Evening star., 1932-05-15

and Mrs.
did nothing; Virginia held aloof, or at least
made no attempt to meet by appropriation the
price Of $500 900 made by John A. Washington,
the owner. although 1t did lend Its encourage
ment to the association in raising funds for
the purchase of the estate.
The owner Of Mount Vernon In 1850 entered
into contract with steamboat owner TO es-
tablish every other week regular service between
Washington and the home Of the First Presi-
dent. 1t proved to be sufficiently remunerative
In q short while to warrant the boat owners
building wharf at Mount Vernon. and in the
course Of a month to make four trips In one
week, instead Of two In q month.
IN all projects 1t is usually left to some one
person to take the initiative and this was left
to Miss Ann Pamela Cunningham of South
Carolina, who started the movement to raise
the required amount of money necessary In
order to secure title to the place. That she had
able assistance there Is no doubt, for the sue
cess Of such an undertaking would require the
efforts Of more than one person. However. the
time had arrived when this celebrated estate
must be saved to the Nation. 1t was disinte-
grating and going to pieces for want Of proper
care and If 1t had been neglected much longer,
restoration might have been out of the question
Washington was aware Of the bad condition
Of the old vault before his DEATH and would
have built the new one had he been spared .
little longer. But 1t was not to BE- and so, in
his viii he directed that:
The family vault at Mount Vernon requir-
ing repairs and being improperly situated be-
sides, desire that . new one, Of brick. and
upon . larger scale, may be built at the foot of
what Is called the Vineyard Enclosure, on the
ground which Is marked out, In which my
remains, and those Of my deceased relatives
(now In the old vault, and such others of my
fo slwr ,l.~ - ~A-A
may be deposited"
However, the executors Of his will were evi-
IDENTIFY Of the procrastinating variety and sew
eral decades passed by before the building Of
the new vault was begun, but even then the
start was rather forced upon the owner of
Mount Vernon, due to an attempt made about
1880 by some vandal, to desecrate the tomb,
apparently with the intention to carry away
the remains Of Washington, which, however,
only resulted In the taking Of q skull and
some bones which were recovered, but these"
we are told composed no part of the remains
OF the illustrious dead" Shortly after this, In
1881, the new vault was built and all the fam
lily remains were placed In it.
1T was to this old vault that Gen. Lafayette
wended his way in 1924, when he visited this
country He had been received in Alexandria,
then q part Of the District of Columbia where
he arrived on October 16 amidst the shouts
and welcome Of thousands Of voices" as he was
escorted through the town. The women, always
as loyal and enthusiastic as the men, filled the
windows on the line Of march, being dressed in
their best attire as they waved their hand
kerchiefs to the veteran as he passed, in token
Of their participation in the Joy manifested by
the multitude in the streets"
From here he went to Mount Vernon where
a most touching scene was enacted for we
are told After remaining few minutes in the
house the general proceeded to the vault, sup
ported by Mr.. Lewis and the gentleman relatives
Of the judge and accompanied by g. W.. La
fayette and G. W eCustis the children of Mount
Vernon both having shared the paternal care
OF the great chief. Mr.. Custis wore the ring
suspended from O Cincinnati ribbon ,s~
when they arrived at the sepulcher, Mr..
Gusts addressed the general and presented him
with q ring containing the hair of washington,
which the general received and pressed to his
bosom and affectionately' embraced the donor.
Then gazing intently on the receptacle