The Washington herald., 1922-05-12
WASHINGTON HOME
H0STESSES GATHER
TO INSPECT ESTATE
Mount Vernon Ladies
Association Opens An
nual Meeting.
REPORT REVENUES
Spirit of Past Prevails as
Women Return to Old
Homestead.


scrubbing and shining Of old and
irons at Mount Vermont For the
Lady OF the Manor has come home
And ghosts of old guests, ghosts
of old friends. and ghosts of the
dear, dim washingtons gather. You
can feel them in the white sunshine
in .rhe morning, and you can catch
Elinpses of them in the moonlight
ladies In billowing crinoli nes
strollipg through the maze of Mar
tina vashington's garden, moving
across the broad lawns. watching
the srubbing and the shining of
andirons; wigged gentlemen with
gay Iabots talking in the library,
smohng in the summer house.
TFey have come to welcome the
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
Of the Union, erstwhile hostssS to
the, visitors Of Mount Vernon. For
The association has gone to the
Warrington estate for its annual
melting. They will go over all the
antirs of the homestead and the
farm. put things in order. balance
u, accounts,
Plan for Next Year.
Reverently the members of the
association came into the estate.
they will stay there until all is
organized for the coming year.
Some OF them stay in the lodge.
others stay in the quarters beh'rd
the old spinning house. and yet
others stay in the mansion. But a
vice regent from each State comes
to the annual meeting.
The FIRST business of consequence
before the society Is the matter of
cooking. More than thirty EN-
ployes constantly upon the grounds
must be fed daily. Although COM
plete FIRE apparatus is installed.
Snd although danger of fire from
'aulty electric wiring has been lp-
parently eliminated by Thomas Edi-
soma cOntrivaEce CT an individual
bottery in each room, neverthel ssi
tn associaI.Cn fears for hrei n the
moheTn IItchec placed in t:t' CID
Ia.ly kitchen. Consequently. IT Is
considering the installation of a
cH-all plant and an electri" stove
that no match need be struck any
where On the estate.
Through no donations of conse-
auence. nor any drives or dues. the
Washington home is conducted or
these 25-cent fees paid by tourist:
entering the place. Last year. II
was announced, the total revenue
from this source was s120.6s3.47
while the total disbursements were
IL,
payroll for a resident engineer. a
corps of gardeners. guards. police
superintendent. farm hands and
house servants of more than $780,
900 yearly.
show Great Care.
The Mount Vernon Ladies' As.
sociation Is housekeeper and man.
ager for the great colonial estate
and the fact that II Is composed
Of women is evident on every side
Tender care and love for every relic
Is exhibited. Fresh flowers are
placed in bowls in every room
new wreaths OF spring blossoms
are laid on the tombs. Fresh
linens are laid in the bedrooms
Each vice-reEent is so close a stu
dent Of Gen. washington's letters
and diaries, and the accounts of the
executors. that they know every
article Of furniture and the loca-
tIon Of every tree and plant on the
land, as is indicated in the method
cal generals records.
1t Is expected that several pieces
of the old furniture will be au-
thenticated and returned at this
annual meeting. A great deal must
be accomplished this year. accord
ing 20 Mrs. Horace Mann Towner
that all may be in readiness for the
visit Of the governor of Virginia
next "Wednesday.
The twenty-five members Of the
association in attendance are Mis-,
Harriet Clayton Comesys. Of Della
ware. regent. and the following
vice regents: Miss Alire NJ. Long
fellow. Massachusetts; Mrs. Thomai
s. Maxey. Texas: Mrs. Robert n
Johnston. Alabama; Mrs. Henry w
Rogers. Maryland: Miss Mary r
Failing. Oregon: Mrs. Eliza F