Evening star., 1925-10-18

Gunston Hall has two entrances
| that on the north being formal, its
| lunetted door giving out on q brick
and stone porch with Doric pillars In
| Masons day double rows of black.
| heart cherry trees, raised from the
stone and hence uniform in size and
shape, formed the approach to this
entrance, and were q source of great
pride to the owner. For so straight
We're they that one standing in the
doorway could count but four instead
OF more than so trees. These have
long since passed.
The southern entrance is more init
mate and engaging, comprising a pen
tagonal portico with a glorious view
of the Potomac. The avenue which
entered at the north front of the man
sion runs straight through the south
ern porch and down between two
| lockwood hedges to a delightful sunk
en- garden. Beyond this is a sud
! den drop of many feet, to lowlands
upon the river, which formed an eX-
tenSlVe deer park in the time of Mason.
The entire Gunston Hall estate then
| consisted of between 5000 and 1000
acres, for George Mason was account
ed a very rich man. About 500
negroes We're attached to the estate,
and represented such varied indus
IL
sustaining little kingdom. Farm la
borers. carpenters, cabinet makers,
shoemakers, tailors and domestic serv-
ants We're occupied with every In
duStry necessary to the we'll ordered
operation of the Mason community.
The best clothes of the masters fam
lily required outside work, but this was
not Indispensable.
Some idea of the magnitude of the
plantation may be had from the know
ledge that as much as $4,000 bushels
OF wheat would compose a single ship
ment from Masons private wharf.
Yet he superintendent his own bust
ness affairs practically altogether,
without the aid of a steward or clerk
Such was his privte life.
X X x X
THROUGHOUT his career George
Mason contributed to the political
literature of the United States some
of the most important documents ever
written.
Before he was out Of his teens. he
began to participate in the impor-
tant episodes Of his State. He. shared
In the organization of the Ohio Com
pany and in the founding of Alexan-
dria in 1749. He was a member Of the
Virginia House Of Burgesses at the
age of "a.
The Non-importation Resolutions
constituted his first outstanding piece
of work. and were a momentous step
toward the Revolution. George Wash
ington, the near neighbor and close
friend of George Mason. who was
frequently associated with him in
schemes for the public welfare, wrote
to Mason warmly advocating non
importation associations, which should
be bound by voluntary agreement not
to import or use articles from Eng
land which were burdened with OBJ
noxious duties. This scheme was
thoroughly sound. as it attacked the
Achilles heel of Great Britain, the
purses Of her merchants. Mason
heartily favored the idea, and drew
up the plans, which Washington was
to sponsor at the next meeting Of the
the House Of Burgesses, Of which he
was a member at the time, while Ma
son was not. Lord Botetourt, then
Governor of Virginia land incidentally
one Of the sanest and most popular
of all re-Revolutionary incumbents of
that office, had heard of these reso-
lutions and felt obliged to dissolve the
House before they could be offered
afterward and unanimously adopted
George Mason soon thereafter wrote
and printed a pamphlet entitled Eek
tracts from the Virginia Charters,
with Some Remarks Upon Them"
which reviewed the political rights
Of the state and had further influence
in crystallizing resistance to British
oppression.
He followed this up in 1774 with
the highly significant Fairfax Re
solves" series of twenty-four re-
solutions setting forth the entire
ground of controversy with Great
Britain, urging non-intercourse with
her and advocating a congress of the
colonies. These Resolves were the
first decisive declaration of the col
onies' rights, and form one of the
greatest memorials to George Ma
sons scholarly craftsmanship. He
presented them on July Is, at a Fair.
fax County meeting in Alexandria
Ghen the county seaD over which