The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-02-14

partment paper surgeons rendered unavailable.
AS labor of love and appreciation for the his
torical value of the document and its famous
author. the library of congress finally volunteered
TO send its most expert manuscript repairer down
10 talrfaX to make the repairs and put the n
pages into condition that would insure them
against further destruction. This entailed the
shipping to Fairfax of considerable equipment,
including heavy press
To put the battered paper in good condition re-
CURED 16 days of the most panstakfng work on
the part of William Berwick the library's skilled
manuscript mender, who made daily trips TO the
quaint old courthouse The first step toward
restoration after he had photographed every
OF the ragged pages setting the ink This
was done by Il liquid process bath designed to
prevent further fading. Then each one of the
sheets was backed mounted upon crepeline, a
sort of transparent durable silk gauze which al
lowed any reasonable amount of handling. Then
came an endless amount of scraping. patching,
FASTING and ceetng which only the deftest most
expert fingers could do. and the results would not
have been remarkably satisfactory but for a
most fortunate circumstance
When it came to grating material into the
old manuscript to replace the old which had been
worn away, the great problem lay in finding
material that would match in texture and color
that upon which the will written Mr.. Der.
wick was in despair to where to find paper for
the patches which would make the will look az
good as new, when by lucky chance in a second
hand book store in Washington number of blank
sheets of the writing paper which George Wash
ington had made especially for his personal use
discovered This was exactly what was
wanted and now, unless holds the sheets of
the restored viii in such position that bright
light will shine through Them there is no way of
telling where the old part 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 a book mounted with a handsome
red levant cover, placed in Il steel fireproof
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 china, in view of the fact that
it more faithfully portrays the mind of the man
himself. rejecting his personality nothing else
could do perfectly opens follows:
I. George Washington. of Mount Vernon. a citizen
the United States and lately president same,
make. ordain and declare this instrument which is
written with my own hand and every page thereof
subscribed with bs my last will and
lament. revoking all others
In it he directs that:
To my beloved wife. Martha Washington. give
bequeAth the and benefit OF entire estate real
and personal. the OF her natural life except
parts thereof az are specifically disposed Of
He also ordered that his body be inferred sin a
ouiet manner without parade or funeral grafton"
One clause which has been extensively quoted,
is as follows:
Iypon the decease my wife 1t IS my win and de-
.tra that all the slaves which hold IN my right
shall receive their freedom
Concerning the disposition of his slaves, the
General gave more explicit directions than to any
other mart of his and he especially directed
that none of them should be sold outside OF Vir-
ginia.
He directed that his debts which he said were
few and none of great magnitude" be 'punctuaI-
Iv and speedily paid" He also called attention
tn the fact that many of the young men of the
United States being sent abroad to foreign
countries to be educated and were contracting
habits of dissipation and principles unfriendly
ranublican government To aid In stopping this
no gave 80 shares in the Potomac company to-
ward the endowment of university within the
D,strict of Columbia under the auspices of the
General government He also made provision In
bic will for the construction OF q new family vault
ar Mount Vernon. in which might be piAced the
rau,ains of himself and his 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.
Eairfax Court House is doubly rich in view
the fact that il also treasures the will OF
Martha Washington. also returned to it after
many years of wandering 1t was signed Sep