The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-23
Wills OF The WashiDgtous

of Martha Washington are side bJ
side in the century-old brick court
house at Fairfax the capital of Fair
fax county, Virginia. They are pre-
sumably secure against thieves anc
fire and so far as may be agains
time itself. since they rest in her
metically-sealed steel cases sunk il
concreate and velvet curtains shu
! out the destructive light rays from
the wills exposed through glass tC
I the public view.
What more natural, inasmuch as
these wills are priceless national doc
! uments and Mount Vernon is in Fair
fax county?
Nevertheless, it was not always
thus. Hence this story of the Nv ills
of the Washingtons."
George Washington will was
signed at Mount Vernon July 9, 1893
! five months before his death. 1t Il
his own handsome fluent handWrlt-
! ing. 1t was filed for probate in 1900
in the Fairfax courthouse. 1t con-
sists of % sheets about the size OF
fOolscap, written on both sides.
Through all of a century he who
! ran so far as Fairfax courthouse
| might read at his leisure and with
his own hands manipulate the orig
! inal document and at his pleasure
! thumb and tumble it.
At the beginning of the Civil Wan
the will was taken to Richmond, and
there securely hidden. 1t was re
| turned 10 Fairfax courthouse when
peace had been restored. The year
| did not tend to its preservation. Its
| oI1n1 tn nnril nf com
plete obliteration b. "ersistently fold
| ing it lengthwise, owing the orig
| inal fold of the Gle of 1900.
In time the pages cracked and dl-
yided along the lines of the creasing
Then some past and gone official un-
! dertook to repair the damage and
| prevent extension of it. Bits OF
glued paper and court plaster were
| put across the torn creases. AS the
| years went by these patches them
| selves split, leaving the pages again
to fall apart through the center. I
Court authorities then decided
that the broken parts should be
sewn together This rough and
ready surgery was applied.
So gradually the manuscript went
from bad to worse until most of its
AZ pages were in deplorable condi-
tion and much of the beautifully
written text was practically llleglDle
In 1910 Herbert Putnam, librarian
OF congress, asked the Fairfax county
authorities for permission to make
photographs of the will. They re
piled that the will was in such for
lorn condition that a satisfactory
series of photographs of its forty
two pages was impossible. Mr.. Put
mans personal inspection confirmed
this dismal report.
Then came long and trying nego-
tiations. The department of state
offered to restore the Washington
will as it had restored the Declara-
ton of independence, if the docu-
ment were brought to the District OF
Columbia. The Fairfax officials,
backed by the courts. decided that
this was impossible; that an act or
the Virginia general assembly would
be necessary to enable them to con-
sent to even a temporary removal.
Finally in 1916 Librarian Putnam
and Gaillard Hunt, chief of the div
scion of manuscripts hit upon def
mite solution of the difficulty. IL
charge of the repair section or tsss
manuscript division is VIM. Berwick
said to be the greatest living expert
in the restoration of old manuscripts
The Fairfax people, supported by
Lawrence Washington and other
connections o fthe first presidents
family concurred in the suggestion
that the will should be restored at
''nF - RnrWipK
With infinite patience, with expert
knowledge and profound sense OF the
Importance of the patriotic under
! taking, DR." Berwick began his sur
gerry. One by one the twenty-five
sheets were separated and treated.
The instruments employed were thin.
keen knives, cameps hair brushes'
the inevitable paste pot, metal tank
for soaking the pages, a press ana
last and most important OF all, the
gauze or crepeline with which the
mending is made secure and a new
or tougher surface page obtained.
This gauze, an eXquisitely line tex
ture of silk and linen, IS extremely
fimsy to look at and demands the
most delicate handling, but once ap-
nlied over and beneath a page OF
writing or printing it renders 1t prac
ticaIly untearable. Properly laid Oh
it becomes so absOrved in the paper
that it is hardly visible except unaeI
a magnifying glass. Consequently
the renewed manuscript can be reau
as easily as if no additional suDslan-
ce had been used on 1t.
After the countless holes and tears
had been filled the pages were SOAK
ed and pressed into perfect smooth-
ness. delicate knives were employed
TO scrape away stains and torelgh
narticles and finally the crepeline ap-
piled. ,
The library of congress stan con
| siders that Mr.. Berwick accomplished
nearly the impossible and Workeu al-
most a miracle in the complete re-
storation he affected. Ihe authol-
| tiles of Fairfax county, as evidence
| of appreciation of his work, haa EN-
| bossed in gold letters on the plach
morocco cover which now encdses
| the will, Restored in 1916, Under
| Authority of This Court, by w III
Berwick, Restorer of Manuscript, LII
| brarv of Congress. 5" There Is no
other inscription on this cover eX-
| cent The Last Will and Testament
| of Genl. George Washington.
Washington began his will thus !:
! ..In the name of God, Amen! l
| Caorge Washington of Mount YER
| non a citizen of the United States
and lately president of the same, uo
make, ordain and declare this lnstru-
ment which is written with my own
hand and every page thereon SUP
scribed with my name to be my last
! Will & Testament, revoklng all
| others" -
Just the same. he omitted his
signature from the bottom OF page
% which goes to show that even
the model of all the ages was human l.
Martha Washington's will is DAT
ed. March A, 1902, and was admit admit
ed to probate by the county court
at Fairfax June 21, 1902. IL re,
NAMED in the old courthouse uh'ii
the Civil war. Union forces occupl-
cd Fairfax in 1862 and the will dis