The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1919-02-13

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 library 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 heavy press.
To put the battered paper In good condition re-
quired 16 days of the most painstaklng work on
the part of William Berwick, the lbrarys skilled
manuscript member who made daily trips TO the
quaint old courthouse. The first step toward
restoration after he had photographed every one
of the ragged pages was setting the ink. This
was done by 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,
pasting and cutting 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 1t came TO grating new material into the
old manuscript to replace the old which had been
worn away, the great problem lay in finding new
material that would match in texture and color
that upon which the will was written. Mr.. Ber
wick was in despair to where to find paper for
the patches which would make the will look as
good as new when by a lucky chance in 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 exactly what was
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 a book mounted with handsome
red levant cover, were placed in a steel fireproof
and burgarproof 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 posterty by the father
of his country-more valuable than the swords,
books, furniture china, in view of the fact that
il more faithfully portrays the mind of the man
himself, rejecting his personality as nothing else
could do so perfectly, opens as follows:
1. George Washington of Mount Vernon a citizen of
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 name to be my last will and
lament, revoking all others
In It he directs that:
To my beloved WIFE, Martha Washington I give and
bequeath the and benefit of entire estate real
and personal, the of her life, except
such parts thereof are specifically disposed Of
He also ordered that his body be Inferred "in
ouet manner without parade funeral Grafton"
one clause, which has been extensively quoted,
is as follows:
I,non the decease of my II Is my win and de-
s,re that all the which hold In my own right
shall receive their freedom.
Concerning the disposition of his slaves. the
onorol gave more explicit directions than to any
,her mart of his estate and he especially directed
,,,at none of them should be sold outside OF Vir-
gina.
.soxv and none of great magnitude" be "punctual.
10 and speedlly paid" He also called attention
=. ,bo fact that many of the young of the
Tr,ted States were being sent abroad to foreign
Countries TO be educated and were contracting
Soh,ts of dissipation and principles unfriendly TO
ranubi,can government. To aid In stopping this
~, rave 20 shares In the Potomac company to
rord the endowment of a university within the
ns,rct of Columbia under the auspices Of the
sSanorol government. He also made provision in
,, Gill for the construction of new family vault
-, Mount Vernon I'm which might be placed the
remains of himself and his near relatives
Tbe will may be seen through the glass side OF
tho vault In which II Is deposited, before which
hang heavy green curtains to exclude the light
Fairfax Court House is doubly rich in view OF
the fact that II now also treasures the viii Of
Martha washington. also returned to 1t after
many years Of wandering. 1t was signed on Sep