The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-02-14
EL>2E4X COURTHOUSE
kIHE79E AHlHIrG/CTJ NH
A4J ~


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 q condition that would insure them
against further destruction This entailed the
shipping to Fairfax of considerable equipment.
including u heavy press.
To put the battered paper In good condition re-
quired 10 days Of the most panstakng 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 to'tard
restoration after he had photographed everr one
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 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
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.. Ber-
wick was in despair as to where to find paper for
the patches which would make the will look
good new, when by lucky chance in second
sheets Of the writing paper which George Wash
ington had made especially for his personal
were discovered. This was exactly what was
wanted and now, unless holds the sheets of
the restored will In such a position that the bright
light will shine through them, there IL 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 handsome
red levant cover were placed in a 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 posterty by the father
OF his country-mOre valuable than the swords.
books. furniture china, in view Of the fact that
1t more faithfully portrays the mind of the man
himself, refecting his personality nothing else
could do perfectly, opens as follows:
l. George Washington. OF Mount Vernon. a citizen Of
United states and lately president of the same do
written with my own hand and every page thereof
subscribed with my name to be my last will and tes-
lament, revoking all others
'n 1t he directs that:
To my beloved wife. Martha Washington. give and
eequeath the and benet Of my entire estate real
and personal, the of her natural life. except
such parts thereof as are specifically disposed or
quiet manner without parade or funeral oration."
One clause, which has been extensively quoted
is as follows:
IIpon the decease of wife 1t Is my will and de-
sire that all the slaves which hold In my own right
shall receive their freedom.
Concerning the disposition of his slaves the
,,.ner,, gave more explicit directions than to any
ber mart OF his estate and he especially directed
,hot none Of them should be sold outside Of Vir-
ginia.
He directed that his debts. which he said were
.fev and none of great magnitude" be ''punctual
~ and speedily paid" He also called attention
to the fact that many of the young men of the
limited States being sent abroad to foreign
countries to be educated and were contracting
habits of dissipation and principles unfriendly to
republican government To aid in stopping this
no gave so 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
his will for the construction Of new family vault
.t Mount Verrion. in which might be placed the
romans of himself and his relatives
The will may be seen through the glass side Of
Tho vault in which 1t Is deposited before which
b.np 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 1t arler
many years of wandering. II signed on Sep