The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-18
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Lee Mansion as a Memorial.

: Another Arlington souvenir NJ
equal historic value was Washing.
tons bed. The same writer WIZ
so wildly described the view from
the portico has this to say:
"In one of the chambers at A.
| lington House is the bed and he'd
stead upon which Washington slan,
at Mount Vernon, and wherein bo
expired. The frame is remarkab,e
for its great width, being sfx fae,
1t was made with other furnitnra
! in New York in 1889 and was IN
continual use by the Patriot un-si
| the day OF his death. The bed and
+ bedding remain in precisely tba
same condition as when the gooS
man left it for his final restfr@
place"
This bed is now at Mount Vernon
Other Washington Relies.
Gusts had many other beIong-
ings of the Washington family
such things as the harpsicor8
which the general had given Ia
| Nellie GUSTS at Mount Vernon.
heavy little iron chest with three
padlocks and two bolts in which
Mrs. Washington kept money and
valuables; a silver tea service fror,
which the first president was said
% have served all the great men
of the day; beautiful vases, the gifts
Of admirers; and valuable Old nor
traits Of Washington and his fam
lily.
Among these portraits Gusts
owned the Sharpless profile paint.
ing of Washington, regarded BY
many people as the best likeness
ever executed of the general. But
GUSTS was not altogether satisfied
with the various likenesses of his
adopted father and had the amb;-
ton to paint full length view Of
the great man that would settle for
posterity all questions as to his
face and figure. He did indeed
make the painting, showing the
general leaning against his horse
at Yorktown.
Custis' intentions were good, but
his lack of training prevented his
attempts at historic paintings from
having the value he felt sure they
would have. The amateur painter
was not daunted by technical diff
ficulties, however, but proceeded to
turn out half a dozen Revolutionary
battle scenes with Washington
prominent in the foreground, and
then to decorate the walls of the
house with murals. Traces of one
of these wall paintings, a hunting
scene, may still be seen in the rear
ball of Arlington House.
The heirlooms of Arlington pass.
in 1857. Robert E. Lee had married
GUSTS daughter and at GUSTS wish
the young couple set up hOusekeep-
ing at Arlington rather than at
Lees own home. Whatever souv-
enirs of Lees stay at Arlington are
still in existence, therefore, are
largely personal belongings.
If the Daughters of the Confeder-
acy do undertake to establish a
at Arlington, members Of
the Lee and GUSTS families and
others who have relics from Airing
ton House would be the only source
from which exhibits can be obtain
ed. A number of the Washington
exhibits in the National museum
are labeled Lent by Miss Mary
Gusts Lee" They are not, there
fore, the permanent property Of the
Although Arlington is across the
Potomac from Washington, it is as
much visited as the sights in tie
heart of the city. The graves and
of both northern and
southern forces of the Civil war,
those of the Spanish war, and now
The graves of the European war
dead, attract many.
The mansion has always been ohe-
Of the sights of the grounds, and
visitors fill huge registers with
their names. Except for the table
en- which the register stands. the
rooms which are open TO visitors
are bare.
Arlington is far from forgotten.
but it is remembered as a desOlata, /.
house. 1t is difficult to be-
.ieve that GUSTS built dining room
and dancing pavilion on the lawn
by his spring and invited picnic
crowds to come and enjoy th3
grounds of the Arlington
estate. 1t is hard to imagine the
clean swept halls of Arlington III
ed out with old mahogany and sill
yer, imported china, chintz. and
1rocades. Yet, this is Arlington
House as it was-and as it may be
f restored.