairs and put the "a
pages into a condition that would insure them
against further destruction. This entailed the
shipping to Fairfax of considerable equipment
including a heavy press
To put the battered paper In good condition re-
quired 16 days of the most painstaking work on
the part of William Berwick the library's skilled
manuscript member who made daily trips to the
quaint old courthouse. The first step toTard
restoration after he had photographed everr one
of the ragged pages was setting the ink This
was done by a liquid process or bath designed to
prevent further fading. Then each one of the
sheets was backed mounted upon crepeline,
sort of transparent durable silk gauze, which al
lowed any reasonable amount of handling. Then
endless amount OF scraping, patching,
pasting and cutting which only the deftest, most
expert fingers could do and the results would not
have been remarkably satisfactory but for
most fortunate circumstance.
When 1t came to grating new material into the
old manuscript to replace the old which had been
away, the great problem lay In finding new
material that would match In texture and color
that upon which the will written. Mr.. Ber-
wick In despair to where TO find paper for
the patches which would make the will look
good us new, when by lucky chance in second
hand book store in Washington a number of blank
sheets of the writing paper which George Wash
ington had made especially for his personal
were discovered. This exactly what
wanted and now, unless one holds the sheets of
the restored will in such position that the bright
light will shine through them, there is no way of
telling where the old part, or rather the original
part, leaves off and the grated sections begin.
When Mr. Berwick completed his task which
cost the Fairfax authorities nothing. the sheets
of the document mounted upon cardboard, bound
in the form of n book mounted with handsome
red levant cover, placed in steel freproof
and burglarproof safe constructed especially for
the purpose in accordance with the specifications
of the government officials.
The will, which has been called the most val
liable relic of any left to posterity by the father
of his country-more valuable than the swords.
books furniture or china in view of the fact that
1t more faithfully portrays the mind of the man
himself rejecting his personality nothing else
could do perfectly. opens as follows:
l. George Washington, of Mount Vernon. citizen Of
United states and lately president OF the same DO
make. ordan and declare this instrument which is
written with my own hand and every page Thereon
subscribed with my name to be my last Will ana tes
lament. revoking all others
IN 1t he directs that:
To my beloved Wife Martha Washington. give and
.eoueath the and benefit OF entire estate real
and personal the of her natural life except
such parts thereof are specifically disposed Of
He also ordered that his body be inferred 'n
ouiet manner without parade or funeral Grafton"
One clause, which has been extensively quoted,
is as follows
1rnon the decease my wife 1t is my will and de-
H.. that all the which hold in my own right
.bau receive their freedom
Concerning the disposition of his slaves the
oner,l gave more explicit directions than to any
thor mart of his estate, and he especially directed
thot none of them should be sold outside of Vir-
ginia. =, -, -
He directed that his debts, which he said were
"foy and none of great magnitude" be 'punctual-
10 and speedily paid" He also called attention
to the fact that many of the young men of the
II,ited Stntes being sent abroad to foreign
countries TO be educated and were contracting
hohits of dissipation and principles unfriendly to
ronubcan government. To aid in stopping this
no gave so shares in the Potomac company to-
rord the endowment of university within the
Dstr,ct of Columbia under the auspices of the
General government. He also made provision in
his will for the construction of new family vault
OF Mount Vernon in which might be plnced the
remains of himself and his near relatives
The will may be through the glass side OF
rho vault in which 1t is deposited. before which
hang heavy green curtains to exclude the light.
Fairfax Court House is doubly rich in view of
the fact that 1t also treasures the will of
Martha Washington. also returned TO 1t after
many years of wandering. 1t was signed on Sep