Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-04-17
Placed in Front Rank by Opiu
ions of Washington, Jeffer-
son and Randolph.
LEGISLATIVE CAREER WAS
REMARKABLY CONSTRUCTIVE
Elected Senator Against His
Will; Refused to Serve Be-
cause of III Wife.
ny John Il. Goodrich. Jr.

conceived and established tho Amer
lean government. George Washing
tor and George Mason staiG side
by side Side hy side. as ncighborlI-
ness went then. they lived and died
and ar. buried And in this init
macy they worked TO establish thci-
ihcals long before Lexington: ideals
that In the main were conceived by
Mason and scrutinizcd and accepted
by Washington. his Junior. his clos
est friend ana admIrcr. Washington
introduced the nonimportation act
In the virginia Assembly. though II
was drawn by Mason. and signed the
Fairfax Resolves. also drawn by Ma
son.
George Mason. OF Gunston, stands
In relief among the !ntellcctuals OF
his day, placed In the front rank by
the opinions OF Washington. Jensr-
son. Randolph and others who
knew him throughout his remarkable
constructive Legislative career. II.
wrote no autobiography. accepted no
office Cevcn whch elected senator
against his viii. he refused TO serve
because his wife was ilD. ana his
letters were never published thus "a
near obscuri,y has blurred his fame
RIlhl 'i'lbtitb'u VII lIt Sia't-
tude OF a republic. But few stu
dents. or perhaps many students.
recognize the fun stature OF his
greatness.
Fourth George Mason.
He was the fourth George Mason
10 liv. on the C;unston estate. where
for more than two hundred years
George Mason" was head Of the
WAS not bug, until 1855. and 1t was
this George Mason. OF Funston, who
erected {, for his ls-year-oid bride.
Ann Eilbeck. OF Maryland
The famed mansion stands he
tween the old Kings Highway tina,
runs from Richmond To Washington.
and the Potomac River. .oicing elo-
Iucnily the traditions of Colonial
splcndor. It is the next plantation
10 the original Mt. Vernon tract.
touches The lands OF Lord Fairfax on
the west and is eighteen miles from
Washington. It's shore line is
broken by Gunston Bay on one side
and on the other Pohick Cove. The
house is almost unchanged and is
as beautiful today az Of Old. and
the garden and grounds are perhaps
in Virginia. In The garden the old
box hedge is more than ten feet tail.
so thick that cosy alcovcs are cut
into II for chairs and benches. and
Sir Arthur Balfour, who was re-
Gently the guest OF the present own
crs OF tho estate. SIR. and Mrs Louis
Hcrtlc. said that he doubted IL in
England there was another box
hedge so perfect IN It's beauty. For
tunatcly Mr.. and Mrs. Hertlc have
brought with them from Chicago 10
Virginia n deep love OF our tradi-
tons, and the old hall is almost
sacred to them. so that nothing has
been spared to keep ii IN its Colonial
purity and magnificent simlG city.
There arc climbing roses linked with
thick beds of Violet interlincd with
cowslip tufts and old fashioned
flowers in the yard. where on one
side the big terrace slopes down and
from il one looks into the sunkcn
garden. About il all, under the cen
tury-old trees and among the flow
ers. wind gravel walks over which
trod statesmen and lovers Of long
ago.
Built Along Tudor Lines.
The mansion house. built along
Tudor lines with Dropping roof and
dormcr windows. Is OF brick with
cut stone trimmings. grey OF color:
on the north front is the entrance
under porch upheld by four Doric
columns. 1t is type OF the old
Southern mansion. with wide halls
and splendid woodwork, the panels
wainscoating. doors and mantcls all
hand carved by workmen brought
from Europe by the builder espe-
cially for the purpose.
One chamber OF the mansion was
always kept for Jefferson. who spent
much time there; Washington. John
Randolph. Madison. Patrick Henry.
Richard Henry Lee and other, Vir-
ginians spent frequent and long
periods as II guest.
Colonel George Mason, member Of
Parliament and commander OF a reg
iment of horse in the army of Charles
T.. when disaster overlook him ut
Worcester, refugcd during Cromwcirs
asccndancy to Virginia. with many
cavaliers. When the Kings son
took lack the throne grant
of 5000 acres was made to Colonel
Mason who called it the "Gunston
Estate" He was prominent in Vir-
ginia AFFAIRS, rebel and a member
q: Bacon's assembly. George Mason
II. succeeded him. and was MEM
Ter Of the House OF BurSesscs and
an advcnturcr who led small army
in frequent conflicts with the In
dians. George Mason III. was county
Lieutenant OF Stafford, embracing u
large part OF Northern Virginia and
was n member of tho Assembly.
Grchtest Statesman of Age.
George Mason ~. was "the great
est statesman in an age OF states
men," and from his mind sprang tho
principles OF American government
Besides the Fairfax Resolves and
tho antiimportatiop act-milestone
towards rebellion-he wrote the yir-