Evening star., 1932-05-15

have been printed from time to time and tiae
following is Mr.. Dodge's reply:
Mount Vernon. Va.
May 8, 1920:
"Dr. William Tindan
My dear Dr. Tindal:
Possibly may be able to throw bit of
light on the subject mentioned in the COM
munication bearing your postscript
Some years ago, remember, one of the
washington newspapers published an ac-
count of what happened at Mount Vernon
in 1887, when the remains of Gen. Washing
ton and his wife were transferred from the
inner vault of the tomb and placed within
the marble sarcophaG which had been pro-
vided, and which have ever since been in
plain sight Of visitors standing before the
tomb entrance.
"Ou that occasion quite large party of
Senators, Members of Congress and others
came to witness the transfer to the last
resting place
Among them was q little boy (naine for
gotten by me) whose father raised him on
his shoulder that he might see over the
heads OF the crowd in front. what there was
OF the ceremony. The published account
(after this child had grown to old age and
died) was, in effect, that the lid of the
leaden casket (the general's) was opened
for few moments before being placed in
the sarcophaguS.
THE most reliable authority, I have had
many occasions to quote, was an old man
(William Burgess, a stone mason of Alex
andria) whom I employed at Mount Vernon
from 1885 until he died, 1893.
Burgess was an apprentice bricklayer and
helped build the new tomb and was pres
ent when the remains of Gen. Washington,
and others, were moved (April 49, 1881
from the old tomb to the new. Only a
few members of the Washington family were
present then and this 18-year-old lad (Bur-
CESS was with them when they determined
to open the leaden casket to assure them
selves of the identity Of what it inclosed.
They all expressed astonishment, when the
face Of the general was revealed. to observe
how little his facial expression Judging from
portraits) had changed, In the 3o-odd years
since death. But the sealed leaden casket
had been the reason for preservation of
form
yours,
HARRISON H DODGE,
Superintendent"
THE two sarcophagi in the front of the tomb
were presented by John Struthers of Phila-
delphia- Each Is made from a solid block OF
Pennsylvania marble. That of Mrs Washing
ton is perfectly plain except for the lettering
on the top:
MARTHA
Consort of
WASHINGTON
And at the foot.
Died May 21st, 1901
Aged II years.
Here the date is an error, since Martha
washington died in 1902
On the top of the saerophagus wherein re-
poses the body of the first President is simply
the word:
WASHINGTON
And at the foot his name:
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
To the front and sides OF the tomb nnonu-
ments mark the graves of Mrs Eleanor Parke
Lewis and her daughter, Mrs. M E. Conrad.
In front of the tomb are two attractive
obelisks of marble The one on the right was
erected to the memory of Judge Bushrod
Washington, nephew of the general who IN
herited Mount Vernon; the one on the left to
John Augustine Washington, nephew of the
judge and father Of the proprietor of the
estate when the estate was sold.
1t was not an easy task for the Mount Vernon
Ladies' Association TO raise the 5000 coo needed
for the purchase of Wssisingten,ss homer For
tunately, some very, good women and very
good men were enlisted in the cause, Of the
latter was Edward Everett, the noted orator
OF Massachusetts, who from the sixty second
to the sixty-sixth years of his age, We are told,
pleaded with, listening and admiring audiences
that the fame and virtues of Washington
should induce them to raise the means for
the preservation of Mount Vernon. Washing
ton Irving was also very helpful and, next to
Mr.. Everett. was the largest individual sub
scriber to the purchase fund
NATURALLY, the people were skepticai, for
the patriotism Of the people in answering
the appeal for funds to complete the WASH
ington Monument lacked enthusiasm, and those
Who were willing to give doubted II sufhcient
money could be raised to complete the pur-
chase. Fortunately some very able writer's
felt that the place should be purchased and
accordingly lent their best efforts to the cause.
One Of these, in metropolitan publication, in
1859. said:
TT Is . shrewd man who can eat his cake