The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-02-20

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 Il condition that would insure them
against further destruction. This entailed the
shipping to Fairfax of considerable equipment,
including heavy press.
10 put the battered paper in good condition
CURED 16 days OF the most painstaking work
the part of William Berwick, the Iibrary's skilled
AHdhuScrlpt mender, who made daily trips 70 the
quaint old courthouse. The first step toward
restoration after he had photographed every
OF the ragged pages was setting the ink. This
was done by liquid process or bath designed to
prevent further fading. Then each of the
sheets was backed mounted upon crepeline
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 Sc remarkably satisfactory but for a
most fortunate circumstance.
When it came to grating new material into the
old manuscript to replace the old which had been
worn away, the great problem lay finding new
material that would match in texture and color
that upon which the will written. Mr.. Ber-
wick was in despair as to where to find paper for
the patches which would make the will look as
good as new, when by lucky chance in a second
hand book store in Washington a number of blank
sheets of the writing paper which George Wash
discovered. This was 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, 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 book mounted with a handsome
red levant cover, were placed in a steel freproof
and Eurglarproof 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
1t 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 a citizen of
the United States and lately president of the
make. ordain and declare this instrument which is
subscribed with to be my last will
lament revok1ng all others
In it he directs that:
To my beloved wife, Martha Washington I give and
bequeath the and benefit of entire estate
and personal for the of her natural life except
such parts thereof as are specifically disposed of.
He also ordered that his body be inferred Sin a
ouiet manner, without parade funeral Grafton"
One clause which has been extensively quoted
is follows:
I1non the decease Of my is my viii and de-
sire that all 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
ther mart of his estate, and he especially directed
tbo+ none of them should be sold outside of Vir-
ginia
He directed that his debts, which he said were
"fe1y and none of great magnitude" be ''punctua
" and speedily paid" He also called attention
+o the fact that many of the young of the
ITpited States were being sent abroad to foreign
countries to be educated, and contracting
bahits of dissipation and principles unfriendIy 10
republican government To aid in stopping this
he gave 90 shares in the Potomac company to
yard the endowment of a university within the
District of Columbia under the auspices of the
General government He also made provision in
his will for the construction OF family vault
of Mount Vernon, in which might be placed the
rouains of himself and his relatives
The will may be seen through the glass side of
the vault in which it is deposited before which
hang heavy green curtains TO exclude the light.
Fairfax Court House is doubly rich in view OF
the fact that it also treasures the will OF
Martha Washington. also returned to it after
many years Of wandering. 1t signed on Sep