Evening star., 1921-02-20
TINE deathplace and the tomb of
q eorSc~ Washington are
ShrineS visited by groups and

ShrineS visited by groups and
crowds of Americans each
day. except on sunday, for then tho
gates are barred and a greater still
ness rests on Mount Vernon. IT is not
altogether because .A"uut Vernon is
so near to the Capital city That so
many go there to salute the memory
of Washington. ON, reason why We
do. or three reasons why We do. is
that a steamboat lands thrrr. trolley
cars run there and an automobile
road leads there
For every thousand perhaps
every ten thou$a nd--st strangers who
gaze reVcrcntly at th" home wh"r.
George Washington lived. at the
chamber wherein j." passed away and
at the tomb in which MI that is mortal
of him, rests. not one man strays
far away from tho humming throb-
bing world the spot whrrc Wash
inEton was born. where the bones q.
his ancestors lie and where many OF
his kindred live. This is not because
that place lacks power To stir the
imagination. to call up sad hut graft
full memories and to stimulate good
thoughts and patriotic resolves. II is
because the place where Washington
was born requires much time. much
patience and sometimes IA. deal of
trouble and good luck to reach. No
steamboat stops within miles of this
interesting place: there is no steam
boat landing near ii: there is no troll
ley line within sixty miles and the
nearest steam railroad is about fifty
miles away. unless one considers the
branch line of the Pennsylvania which
has its terminus on the Potomac river
At Popes creek in Charles county Md.
That is about fifteen miles from the
place where Washington was born
aud on the other side of very wide
river.
Until within Il few years no good
rbad no automobile ro3d---has en-
tered the region where Washington's
ancestors took up lands on their set
titment in America. but now such a
roau passes along the northern neck
of Virginia. which is that long and
irregular peninsula between the Rap
pahannock and Potomac.
x X X <
THAT road leads between Fred
ericksburg on the south side of
the Kappa hammock to Montross county
seat of WestmoTeland, and in it's
course through Westmoreland county.
the native county of George Washing
ION. passes within about a mile and
three quar- rters of that great Ameri-
cans, birthplace. There is a proposal
under consideration for building a
spur from the trunk road leading
down the neck" which will connect
that road with Washington's birth
place. Then. perhaps. a multitude of
Americans may refresh their senti-
ments of country and of flag at very
holy shrine.
The only practical BILE way of reaching
Nashingtons birthplace today is to
cave the public highway, which is an
excellent road, and pass along private
'oads which lead through woods and
over fields. Travelling over these roads
s difhcult In other than dry weather.
The proposition of the people in West
moreland county is that the United
States shall build this short road, the
'andholders being willing to ced. the
right Of way. 1t should be borne in
mind that the United States spent a
arge sum of money to make Wakefield
accessible to patriotic pilgrims. And
the government failed. 1t built costly
pier. which Potomac steamboats, either
could not or would not use 1t tmade a road.
perhaps a mile and quarter or a mile
and half long. from that pier to the
splendid monument which it built on the
site OF the birthplace house. The pier,
which was never used by the public, has
disa ppeared. though very likely you may
be able to see long rows of pile stumps
1T low water. And. of course, nobody
u.
Far down the Potomac river in West
noreland county, Va, on a stretch of
nigh land, long an open field. but now
growing up in cedars. and between two
creeks-the upper called Bridges and
he lower Popes after landowners of
.he early colonial age-stands simple
white granite shaft erected by the
United States government and inscribed
"Washington's Birthplace 1t stands
IN the site Of the house, long ago ruin,
krif.h achi intY
ron picket fence surrounds the monu-
:nent. and against the fence, outside
and inside. grow clusters of big bushes
which bear sweet fruit in season. These
are the survivors of the fig bushes which
grew in the Washington garden and are
mentioned in some of the old chronicles.
Scattered through the surrounding turf
are bricks and smaller bits OF native
stone. once part Of the foundation
walls and chmneys of the Washington
tillowed with old corn burrows, now
covered with firm sod. on which cattle
craze and from which cedars and other
rees are springing. Old corn burrows
are wonderfully persistent. and some-
times in this wonderful Potomac coun-
try, and, of course. also in the valley of
the Rappahannock and the valley of the
Patuxent. one may see the trace of the
plow in woodland where timber has
grown tall and stout since the last corn
crop was cut.
THE Washington birthplace house
was destroyed by fire, and it
seems not to be known when this
happened. The chimneys. or parts of
them, were standing within the
memory of man. Washington Irving.
in his Life of Washington" written
between the years 1S55-1s59. made
the following references to the Wash
ington h"nnH:
George, the eldest. the subject of
this biography. was born the 22nd of
February 11 o.s.), 1892. in the home
stead on Bridges creek. This house
commands a wide view over many
miles Of the Potomac and the opposite
shore of Maryland. 1t had probably